You may find this of interest …  Free On-Line Discussion by Chronicle of Philanthropy

What’s in your holiday stocking from Nonprofit Career Advisor?  An assortment of goodies (that is news articles), unsweetened and high energy treats.  If you’ve not yet read these, you may find them of interest…

Don’t Stop Looking During the Holidays, by Phyllis Korkki,  New York Times, Dec 17, 2009

At this time of year, the hiring managers who are in the office tend to be more accessible, more relaxed and less busy than usual…

How to Turn Downtime Into Job Offers, by Phyllis Korkki,  New York Times, Dec 5, 2009
Job seekers should create specific work hours and a time map along with mini-deadlines, she said. Like many other experts, she recommends treating job hunting like a full-time job.

Finding a Guide for Online Networking, by Elizabeth Pope, New York Times, Oct 14, 2009

My daughter Rosa, said, Well, Dad, if you’re serious about becoming a social change agent, you should take a look at Idealist.org.

Workplace Gossip? Keep It to Yourself, by Shayl McKnight, New York Times, November 14, 2009

It appears to me as if everyone has bought into the mind-set. If we ever sense that someone might be gossiping, we call that person out and say, “You need to go to the source if you have a question.”

Are You a Tigger, or an Eeyore? conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant, New York Times, November 14, 2009

Also, all organizations are significantly diverse today. Command-and-control isn’t the kind of corporate culture people want to be in anymore.

photo credit: AForestFrolic

I thought some of these interviews might be of interest to Nonprofit Career Advisor readers.   The interviews come in many flavors; featuring nonprofit and corporate executives; men and women executives; new and seasoned executives.

A Social Worker for Pets, as told to Patricia R. Olsen, New York Times, December 5, 2009

Ed Sayres, chief executive at  the A.S.P.C.A. in Manhattan

Work at Eye Level, As told to Patricia R. Olsen, New York Times, October 24, 2009

Tim Shriver, the C.E.O. of Special Olympics

Big Ideas in a Small Room, as told to Amy Zipkin, New York Times, November 14, 2009

Michael Chasen, the chief executive of Blackboard.

Learning in Business by Following the Heart, by Abby Ellin, New York Times, Sept 26, 2009

Josh Silverman, President of Skype

Are You a Tigger, or an Eeyore? conducted and condensed by Adam Bryant, New York Times, November 14, 2009

From Council on Foundations

“On October 22, 2009, the Council on Foundations released Career Pathways to Philanthropic Leadership 2009 Baseline Report, which describes how foundations choose their leaders and what those leaders say about the process. Based on the appointments of 440 CEOs and executive directors from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2008, this first-of-its-kind study contributes to the field’s knowledge of hiring practices, of the professional backgrounds of foundation and grantmaking executives, and of the major milestones contributing to career success and advancement. Key findings and subsequent field dialogues will help to inform stakeholders about the launch of the Council’s Career Pathways to Philanthropic Leadership project”

Here are the six key highlights from the research:

1. The majority (79.5%) of the 440 foundations appointing CEOs and executive directors during the study period filled them not through internal promotions but from candidates outside the foundations.

2. Most of the successful candidates (63.4%) held executive positions in their immediate prior posi- tion as either chief executive (38.9%) or vice president (24.5%) before successfully landing in their current position.

3. The majority of the successful candidates made the transition from fields outside of philanthropy— primarily from the business (24.3%) and nonprofit (24.8%) sectors.

4. Of the successful candidates, nearly 20 percent were from racially and ethnically diverse back- grounds and about half (48.7%) were women.

5. Thirty percent of field leaders who were interviewed said mentors played a major role in their career advancement.

6. About 85 percent of the interviewees expressed significant skepticism about the willingness of trustees, search consultants, and other hiring decision makers to be influenced by leadership development efforts (such as fellowship programs that train new leaders) as they contemplate hiring decisions about executive candidates.

To download the complete study, click here.

I thought this Webinar from the Chronical of Philanthropy would be of interest to Nonprofit Career Advisor readers.

LATEST HIRING AND COMPENSATION TRENDS: A CHRONICLE WEBINAR

Join us on October 27 for a new Webinar produced by the editors of The Chronicle of Philanthropy to help you attract and retain the most talented workers in a time of slim donations and increasing need.

Our speakers will look ahead, helping participants lay the groundwork now for smart staffing and compensation practices as the economy recovers.

