Today we’d like to introduce you to Charli Krause.
Charli, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve never worked for a big company – the extent of my private sector work was at small mom and pop restaurants, working with my parent’s cleaning service, and freelancing for my hometown newspaper when I was in high school. When I was in college in Portland, Oregon, I started working for the city’s parks & recreation department, which is where I launched my career and found my love for working in public service and community programs. When I moved to Austin in 2014, I pivoted to nonprofit work at an organization called Generation SERVE, providing service learning and leadership programs to youth and families through volunteer programs with local nonprofits. I now serve as the Senior Director of Nonprofit & Customer Relations at I Live Here I Give Here, where I run a membership program for over 700 Central Texas nonprofits. We help with marketing and fundraising, networking and community building, and a big part of my job is preparing our nonprofits for Amplify Austin Day, the biggest giving event in Central Texas. Last year, we collectively raised over $10 million – funding that will go directly into making Austin and Central Texas a stronger and better community.
The nonprofit sector and volunteering is a huge part of my life, not only professionally, but personally. I volunteer weekly with my neighborhood greenbelt, and I serve on two boards of directors for local organizations. One organization – Volunteering Untapped – brings locals together to volunteer each month, followed up by a social happy hour in an effort to build a stronger Austin community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We’ve had some big challenges in the nonprofit sector over the past several years – COVID and the challenging economy have made fundraising much more difficult. The work we can do depends a lot on the generosity of others and their ability to donate and volunteer. Austin and Central Texas has become less affordable and many people have less disposable income to share with nonprofits.
Another challenge is education about the role nonprofits play in shaping and supporting our home. We recently did a “love where you live, love where you give” series, where we highlighted beloved aspects of Central Texas and the nonprofits that keep these things alive – things like live music, parks and swimming holes, amazing food, museums and culture, and so much more. If you love something about this area, chances are there is a nonprofit tied to making it possible.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I now serve as the Senior Director of Nonprofit & Customer Relations at I Live Here I Give Here, where I run a membership program for over 700 Central Texas nonprofits. We help with marketing and fundraising, networking and community building, and a big part of my job is preparing our nonprofits for Amplify Austin Day, the biggest giving event in Central Texas. Last year, we collectively raised over $10 million – funding that will go directly into making Austin and Central Texas a stronger and better community.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The work I do requires an eye for connection and an ability to listen to others and bring people together. Nonprofit work in general takes a lot of resourcefulness, creativity, empathy, and perseverance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ilivehereigivehere.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ilivehereigivehere/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ILiveHereIGiveHere
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/i-live-here-i-give-here
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ILiveHereIGiveHere-ATX
- Other: https://amplifyatx.org
