High Impact Philanthropy

Michelle Durand Of Youth Champions On How To Leave A Lasting Legacy With A Successful & Effective Nonprofit Organization

An Interview With Karen Mangia

For someone who wants to set aside money to establish a Philanthropic Foundation or Fund, what does it take to make sure your resources are being impactful and truly effective? In this interview series, called “How To Create Philanthropy That Leaves a Lasting Legacy” we are visiting with founders and leaders of Philanthropic Foundations, Charitable Organizations, and Non-Profit Organizations, to talk about the steps they took to create sustainable success.

As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Michelle Durand.

Michelle Durand is the Executive Director of Youth Champions and a financial and operations expert with more than a decade of experience in analytics and process optimization. She helps bridge the nonprofit and private sectors, strengthening Youth Champions’ leadership and expanding its impact on students. A UC Berkeley graduate, she is dedicated to helping students envision futures beyond what they once thought possible.

Thank you for making time to visit with us about a ‘top of mind’ topic. Our readers would like to get to know you a bit better. Can you please tell us about one or two life experiences that most shaped who you are today?

When I was growing up, my parents loaded my five siblings and me in a van every summer for three weeks. We would set up our tent in a different location every night, and the result was traveling to all 50 states and most of Canada by the time I was an adult. Our trips were always focused on discovery, whether historical, scientific, or natural. And we also faced hiccups every day, many of which were inevitable, like rain. From a young age, this gave me a deep love of exploration and a deep comfort with things going “wrong.” It sparked my desire to explore and learn in unconventional ways, while also planting the seeds for key character traits and mindsets that have served me well in growing a business.

In my late twenties, I made the terrifying decision to leave my primary residence and quit my job to live nomadically. Up to that point, I’d done everything “by the book.” I’d gone to a good school, earned a couple of useful degrees, secured good and stable jobs, and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. By standard measures, I was living the dream. But I wasn’t living my dream. After a long time (too long) of debating if I should and wondering if I could, I finally leapt into the unknown. And it was one of the best experiences of my life. One of the things it really solidified was that comfort was the enemy. Not that it’s bad to be comfortable, but that it gives you more to lose if your bold dream goes wrong, which can hold people back from making a change that would exponentially improve their lives. I had to shift from thinking of what I had to lose to what I had to gain. I also learned that I would never have enough facts and certainty to know a risk will work out — there’s not going to be a perfectly right time. So don’t wait for things to be right.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? We would love to hear a few stories or examples.

A yes-attitude: it’s not about whether or not it’s possible, it’s about how it can be possible (but more on this in the next question). We’ve been fortunate to have a large community of incredible, brilliant people who serve in different ways, even if only for a few hours each quarter. They have a great way of spotting what’s not working and what could improve, and my “yes-attitude” helps us turn all their feedback into reality.

Grit: There is no substitute for hard work. Sticking with things through ups and downs and working with discipline and rigor are key factors to any success.

Adaptability: This goes hand in hand with the yes-attitude. A yes-attitude can see the beauty and potential of new ideas; adaptability helps ensure that change can come to fruition. We run a lot of surveys and get feedback every week, which we use to adapt and iterate quickly, and we have tracking logs for all the feedback we receive to ensure we make change happen.

What’s the most interesting discovery you’ve made since you started leading your organization?

The most interesting discovery I’ve made is that the things I say no to are just as important, if not more so, than the things I say yes to. As mentioned before, I naturally have a yes-attitude that I’ve intentionally cultivated over time. While I’ve found that saying “yes” has served me exceptionally well, I also began to find it overwhelming, not because I was working too hard, but because I wasn’t discerning enough about where to focus my time and attention. I used to think saying “no” meant being stubborn or unwilling to grow or implement good ideas. But in reality, “no” accelerates growth because it delivers focus. It means I’m not spending time on less meaningful things, and the things I do say “yes” to are more successful because I’m not as scattered.

Can you please tell our readers more about how you or your organization intends to make a significant social impact?

We want to empower teens to empower themselves. Life truly opens up when a person realizes they are in control of their own destiny. They’re not waiting for something else to happen or for someone else to do something; they’re the ones in control. We want every teen to leave Youth Champions realizing what they are capable of and chasing after it. Imagine a world full of people who are charging through life rather than sleepwalking, a world of people who take ownership of their own destiny rather than waiting on someone else. This is the world we want to create.

What makes you feel passionate about this cause more than any other?

I am a big fan of critical thinking and life ownership. The more people realize how much control they truly have, the better their lives tend to go. They’re not waiting for someone else. They have the ability to craft the life they want. I’m always excited when people make that discovery for themselves, and the teen years are a pivotal time for that kind of self-discovery.

Without naming names, could you share a story about an individual who benefitted from your initiatives?

We had a student who was hungry for the information he was getting from Youth Champions. He would attend every session, even if it meant joining during his lunch hour while he was at work. He would call into the Zoom on his phone from the supplies closet. He went on to graduate from high school and pursue a degree at USC. Later, he graduated and secured a job on Wall Street in investment banking.

