Why We’re One of the Best Nonprofits to Work For

April 3, 2019

For the third consecutive year, Education Commission of the States has been named one of the Top 50 Best Nonprofits to Work For. For more about this designation, see our announcement.

At Education Commission of the States, we believe in and support our staff.

Whether a team member is traveling across the country to visit with education leaders, preparing our newest policy resource or hosting a meeting with experts and partners, we work to ensure that they have the support necessary to deliver high-quality, trusted services and resources.

Every day, as this team works to “serve the people behind the policy” — our internal mantra — our leadership also works to provide an inclusive and professional environment, one that recognizes the individual strengths of its staff members and provides them with opportunities to grow professionally and feel supported as they tackle challenges.

While each staff member is part of a smaller team within the organization, daily collaboration across the organization helps us develop and deliver robust and timely resources that our Commissioners and other state education leaders can use to best meet the unique needs of their states. This collaboration and communication across teams also helps to cultivate a culture that thrives on community, friendship and compassion.

Throughout 2018, we worked together — not just as Your Education Policy Team — but also as a team dedicated to giving back to the Denver community. For example, we volunteered on multiple occasions to support those who are experiencing or facing homelessness. These opportunities bring together staff as a team outside of the office, fostering new collaboration and connection over shared experiences.

We also bond over shared interests: Last May, a team of five raced in the Colfax Marathon and took third place in the nonprofit division, donating winnings to the Denver Scholarship Foundation. Also in the spring, staff joined a local indoor soccer league. While our team lost most games, we had a blast losing together!

For more than 50 years, we have been known as the trusted source for unbiased, nonpartisan education policy information. I believe we sustain this external reputation by caring deeply about our internal team — a team that views Education Commission of the States as the best place to work!

Author profile

Jeremy Anderson

President at Education Commission of the States | janderson@ecs.org

As the eighth president of Education Commission of the States, Jeremy leads a team of more than 55 education policy experts that serve policymakers in all 50 states through research, reports, convenings and counsel. Prior, Jeremy served many elected officials in Congress, governors' offices and state legislatures across the country. When he is not racing from airport to airport to serve state education policymakers, Jeremy enjoys running, mountain biking, skiing and time with his wife, son and two daughters. Jeremy truly believes that the best education policy happens when policymakers are able to learn from each other.