manager

Photographers Without Borders

Photographers Without Borders has an incredibly toxic work culture, perpetuated by leadership. 

Management often resorted to unprofessional name-calling and disparagement of the team and their work, using insults rather than actionable feedback. Team members were yelled at and publicly humiliated in front of others. Volunteers were berated when unable to attend meetings and were asked to work long, unreasonable hours. There was also clear favouritism of some staff over others. The whole ethos of this organization is decolonization, and yet staff were treated in a very colonial way, being micro-managed and talked down to frequently. 

Behind the scenes, PWB is absolute chaos. The organization is a revolving door, as very few people stay more than a few months, and some leave after just a few weeks. People lack clarity in their roles, do not receive training or mentorship as promised, and volunteers don’t gain any real-world experience that they can use to help them in their future careers. 

I joined PWB hoping it would give me an amazing experience, and skills that I can take to advance my career. I also joined with the impression that the workload, especially as a volunteer, would be reasonable.

The workload was closer to a full-time job, and I was really incensed to see such a huge demand out of highly skilled people. Videographers/video editors, journalists, accountants, Human resources and public relations experts, editors, directors and producers should not be volunteering their highly specialized skills for the workload that PWB demands. I also felt that with such an insane workload, the recognition for the work done was not fair. I felt like most of the recognition of PWB was given to the CEO, despite the whole force of people working for free to fund her success. I'm also surprised and disgusted that PWB has operated for over ten years, yet they still are unable to pay their staff.

Overall, I was disappointed, and didn't feel like I left the experience with any highly relevant skills. I'm actually ashamed to tell people I worked at PWB, and actively avoid putting it on my resume. All in all, it was a waste of time.

The intentions of PWB are pure and wholesome. The initial experience was rewarding, and I was granted a spectacular trip overseas that was also rewarding after a few years of volunteering. But the amount of work that is expected from people who are using their spare time to contribute is highly unreasonable and inappropriate. A lot of intelligent, kind, and giving people were a part of this organization and I loved interacting with them, but they were all eventually put off by the lack of appreciation as well as the toxic managerial style. Leaders were harassed for not getting their work done, which is often immense on done on free time on top of a full time job, all while being praised in the public forum. I know that I am not the only one who feels like they could of worked for PWB for a long time, but were immensely let down by the negative environment.

I've had a great time working at Photographers Without Borders. I've never met such a kind, caring team who are so passionate about making a difference in the world. In this role I've been able to meet photographers from all over the world and have been exposed to art and ways of thinking that I would not have been able to without this opportunity. The organization is transparent and is truly driven by the team. I've also never worked at an organization where I've gotten to work closely with the Executive Director, which was a refreshing experience. She's very invested in the work and cares about creating an environment where everyone feels at home. For many of us, PWB is more than a place to work, it's a place we come to rest and contribute to humanity. Thank you PWB for the memories and the hard work.

The amount of work expected out of volunteer staff that are doing highly specialized skills is too high. For a volunteer role, the workload is closer to a full-time job. The management was disorganized, with the CEO being absent for large parts of the year travelling, and unable to communicate direction, which often led to a lot of negative consequences and reprimanding, despite the management lacking the organization to communicate expectations, stick to them, and follow through. 

I didn't gain any real-world experience I could put on my resume from working here. I joined, hoping I could grow and learn from this experience, but left, feeling like I wasted my time and energy, with nothing to show for it.

I found the organization to be terribly mismanaged and disorganized. Oftentimes the management would improperly communicate ideas, or change their minds about directions and very seldomly properly communicated to staff, resulting in negative consequences. The work environment was very toxic - there was clear favoritism towards some people and bullying towards others. This resulted in a high turnover of qualified, talented people who were turned away by the toxic work environment. 

I literally have nothing to show for the hours of time and work I voluntarily dedicated to PWB. It's an awful organization and I would never recommend anyone work there.

I served on the board a few years ago and the one thing I have to say here is that the CEO is one of the best I have ever seen. Sure she has grown a lot, but the point is she is willing and wants to grow. I think she was only 21 years old  or something when she started PWB and it’s come a long way since then. Most nonprofits don’t make it after years 1-3. I am a business and leadership coach and unfortunately we see this all the time: double standards for women, and especially women of colour. 

Keep going PWB! You’re doing great work, especially now.

The organization stands for decolonialism, and focuses a lot of its efforts there, but it treats its employees and others in a very colonial way. They micromanage, expect people to be at meetings that don't involve them (so they can control them), and expect more hours than is possible for a person seeking a part time volunteer role, or what the person originally agreed to. The place is a revolving door. The tone at the top needs adjusting. 

Steer clear, you can find many better organizations out there. 

This workplace and in particular the management is terrible. 

Workload for a volunteer position was overload while it was clear that the higher up reaped the benefits.

Was threatened with legal action for a mistake that was not my fault as a volunteer.

The culture is heavily demanding while others do little to no work. 

Avoid at all costs, it's a one person show and you're just someone behind the scenes. There are much better volunteer positions for good causes out there.

I helped lead the team for several years including through COVID. It was challenging but it was so incredible working with the leadership to make it all happen. I also got to have some incredible life experiences going on the workshops that I will never forget. I will always cherish my time at PWB.

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