Nonprofit Work
What you do with your resources — time, skills, money, attention — says a lot about what you value. For me, giving back is a part of how I'm wired.
Some of the most meaningful work I've done has never shown up on a pitch deck or a client proposal. It's happened in volunteer hours, curriculum development, and supporting organizations doing things that needed doing. That work spans more than five years, multiple continents, and thousands of people whose names I'll never know. It's documented here because it matters, and because it's not finished.
Running a 501(c)(3)
2020 – 2025For five years I operated a registered 501(c)(3). We didn't save the world, but to a kid whose life was impacted, that doesn't matter.
Five years of working with these organizations through my own 501(c)(3) taught me new ways to look at leadership and commitment and added depth to my professional career. I carry that into everything I do now.
Prison Professors Charitable Corporation
OngoingMy relationship with Prison Professors Charitable Corporation is ongoing. This is work I plan to keep doing.
Michael Santos founded the organization after serving 26 years in federal prison. He came out and built something that reaches people where the system largely leaves them behind — preparing incarcerated individuals for life after release through structured curriculum, practical tools, and a clear framework for demonstrating growth and character while still inside.
The scale of what they've built is remarkable. Their programs reach over one million people in jails and prisons across the country. UCLA researchers are studying the outcomes, looking specifically at recidivism rates among people who complete the programs. Correctional agencies use the material. The Edovo Foundation distributes it.
Curriculum & MasterClass Contributions
My work with Prison Professors included building a MasterClass as well as contributing to their broader curriculum — courses including The Straight-A Guide, Preparing for Success After Prison, Journaling 101, and Triumph: Building Bridges to Success.
These are self-directed programs built around practical skills: writing, critical thinking, verbal communication, work ethic. The kind of foundation that can genuinely change what happens when someone walks out of a facility and tries to start over.
In April 2025, Michael Santos wrote to thank me and invited me to continue — including in-person instruction inside facilities. That's an invitation I take seriously and plan to honor.
Helping people rebuild with honesty and a real plan is work I feel connected to. It's where I intend to keep showing up.
Learn More About Prison ProfessorsArk40 Nonprofit Pro Bono Program
One nonprofit per monthThrough my consulting company Ark40, I offer pro bono technology services to one small nonprofit per month — the same work I do for paying clients, at no cost.
Most small nonprofits are stretched thin. Technology that could save hours every week sits out of reach because the budget isn't there. That's the gap this program was built to close.
What Each Engagement Covers
Each engagement is scoped to a specific deliverable and a four to eight week timeline. Everything gets handed off fully documented so the organization can run it independently after we're done.
More margin for your mission.
My five years running a 501(c)(3) inform every nonprofit engagement I take on. I've lived the budget constraints, the board dynamics, the volunteer bandwidth limitations. That experience is why I built this program the way I did.
If you're running a lean operation and have a specific technology problem to solve, I'd be glad to hear from you.
Ark40Consulting.com — Nonprofit Pro Bono Program