The Webinar will include:

• The release of new Chronicle data on employment trends from more than 1,000 respondents at nonprofit organizations nationwide.

• New information from a major compensation consultant on exactly how nonprofit employers are adjusting pay to reflect current economic realities.

• Advice on recruiting in a “buyer’s market” and keeping staff morale high in tough times.

NOTE: Chronicle subscribers get a 40-percent discount, and everyone who participates is eligible to obtain CFRE continuing-education credits.

Sign up today.

Focus on Your Future: Create an Action Plan for Your Money and Your Career

Presented by:

Joy Hunter Chaillou, Financial Advisor, Financial Planning Specialist,The HTC Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

Christian Templeman, Financial Advisor The HTC Group at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC

with

Jill Sarah Moscowitz, Nonprofit Career Advisor

Thursday – October 29, 2009
12:00 – 2:00, Lunch will be served
Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey

220 South Orange Avenue, Suite 300 Livingston, NJ 07039

Please RSVP by October 23rd
Chris Templeman (203) 625-4882 or christian.a.templeman@smithbarney.com, or
Joy Hunter Chaillou (914) 701-7505 joy.h.chaillou@smithbarney.com

I just found out about this Live Discussion, which will be held on Thursday October 8th.  I thought this might be of interest to some readers.   If you join the discussion, I’d love to hear your comments.  So feel welcome to share them below.

An intensely competitive job market is making it harder than ever for recent graduates and established business professionals to break into careers in the nonprofit world.

People who seek nonprofit jobs today are confronting a tight market and competition from many worthy competitors.

What can you do to stand out from the crowd? What can you do to be sure you are an attractive candidate for a great new role when conditions improve? And if you do land a position, what should you do to make the most of your opportunity?

How the Live Discussion Works

There’s nothing to do during a Live Event other than read, watch and occasionally send in a comment or vote in the polling questions.

It’s not a chatroom. You go to largely find out what the writer has to say. An open chat with thirty or more readers turns into poor, disjointed content very quickly.

Your comments are published at the Writer’s discretion. The Writer can view all comments sent to them but only they can publish your comments for everyone to see.

Our ‘autoscroll’ feature ensures you’re always shown the newest content without having to refresh or scroll your screen. You can turn this on or off by using the controls at the bottom of the Viewer Window.

Subtle sound effects alert you to new content as the writer publishes it. This can also be turned on or off as needed.

participate in the live discussion by sending comments to discussions@philanthropy.com

I thought this discussion hosted by Chronicle of Philanthropy would be of interest to some readers.

Online Discussion Next Week: Nonprofit Pay

Live online discussion Tuesday, October 6, at noon U.S. Eastern time on executive compensation trends in the nonprofit world during these difficult economic times.

The guests will be:

• Ken Berger, executive director of Charity Navigator, a watchdog group in Mahwah, N.J.

• David Samuels, a partner at Duval & Stachenfeld LLP, a law firm in New York.

The Chronicle’s online discussions are free and open to everyone. People who ask questions in advance have a better chance of getting answers.

How the Live Discussion Works

There’s nothing to do during a Live Event other than read, watch and occasionally send in a comment or vote in the polling questions.

It’s not a chatroom. You go to largely find out what the writer has to say. An open chat with thirty or more readers turns into poor, disjointed content very quickly.

Your comments are published at the Writer’s discretion. The Writer can view all comments sent to them but only they can publish your comments for everyone to see.

Our ‘autoscroll’ feature ensures you’re always shown the newest content without having to refresh or scroll your screen. You can turn this on or off by using the controls at the bottom of the Viewer Window.

Subtle sound effects alert you to new content as the writer publishes it. This can also be turned on or off as needed.

participate in the live discussion by sending comments to discussions@philanthropy.com

I thought this Live Discussion* presented by The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s on September 22, might be of interest to some readers.  See details below.

Diversity Efforts in the Nonprofit World

Tuesday, September 22, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

The Chronicle’s special report on diversity efforts at nonprofit organizations reveals new data on the leadership of America’s biggest charities, and how the recession is forcing many nonprofit groups to adjust their efforts to create more-inclusive organizations.

How are groups finding ways to work around the problems presented by the troubled economy? Is recruiting volunteers and interns, as some organizations are now doing, a good way to increase diversity when your organization cannot take on new full-time workers?

