Matt Levine and Risa Sherman: Alums On Doing What You Love

Matt Levine and Risa Sherman are both graduates of Newhouse, the former as an undergrad journalist and the latter as a masters student of public relations. Matt is the chief operational officer of the National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH), while Risa works in a Boston communications firm that focuses on corporate responsibility and cause-related marketing. Both have nontraditional careers built around giving back. Risa doesn’t work at a non-profit like Matt but her job is closely related.

Risa facilitates corporate philanthropy to organizations like NFESH. Large firms will come to her for a consultation on how to better connect with their stakeholders, and Risa connects the business with the right cause. Making that connection is not sufficient, as Risa detailed how the company’s interests must be aligned to sincerely support the chosen cost. To my surprise, she said that her communications firm will turn down a potential client if their interest in philanthropy seems purely superficial. The cause-related branch of communications does seem to work in practice if the giving organization has enough buy-in. Her job is not simply telling firms to tie their level of giving to the amount of sales. Customers, and stakeholders in general, respond more positively to a less cynical, more constructive, affiliation with a cause.

Matt was quite thankful for firms like Risa’s steering donations towards organizations like his. NFESH is a spinoff from Meals On Wheels, where Matt specialized in development. The difference between the two is subtle but important. NFESH wants to do what Meals On Wheels does – feed the most vulnerable in society – but it wants to develop sustainable plans to achieve that end. Matt considers the work of Meals On Wheels to be vital but wholly unsustainable, a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. Communicating that difference to donors and the general public is his current task.

I found it interesting that both are in niche corners of the communications field. The nontraditional nature of their careers begets the possibility of building my own career in places not considered previously.