employer cover photo
employer logo
employer logo

Save the Children US

Is this your company?

Things Will Not Change until Top Management Changes - Anonymous employee Save the Children US Employee Review

2.0
Oct 31, 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- build professional relationships with most of the people I work with; - flexibility of work schedule [usually] when there are emergencies with family/kids;

Cons

- it seems the finance department is a mess, there is a lack of leadership. When you have folks in management roles for 20-30 years, innovation and change go out the window - no, these aren't even allowed at the door. Many new people come in, but they are also the first to leave. Either these "lifers" need to switch to another department for a while or start an exchange program with other NGOs, to get some fresh blood in there, but nothing will change until the senior finance folks change - and sadly, it doesn't look like any of 'em will leave soon. Westport isn't exactly the HUB for NGOs, ya know. Forget it if you are a woman! The top finance folks will use the passive-agressive behaviour technique to force you out. You could have great ideas, but if the senior managers are the ones responsible for the idea: forget it. B-Level managers DO NOT hire A-level staff here. It's more like C-level managers though and they ain't hiring anyone who will outshine or outperform them. - Get rid of the conflicts of interest and nepotism. This ain't a family business. Husbands and wives working in the same department - come on. Uncles, cousins, sister-in-laws being hired or brought in from overseas? There are many many qualified Americans who can do the work.. Oh yeah, it makes it hard to have a disagreement with a co-worker if her husband is your boss: can you say conflict of interest????!!! Cut the nepotism and put a conflict of interest policy in place - Lack of transparency: people are given promotions or new positions without a new position being advertised. As for hiring, if you are in a clique, don't worry about applying for new positions because you can earn a new position even if you aren't qualified. you just have to be in the "clique." - Lack of follow up from HR when one interviews for a position. You usually find out from the Announcment Page when someone has been hired for a position for which you were interviewed. HR needs to get back to candidates BEFORE announcing who has been selected to fill a position. - Lack of direction with this whole Save the Children International thing - there has been such a lack of communication from mangement downwards; lack of planning; there are plans in place, but the senior management doesn't want to share with staff - like they feel empowered by holding information. Managers don't work with employees to get them into other positions (probably cause they are looking at protecting their own jobs) - Performance Evaluations - they have a quota of how many people can get each rating. So regardless of how highly your supervisor may think of your performance, if the senior managers don't want you to get a high rating, you ain't gonna get it. year after year, my supervisor comes back to apologize that his/her evaluation of me what rejected because the rating was too high. - Misuse of funds - when you see photos of children who look like they are starving, don't think all your donations reach them...there are $60,000 + vehicles being purchased for employee use to take their children to/fm the private schools or $4,200/month homes being rented, swimming pools that need to be cleaned; best thing is to designate your contributions to a specific cause

Explore other reviews about Save the Children US

5.0
Jul 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent nonprofit organization to work with

Cons

I had to move back home, and they would not allow me to work full-time remote

3.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Save the Children offers deeply meaningful, mission-driven work alongside colleagues who are genuinely committed to impact. I’ve had a very positive experience with my manager, and there are many strong, thoughtful professionals across the organization. More recently, new staff coming in have been high-caliber and bring fresh energy and expertise. There are signs the organization is moving in a more positive direction, and benefits and flexibility are solid for the nonprofit sector.

Cons

There was a major reduction in staffing over the course of a year, carried out in several large phases due to a decline in public funding. This was followed by a number of senior staff departures, which, in combination, affected morale and increased uncertainty across teams. From a staff perspective, the pace and communication around these changes sometimes felt abrupt and not always clearly explained. While change is never easy, the experience was particularly challenging for those navigating ongoing transitions and shifting priorities. At times, there can also be a perception of inconsistency in how personnel decisions are made, which can further impact trust.

1
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All