Updates

From Development to Direction: Kyle’s Journey to Leading We Don’t Waste

May 21, 2025

Kyle Endres, Executive Director of We Don’t Waste, shares his insights on leadership, community building, and the importance of open-mindedness in running a nonprofit organization.

We sat down with Kyle Endres, the Executive Director of We Don’t Waste, to learn more about his leadership and experience in taking over the nonprofit organization over the past year. From economic hurdles to political uncertainty, working in the nonprofit sector often means navigating challenges beyond the organization’s control. Learning to manage these ups and downs is an essential skill for any leader in the field. Hear from Kyle on his experience, advice, and leadership:

Tell us a little bit about what led you to We Don’t Waste:

Kyle: I started at We Don’t Waste in 2017 in search of furthering my own experience in nonprofit development. I attended CSU and got my undergraduate degree in journalism. Before coming to We Don’t Waste, I spent some time working in Peru teaching English, then came back to Denver and went into helping Colorado Meal Services and Metro Caring with community outreach and development/fundraising. 

How did the opportunity to step into the Executive Director Role come about? 

Kyle: Well, I had been working at We Don’t Waste for around seven years doing development, Arlan was looking to retire sometime during the Summer and he wanted to get us into the new building and kind of get all that squared away. At the beginning of last year, Arlan set his date, which was June 30, 2024. At that point, the board, who had known this was coming, started their search, and I was fortunate to be the one they picked. 

Were you nervous to step into a leadership position? Did you feel ready? 

Kyle: I think I was ready. I had the benefit of being here and seeing the growth. Just for context, when I started back in 2017 I was employee number six, and now we’re at 27. I was just with the organization through kind of a formative time, and so from that perspective, I felt like I was ready. I knew the organization, I knew the team, I knew the donors.

I think the transition was very successful. Anytime you have a founder who was the face of the organization, it’s a big shift, right? It’s not just kind of your normal executive transition, because you have this founder who’s been here for so long and was so kind of synonymous with We Don’t Waste. But again, I feel like I had a leg up on all that. I’ve been part of so many decisions that we made, and from that perspective, it felt as kind of natural and smooth as it could be. But, you know, I’m learning stuff every day, there’s a whole side of the organization that I wasn’t intimately involved in because I was so focused on the development and fundraising side.

How do you manage imposter syndrome as someone who’s been in this role for almost a year, and like, stepping into it, was it harder to, kind of like quiet that part of your brain down?

Kyle: I think it’s always there a little bit, but I really lean on my team. I know I don’t know everything.  I think, even with the big decisions, the hard decisions, having the right process and talking it through and not making a knee jerk reaction, is key. You’re going to come across decisions that nobody’s dealt with before. But again, I think if you can talk it through and kind of come to a consensus on what is the best decision or the best way forward and lean on other people’s experience and expertise, you can kind of beat back that imposter syndrome a little.

How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you think it has evolved since stepping into executive director?

Kyle: I like to think I’m collaborative. Knowing that I don’t have to have all the answers, which kind of comes back to what we were talking about before. I don’t need to know the perfect answer to every question.  Right now, we’re trying to decide if we’re gonna do a new roof for solar panels. I’m not an expert on this stuff, I don’t have solar at home. I don’t know anything about this, but I’m gonna take advantage of the resources that I have to find out the right answer. You can’t know everything about everything. So again, just bringing in the right people to help you, and sometimes that’s within the organization, sometimes that’s from outside the organization, even if I have a vision for how I think something should go, hearing out other people and trying to get either their buy-in or their pushback. I think it’s all about the process of learning and hearing new ideas before you make that final decision. 

What lessons did you learn from Arlan’s leadership? What are you carrying forward, or what are you doing differently?

Kyle: I think Arlan is great at articulating his vision, and I want to do that more. We have different personalities, I can be more reserved and perhaps quiet. In many cases, that’s good, but in some cases, you need to just be out there and tell people the vision. I think I have taken a lot from him, and I’ve learned a lot from him over the years.

 However, we’re very different generations, and I am trying to bring some of my experience and generational differences to work experiences. Like how do older and younger generations work together? How do they operate? How do you navigate hybrid work or sick policy? I think, trying to bring a different perspective to some of that stuff, and again, leaning on the team and trying to get feedback before kind of making a decision.

What piece of advice would you give someone stepping into a leadership role for the first time?

Kyle: Talk to as many people as you can and learn as much as you can from them. Because again, even for me, having been here and doing development for a long time, I was still putting on a new hat. I wanted to hear everyone’s thoughts on ideas, policies, and new projects, and the same thing for the people that I hadn’t worked as closely with in the past in terms of things like operations or programs. I think just talking to as many people as you can, getting as much feedback as you can, being open to that feedback, and trying to give people opportunities. 

I think the open door policy is something that’s used a lot, I hope that people, like, really, can come in and talk to you about anything. It could be something personal, it could be something related to their work. 

How do you keep your team motivated?

Kyle: We have this kind of built-in bonus when it comes to motivation, because our team is genuinely passionate about what we do and the mission we’re working toward. But you can’t just rely on that and assume it’s enough. So, we’ve been intentional about improving things like our benefits package and pay structures.

That said, a lot of it really comes back to collaboration and fostering a strong sense of community. Studies show that people don’t usually leave just because of pay. That can be part of it, sure, but often it’s about culture or the quality of supervision.

So we focus on creating a collaborative environment where people feel heard, where they have real autonomy over their roles. They’re not being micromanaged, and I think that makes a huge difference. The thing about culture is, it’s not just one thing, it’s all these pieces working together. That’s what shapes the experience and helps with retention.

And above all, we try to stay open to feedback. We might not be able to act on everything, but we’re always willing to have the conversation.

What impact do you hope to leave, not on just the organization, but the people within it?

Kyle: I just hope that people feel for however long they work here, that they have made a difference, and that the organization positioned them to do that. So it’s not really about my impact, it’s about our impact, while I’m involved and after. You hope that some of the stuff you implement gets continued, you know, for the foreseeable future, or improved upon. 

Looking back, what advice would you give to your 25-year-old self?

Kyle:  I took a job, won’t say which one, that paid less because it offered something I really wanted to learn. If you can afford to, be open to opportunities like that. Look for roles that might not offer big short-term rewards but can lead to long-term growth.

When I transitioned into a development role, it completely changed the trajectory of my career. So, my advice would be: don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone if it’s something you’re curious about or feel called to do.

For me, I wanted to move forward in the nonprofit world and eventually take on leadership roles. I knew gaining development experience would be key to that. I was in a position where I could sacrifice a little in the short term, and it absolutely paid off in the long run.

So to my 25-year-old self, I’d just say: don’t hesitate. Take the risks that might set you up for something greater down the line.