Darla Murker

“Being able to work in an industry where you really make a difference to people (means) it’s not about a product or the bottom line, but about serving people,” says Darla Murker, executive director of the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce.

Murker began her involvement with the chamber as its community coordinator, which she felt was her “dream job.” She has officially been in the role of executive director since August 2006. Her career in nonprofits goes back nearly 20 years, as she worked for the state’s largest nonprofit organization.

“No matter what you do, find something that feeds your soul and nurtures your heart — and you’re more likely to get that personal satisfaction in a job where you can make a difference,” she says.

That is exactly what attracted Darcy Celletti to her work for the YMCA. Celletti, executive director of Gig Harbor Family YMCA, says she liked the Y’s “spirit-mind-body” focus, especially since she came from a fitness as well as health care background. “It was important to me to work for a place reflecting that kind of holistic approach,” she says.

Celetti’s entire career has been focused on community building. While in college, she became involved in various volunteer activities, and as she traveled abroad and saw other lifestyles, her own life was strongly impacted. Right after college, she became a Peace Corps volunteer, focused on community development and elementary school education in Micronesia, and later worked for a community and migrant health center in New York.

Celetti, who has a master’s degree in public health and health promotion, worked at MultiCare Health Systems before the Y. She helped create, then managed, MultiCare’s Center for Healthy Living. “I like being part of transforming lives, improving health and building family relationships,” she says of her three-year career at the Y.

The Gig Harbor location is now the second largest branch in the Tacoma-Pierce County YMCA, with membership at 16,800 in just six months since its opening. With its classes and programs going strong, the center is also focused on building programs out in the community and improving access to everyone. “It’s a real privilege to work for a place that’s reflective of my spirit. I feel fortunate and blessed to be part of this team,” Celletti says. “My spirit-mind-body triangle is important to me, and the Y supports me not only as a professional but also as a person.”

Carol Anderson’s work in the nonprofit sector also stemmed from a personal interest. Anderson, a longtime Poulsbo resident, is the founder and president of Poulsbo-based Money Quotient, a nonprofit that promotes financial planning education with a “life-centered perspective.” Anderson was a sole proprietor of a consulting firm when she decided to start a nonprofit.

“I have long been concerned that most Americans — regardless of level of income — do not have the financial skills or self-understanding needed to proactively create a successful and satisfying financial life,” she says. Money Quotient’s mission is to do just that. The organization provides tools and training for financial advisers, counselors and educators, and is also involved with research and education.

Money Quotient, an entirely woman-run office, has clients throughout the country and the world. Anderson, who has a master’s degree in consumer economics and family resource management, has been both quoted and published in various publications. She also created “Designing Your Life in Retirement: A Guide to Planning Your Future,” a retirement planning workbook and program. “Our nonprofit status communicates that our mission is to facilitate positive change in this important area of individual well-being,” she says.

Individual well-being is the focus of Shelley Long’s work as well, specifically individuals with special needs. Long is the program director for Bainbridge Island Special Needs Foundation/Stephens House. She works with severely handicapped adults on a daily basis, trying to provide meaningful opportunities for them to have a productive and successful life. The nonprofit organization operates The Stephens House and in addition to serving severely handicapped adults, it offers private art camps for young children. The Stephens House is well-known locally as a place to buy handmade body-care products and art — all made by the clients who participate in the program.

“I like trying to find something intrinsic for each client that gives them real success and meaning,” Long says. Her work has evolved in her five years with the foundation. Originally hired to develop programs, Long continues to find new opportunities. For example, the center now has a garden as well as a traveling art show that has been a hit on the island. (Long hopes to implement it in other areas of Kitsap.) “The art (they create) is stunning; it’s beautiful,” she says. “The pieces stand out on their own,” but when people find out they’re made by handicapped artists, the pieces have even a higher impact, she says.

Long, who also teaches private lessons in music and drama, says she has never gardened or made body products before, but it’s been fulfilling to find new activities to offer at The Stephens House. “We look for ways to be as visible as possible so people know our heartbeat and our needs,” she says. “We really rely on the support from the community.”

It’s the community support that has made the Poulsbo Farmers Market a successful nonprofit as well. Jackie Aitchison, market manager since 2004, was a Poulsbo City Council liaison to the organizing group. The local farmers saw a need for a local market, and Aitchison wanted to support their efforts. By the time the position of manager was advertised in spring of 2004, she had lost her reelection bid. She got the market job, and has not only been with the organization ever since but last year also became administrative director for the Washington State Farmers Market Association.

Although the Poulsbo Farmers Market is seasonal, Aitchison’s job is year-round. “I love working with the vendors. I love helping them — in most cases, getting their business started,” she says.

As is the story with all nonprofits, funding is always a concern. Aitchison has to be creative and always be on the lookout for new resources. “I love working for nonprofits because my basic values are reflected in my work,” she says. “Most nonprofits come out of a worthy cause. I love that about them.”