I 28 F work for a nonprofit in an admin role. Our department is notoriously disorganized, and I was tired of constantly scrambling to fix missed deadlines and mistakes. So about a year ago, on my own time and on my personal laptop, I started building a detailed tracking system for grants, donors, and events. No one asked me to. I just wanted my own workload to be manageable.
It took months of nights and weekends. I never mentioned it or asked for overtime. Once it was functional, I quietly used it to keep my responsibilities on track. My supervisor eventually noticed how organized I’d become and asked what changed. I showed her a demo (not full access), and leadership loved it.
Now they want me to hand over the entire system so it can be used department-wide. There’s no offer of extra pay, promotion, or formal recognition. When I asked about compensation or adjusting my role if I’m expected to maintain it, I was told we’re “mission-driven” and it should be for the greater good. I offered to either manage it officially with updated pay or license it to them under clear terms. That didn’t go over well. Some coworkers say I’m being selfish and “gatekeeping.” My supervisor implied that because I’m employed there, it’s morally theirs even though it wasn’t assigned, wasn’t built at work, and I didn’t sign anything about intellectual property beyond basic confidentiality.
I care about the mission. That’s why I built it. But I’m uncomfortable giving away something I poured hundreds of unpaid hours into, especially if I’m expected to maintain it indefinitely for free.
AITA for refusing to hand over full ownership without compensation or a formal agreement?
NTA, as even they’ve pointed out you built it on your own time without using company resources so they have no basis to demand this from you.
Stereotypical management trying to exploit workers who are passionate about their job. Tell them to kick rocks.
NTA and they know it.
It’s ridiculous that you spent your own time and resources and they’re not willing to do anything by way of compensation.
NTA. welcome to nonprofit managers being just as shitty capitalists as everyone else.
document everything. never know when you’ll need it.
NTA. Stop using it at work and delete it off of all work devices.
NTA. You used your own equipment, on your own time. It’s your property, period. DO NOT let them intimidate you into giving it to them. They are absolutely *not* entitled to it.
If you wish, license it, but get a lawyer and be careful writing up that contract.
But you may want to find another job.
ETA: it’s yours both legally and morally. Their claim that they are morally entitled to it is incorrect.
You need location specific legal advice here, not “am I the asshole”.
Depending on your contract it could be that the system legally belongs to the company. You built it while employed for them and there’s no way you can argue that it’s not related to your work.
The fact that you did it “in your own time” may be irrelevant.
This. When I worked in tech, I had coworkers who specifically avoided doing side projects because they didn’t want the company to have a claim to the work.
If you’re salaried and the project is specifically related to the job? Risky as hell. I wouldn’t spend my personal time on something like that, because I’d assume my employer could claim it.
This is why anything I’ve done vaguely related to my field, I’ve done on paper, and not spoken to anyone or done anything until I’ve left my current job. Once I leave a job, I’ll take a few months off, do anything that I’d been working mentally on and destroyed any paper documentation for before starting my next job.
I then upload it to a personal website, so theres a record of it being created and published that confirms the timeline for when it was created. I started this after at a previous job, I’d created a number of professional templates for internal and external data/ communication and my boss’ boss took them to corporate and said he’d created them.
NTA
Id lock that down and have it all protected asap. You make work for a non profit but I assure you they have funds
I think you need legal advice about intellectual property. NTA, but you might not win this
NTA. One of the main sticking points is you built it using your personal equipment and personal time. They’re grasping at straws to bully you into giving it to them for free. I’m also not surprised that any tracking file is something they can build too, they just didn’t choose to.
May be a little bit reactionary from me, but I’d think about updating my resume and casually looking at new jobs out there. I’m concerned they’ll bully you into quitting since won’t give them the file.
NTA for the moral question of “Am I wrong for not wanting to donate my hundreds of hours of free labor?”
Non-profit or not, if the thing you created is of value to them, they can and should pay for it. I bet they don’t expect their stationery supplier or electricity company or the supermarket where they buy the lunchroom coffee or the guy who repairs the photocopier to give them goods and services for free, just because they’re a non-profit. Nor should they expect you, even if you’re an employee.
BUT you need a lawyer, like, yesterday.
My gut feeling is that your supervisor is wrong when he or she says it’s already their property. It definitely isn’t morally theirs, and as long as you didn’t take a single thing from your employer in order to build it – not even data for testing purposes – it probably isn’t legally theirs either. But you need legal advice from someone experienced in intellectual property law and/or employment law, to make sure your rights are protected and you get the best deal for your product.
‘morally theirs’? L O L
they have no ground to stand on and they know it, that’s why they’re making shit up. maybe approach other companies with your system if it works so well though, sounds like you could make some money off all that hard work.
also ‘gatekeeping’ made me laugh here. is your system a pair of cool jeans? NTA, seriously.
Be very careful since you are filling YOUR database with THEIR information as that could really make a difference in whether they can demand directly from you or fire you for breach of security. Once you check with an attorney, find another job. They will not let this go.