How Nonprofits Help Us Take Care of Each Other

Editorial note: On November 14, 2024, Propel Nonprofits Chief Financial Officer Ellie O’Brien and the other honorees of the 2024 Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards were recognized at an awards luncheon. The remarks below are from Ellie’s acceptance speech.  

I’m deeply honored to receive this award and extend my gratitude to the Business Journal, the selection committee, and especially the staff and board of Propel Nonprofits. This year has been one of change, growth, and hard work shared by all of us, and I am proud to work alongside such wonderful people. I love my job, I love being a CFO, but frankly, it’s been pretty easy.  Let me tell you why. 

I grew up in a safe, stable home, with parents who had the tools to care for and support me.  All my life I’ve been able to feed my brain and body with nutritious food, fresh air, arts, music and natural spaces.  My racial identity has never been a barrier for me to be in the spaces I want to be in.   

When I became a working parent, I had a lot of support balancing my family and career, including Montessori daycare and preschool, enriching activities like Girls on the Run, and my family’s favorite tradition, YMCA family camp.   

When I’ve encountered more challenging times, I’ve had mental health resources for support.  And, when I need a break from spreadsheets and budgets, I take guitar lessons at MacPhail Center for Music and pottery classes at White Bear Center for the Arts.   

If you haven’t guessed it already, all the elements that make my job feel easy are central to the missions of nonprofit organizations.  Nonprofits are filled with problem solvers, changemakers, community builders, and advocates who work tirelessly to make the opportunities and support that I’ve had in my life accessible to everyone.  They are as varied as the businesses represented here, each answering the question: how do we take care of each other?   

At Propel, I have the privilege to work in support of so many of Minnesota’s nonprofits. Every day I get to dig into financial strategy and problem-solving while also contributing to community care. It’s a great job (and, ok, so I lied, it’s not all that easy), but I love it, and I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate today.  Thank you. 

Learn more about the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal CFO of the Year Awards here.