The Chronicle’s coverage also revealed that employees from poor and working-class backgrounds continue to face a wide variety of obstacles as they work their way up the ladder at nonprofit organizations. What obstacles do they face? Is the economy helping or hindering the climb up the ladder? How can those working in the nonprofit world overcome such challenges?

Join us on September 22 as we seek to answer those questions and many more related to diversity efforts in the nonprofit world.

Related Article

Special Report: Achieving Diversity (9/17/2009)

Guest Speakers

Stephen Bauer is director of the Initiative for Nonprofit Sector Careers at American Humanics, a nonprofit organization in Kansas City, Mo., that works with colleges and universities to steer graduates into nonprofit leadership roles. Previously, Mr. Bauer held positions at City Year Cleveland, and coordinated volunteer and service-learning programs at Western Illinois University.

Deborah W. Foster is executive vice president for strategic alliances and inclusion at United Way of America, in Alexandria, Va. Previously, Ms. Foster served as the organization’s executive vice president of field leadership, and was president and chief executive of the United Way of Pennsylvania. She began working for the organization in 1977.

discussions@philanthropy.com to submit a question in advance.

*How the Live Discussion Works
There’s nothing to do during a Live Event other than read, watch and occasionally send in a comment or vote in the polling questions.

It’s not a chatroom. You go to largely find out what the writer has to say. An open chat with thirty or more readers turns into poor, disjointed content very quickly.

Your comments are published at the Writer’s discretion. The Writer can view all comments sent to them but only they can publish your comments for everyone to see.

Our ‘autoscroll’ feature ensures you’re always shown the newest content without having to refresh or scroll your screen. You can turn this on or off by using the controls at the bottom of the Viewer Window.

Subtle sound effects alert you to new content as the writer publishes it. This can also be turned on or off as needed.

participate in the live discussion by sending comments to discussions@philanthropy.com

I don’t mean to fan the flames of the tragic death of Yale graduate student, Annie M. Le,  nor do I wish to criminalize the suspect, Raymond Clark III.  I do however, want to bring attention to the issue of “workplace violence” and more importantly, its prevention.

Based on my experiences as a workplace mediator and advocate, I have come to learn that workplace conflict can escalate from a simple dispute to all out rage.  Nationally known organizational consultant Speed Leas describes five “levels of conflict intensity”:

• Level I:  Problems to Solve - Differences exist, people understand one another, and they have conflicting goals, values, needs, action plans, or information.
• Level II:  Disagreement – A mixing of personalities and issues occurs; problem cannot be clearly defined.
• Level III: Contest - Distortion becomes a serious problem. The dynamics of win/lose begin. There is resistance to peace overtures.
• Level IV: Fight, Flight – Conflict shifts from winning to getting rid of person(s). They no longer believe others can change, or want them to change.
• Level V: Intractable - Conflict is now unmanageable.  Vindictive. There is no objectivity or control of emotion.  People usually perceive themselves to be a part of an eternal cause, fighting for universal principles.

I am not suggesting that the Yale case followed this particular pattern, or that the suspect demonstrated any particular conflict cues.  I am suggesting that chances of preventing a highly destructive outcome are increased in most workplaces when conflict is addressed at lower levels of intensity.  For example, in response to the workplace violence that took place at the US Postal Service, the REDRESS (Resolve Employment Disputes Reach Equitable Solutions Swiftly) program was created.  I serve as a mediator for this program, and it is designed to address workplace conflict at the lowest level of intensity.  There have been fewer incidents of dramatic violence since this program was instituted.

There are many qualified professionals who understand how to manage and prevent workplace conflict such as members of the Association for Conflict Resolution (which includes specialists in workplace dispute resolution).

Following are a few quotes from the New York Times article Lab Technician Arrested in Murder of  Yale Student (September 17, 2009), which underscore the importance of paying attention to workplace conflict.

New Haven Chief James Lewis says of the murder of  Ms. Le ”It is important to note that this is not about urban crime, university crime, domestic crime, but an issue of workplace violence, which is becoming a growing concern around the country.”

“Chief Lewis  repeated that it was not a “street crime” or a “domestic crime.” He added: “We have to really educate ourselves who we work with and how we deal with each other and those issues.”