While he was in Youth Champions and learning about creating value and pursuing opportunity wholeheartedly, he also bought scaffolding with money he earned from his job and from Youth Champions. He would rent it out to people, like contractors, who needed it. This is a great example of someone who really took the learnings from Youth Champions and ran with them, and it also shows what our students can do with the stipend they earn.

We all want to help and to live a life of purpose. What are three actions anyone could take to help address the root cause of the problem you’re trying to solve?

Say yes to providing opportunities. You never know when someone needs a certain opportunity to learn something crucial about themselves and the world around them. It’s up to them to take advantage of the opportunity, but you can make it easier for them.

Adopt the same mindsets yourself. People become more and more like the people around them. If we want a world of people thriving, creating value, growing, and living with grit and discipline, we have to start with ourselves. You can’t change anyone else. You can change you. But leading by example is a great place to start.

If you want to help, it’s simple. Seek opportunities. Find a local group, volunteer, or give financially. Don’t overcomplicate giving back, and don’t wait for the right time, right moment, or totally perfect organization. The biggest thing I could encourage anyone to do is simply start doing it.

Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things You Need To Create A Successful & Effective Nonprofit That Leaves A Lasting Legacy?” Please share a story or example for each.

1. A big goal

If I wanted to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco, there are many ways to do it. I could road trip, fly, take a train, ride a bus, hitchhike, and so on. But if I want to get from Los Angeles to Paris, the number of feasible options is greatly reduced. There are still options, but the path to success becomes much clearer. Similarly, having big goals for an organization is key to reducing noise when making decisions. For me, I frame everything around the goal of reaching 10,000 students. We’re not there yet, but we’re on our way. Processes, habits, and structures that wouldn’t work for 10,000 students get thrown out. My focus is on building something scalable, which helps me say no to a lot of ideas and concepts.

2. Hire for values

A lot of people can learn skills. Values are much harder to teach. We have four core values: Educate, Personal Growth, Integrity, and Create Value. The quality I ask about most is personal growth. We have a team of people who genuinely care about growing constantly, both personally and professionally. This looks different for everyone, but it’s important for me to choose people who already have a passion and habit of growth. In every interview, we ask what they’re currently growing in. In general, people who make it to the final round are already passionate about growth and can easily speak about it. However, I once interviewed someone who said they didn’t think much about personal growth. Everything else on her resume was perfect, and she had many of the qualities we were looking for, so I decided to overlook her response and hire her. I learned my lesson quickly, and since then, I haven’t brought someone into the organization who isn’t focused on growth in their own life.

3. Hire slow, fire fast

This is an extension of the prior point, but I truly believe that hiring slow and firing fast is vital to the success of our organization. For each of my staff members, there are multiple rounds of interviews, ongoing communication, and benchmarks in the first three months to ensure we’re not keeping someone on the team who isn’t the right fit. I’ve also gotten past the feeling that I’m hurting someone by letting them go. In reality, I’ve seen how much it can hurt someone to keep them in a role where they’re not succeeding. Being fair but quick is often kinder than being fair and drawn out.

4. Adopt technology

If you’re not using AI in a meaningful way every day, you’re falling behind. Technology, whether it’s automation, AI, or well-functioning software, is about leverage. This aligns with my goal of reaching 10,000 students. When we operate with a big goal like that, we constantly ask ourselves how we can make it happen. The answer is often that technology will enable us to move faster and operate more effectively. I always make sure we have people on the team who know how to build and implement these kinds of systems so we can continue iterating and improving. It’s a larger upfront investment, but it pays dividends well into the future.

5. Fail. A lot

I fail every day. If you’re not failing, you’re not trying new things or growing. I’m very intentional about doing things outside my comfort zone, and that naturally leads to failure sometimes. As mentioned earlier, we receive a lot of feedback and make many adjustments. That also means we’re constantly piloting new ideas. One example is a mentor program we’re still developing. When I first piloted it, I received a lot of feedback about what wasn’t working. I took that feedback, went back to the drawing board, and carefully redesigned the program. I felt really excited about the improvements. But when I unveiled the new system we were going to pilot, everyone hated it. It was tough to hear, but I was grateful it happened before we fully implemented it, and that my team felt comfortable being candid. I expect we’ll go through a few more iterations of this program, but when it finally works, I know it will really work because it has been tested and refined through such a gauntlet.

How has the pandemic changed your definition of success?

The pandemic reshaped a lot of Youth Champions before I joined, and it reshaped me personally as well. Ultimately, it became a strong example of a setback resulting in something better than we could have imagined otherwise. I don’t think it changed my definition of success, but it did amplify how important flexibility, change, and adaptability are when it comes to achieving success.

How do you get inspired after an inevitable setback?

For the most part, I find setbacks inspiring. They often reveal new ways of doing things. Intellectually, I tend to think of setbacks more as redirections. Feedback is essential for growth, and setbacks are like feedback from the world. That said, there are times when I can start to feel discouraged, especially when several setbacks happen at once. In those moments, the support of my community becomes the most important thing.

You’re doing important work. How can our readers follow your progress online?

You can follow Youth Champions on Instagram and LinkedIn or visit our website Youth-Champions.org to learn more about how to get involved or donate to our mission!

Thank you for a meaningful conversation. We wish you continued success with your mission.