Pros
Most of the staff are helpful and kind, although staff turnover is high here, with a turnover rate of about 6 to 8 months.
Feel good about serving community and doing good.
The mission is unique and unlike anything else in Colorado, management would do well to find ways to better empower disadvantaged communities with media tools, education, and services.
Cons
OMF has five core values: Innovations, Self-Actualization, Wisdom of the Crowd, Direct Communication, and Honoring Our Word. If it had competent leadership, these values would probably mean more than they do. Sadly, OMF’s ED and Founder has poor leadership and management skills and uses the foundation — namely — for his own personal gain. He practices something called Radical Honesty (google it), but it seems like he just uses it as an excuse to abuse and bully his staff. Every staff member on the payroll works two or three jobs, and he pays them less than half of what they’re worth. By the time I quit, I was shouldering the workload of three people. After a quick accounting of my responsibilities and the hours I was putting in, I should have been making close to $65,000 in compensation (this at entry levels rates for inexperienced job seekers for the three different jobs I was working). In reality, I was making barely half that amount. When I asked for increased pay, the ED told me I was welcome to find work elsewhere if I thought I deserved more. So that’s what I did.
If you’re passionate about media and want to help disadvantaged people tell their stories, this may be the foundation for you. I simply want to caution you, though, with realistic expectations. The ED likens himself to Steve Jobs reborn or an Elon Musk type. But he is rather unimpressive, and he deals with his own insecurities by bullying his staff. With that all said, he likes yes-men. Those who have never challenged him to think outside of his imagination have stayed in their positions for years. If you disagree with him, though, he’ll shun you and put you down in front of your colleagues. OMF has no HR department, so there is no clear structure to voice your complaints and to seek help. My honest advice to jobseekers and organizations looking to partner with OMF is to stay away from this foundation until the board hires a new Executive Director. I’ve witnessed practices that, at their best, are abusive business tactics. At their worst, the ED engages in fraudulent behavior, and he will demand his staff do the same.