FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington D.C. (April 1, 2010) · If going to work feels like work, then you’re not working at KaBOOM!. Today, KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving play, was named one of the Best NonProfit Organizations to Work for in 2010. The annual list of the “Best NonProfits” was created by The NonProfit Times and Best Companies Group. KaBOOM! (kaboom.org) has built more than 1,700 playgrounds in low-income communities and is working to bring play back into the lives of all children. There are a number of reasons to work at KaBOOM!, but what sets the organization apart is the experience of creating positive change in communities across America. “We believe that play matters not just on the playground but in the workplace as well,” said Darell Hammond, CEO of KaBOOM!. “For us, instilling a sense of play into the organization helps fuel the passions of our employees and keeps us focused on our goal of saving play across America. If we don’t play ourselves, how can we expect to motivate others to do the same?” The annual survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in the non-profit sector. The top organizations appear in the April 2010 issue of The NonProfit Times along with profiles of each organization. KaBOOM! offers generous compensation packages, benefits, and bonus plan, but more importantly, the organization has a strong culture and playful spirit that contributed to its receipt of this prestigious award. “While we work incredibly hard, it doesn’t really feel like work,” said Carrie Ellis, the Director of the Project Management team. “We might have to travel across the country, but at the end of the day, it’s really rewarding because we get to make kids happy every day.” Our Work is Play KaBOOM! employees, affectionately nicknamed “Boomers,” all share a passion for making children happy, which helps shape the culture. The offices exude a positive energy which comes from the employees as well as the brightly painted office walls and playground equipment such as tire swings and slides. The organization is also focused on ensuring a demographically-balanced and representative workforce. Other unique features include: Play Academy—the entire organization gathers together once a year to regroup and recharge at a three-day retreat; Snack-time—all office kitchens are perpetually stocked with milk, cereal, bread, peanut-butter, jelly, and fresh fruit to keep energy levels up throughout the day; Lunch— KaBOOM! celebrates PB&J Day once a month—an all-hands lunch that features the most-beloved sandwich of childhood (plus other sandwich makings, chips, cookies and drinks); Recess—monthly team-building activities, led by “Culture Captains,” including games, singing, contests and more. Selection Process Organizations from across the country entered a two-part survey process to determine the Best NonProfit Organizations to Work for. The surveys consisted of an evaluation of each nominated organization’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics as well as an employee experience. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings. KaBOOM! combines serious fun with wise use of the money it raises. The organization has a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau endorsed charity. For more information on the Best NonProfit Organizations to Work for program, visit www.BestNonProfitstoWorkfor.com.
If going to work feels like work, then you’re not working at KaBOOM!. Today, KaBOOM!, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to saving play, was named one of the Best NonProfit Organizations to Work for in 2010. The annual list of the “Best NonProfits” was created by The NonProfit Times and Best Companies Group. KaBOOM! (kaboom.org) has built more than 1,700 playgrounds in low-income communities and is working to bring play back into the lives of all children. There are a number of reasons to work at KaBOOM!, but what sets the organization apart is the experience of creating positive change in communities across America.
“We believe that play matters not just on the playground but in the workplace as well,” said Darell Hammond, CEO of KaBOOM!. “For us, instilling a sense of play into the organization helps fuel the passions of our employees and keeps us focused on our goal of saving play across America. If we don’t play ourselves, how can we expect to motivate others to do the same?”
The annual survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in the non-profit sector. The top organizations appear in the April 2010 issue of The NonProfit Times along with profiles of each organization. KaBOOM! offers generous compensation packages, benefits, and bonus plan, but more importantly, the organization has a strong culture and playful spirit that contributed to its receipt of this prestigious award.
“While we work incredibly hard, it doesn’t really feel like work,” said Carrie Ellis, the Director of the Project Management team. “We might have to travel across the country, but at the end of the day, it’s really rewarding because we get to make kids happy every day.”
Our Work is Play KaBOOM! employees, affectionately nicknamed “Boomers,” all share a passion for making children happy, which helps shape the culture. The offices exude a positive energy which comes from the employees as well as the brightly painted office walls and playground equipment such as tire swings and slides. The organization is also focused on ensuring a demographically-balanced and representative workforce.
Other unique features include:
Selection Process Organizations from across the country entered a two-part survey process to determine the Best NonProfit Organizations to Work for. The surveys consisted of an evaluation of each nominated organization’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics as well as an employee experience. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings.
KaBOOM! combines serious fun with wise use of the money it raises. The organization has a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau endorsed charity.
For more information on the Best NonProfit Organizations to Work for program, visit www.BestNonProfitstoWorkfor.com.
About KABOOM!KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to create or transform 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have equitable access to the crucial benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. In 2022, KABOOM! launched the 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity, the $250 million plan to accelerate its mission in 25 high-priority locations over five years. Learn more at kaboom.org and join the conversation at twitter.com/kaboom, facebook.com/kaboom, instagram.com/kaboom and LinkedIn.