Richard C. Levin, the president of Yale, released a statement that echoed Chief Lewis’s comment describing the killing as workplace related. “This incident could have happened in any city, in any university, or in any workplace,” he said. “It says more about the dark side of the human soul than it does about the extent of security measures.”

I certainly understand the perspective of the Yale president that “It says more about the dark side of the human soul than it does about the extent of security measures.”  And, employers must also take responsibility to reduce the chances of such horrific events.  For example, by creating integrated conflict management programs that address workplace problems when they arise.

For information about preventing conflict in a nonprofit setting, see my article “Understanding Conflict in Nonprofit Organizations”

Contact me to learn more about my conflict management services.

In Phyllis Korkki’s article entitled Subtle Cues Can Tell an Interviewer ‘Pick Me (New York Times “The Search” column,  September 12, 2009), I found several points well worth emphasizing for the nonprofit job seeker.  But, no lesson could be more important than to do your due diligence before a job interview.   Be prepared to speak intelligibly about your understanding of the organization, its mission and challenges.    And by all means, understand what not to say.

Below is my commentary on some key points in this article:

1) “…your success may depend on the company’s culture and the preferences of the people doing the hiring…”

The importance of  the company’s culture cannot be underestimated, especially in the nonprofit sector.  I work with nonprofits of all shapes and sizes and consequently with all sorts of “cultures”.  For example, some organization’s culture is “corporate”,  others are “family-oriented”, some are “consensus driven”,  others are “founder led.”   Understand the importance of the organization’s culture and its impact on your chances of success (and satisfaction) within the organization.  Demonstrate a sense of self-awareness of how you’d perform in such a culture.  For example, if the organization is founder-led or  family-oriented, you may wish to make appropriate references to successes you’ve had in such an environment.   Or, you may determine (before or after the interview) that a particular organizational culture is not a good fit for your style.  It may feel like a leap to make such a determination, but cultures are hard to change so the fit really is important.

2) “Try to establish common ground with your interviewer so you stand out … leverage your referrals”

Most of us understand that “who” you know is at times as important as “what” you know.  I emphasize “at times”  because you really want to be careful here in developing “common ground”.  Allow the interviewer to lead you to the areas where you may have things in common. For example, if the interviewer mentions an interest they have in a particular sport or team or brand (etc), and you sincerely share that interest, allow a conversation to flow from there.   With regard to referrals, if indeed you share some relevant or significant friendships, then hopefully the mutual friend has already talked to the interviewer about you.   Be careful not to appear as a “name dropper” and be even more careful to make sure there are good relationships between the interviewer and the person whose name you drop.     For example, if you know someone who works at the organization, make sure that person is a valued employee.   Do your due diligence!

3) “Make sure your questions show knowledge of the company and your interest in contributing to its success” and research the organization at which you will be interviewing.

Especially in the nonprofit sector, there is no excuse for not knowing the basics about an organization.   Nonprofit organizations are required to disclose basic general information (agency mission, staffing, board or directors) as well as financial information (copies of their 990 tax returns).  This information is available free of charge at Guidestar and also at Charity Navigator.   As well, many nonprofits have extensive websites.    Again, do your due diligence!

4) “It seems that just being yourself — albeit a formal, polite, alert and attentive version of yourself — is the best way to behave during interviews.”

Great advice!  If I sense the person I am interviewing is just being themselves (not “faking it”  or “trying too hard”), most often I will move that candidate to the next step in the process.    When I sense a person is comfortable with themselves, I feel an unspoken confidence.  For example, sometimes a candidate will honestly tell me they don’t know an answer to a question.  This way of  being …  a way of being oneself … is more impressive than a candidate who tries what we call the “dump truck” approach and responds to a question with three or more answers in hope that one of them will be “right”.   But, guess what?  That’s just the wrong way to impress an interviewer.

photo credit: bionicteaching

I am a big advocate of volunteerism. For me, it’s a labor of love.  So I was thrilled to hear about other “love stories” in David W. Chen’s article Without a Job, but Working the Campaign Trail (New York Times, September 7, 2009).

As I read this article, I began to uncover just what it is about volunteering that causes the “love” of this particular labor.  The quotes  below provide some clues.

1. Networking. Volunteers have the opportunity to meet all kinds of people, some “incredibly well educated, well trained, successful” such as “P.J. Kim, a 30-year-old Princeton and Harvard graduate, who is a City Council candidate in Lower Manhattan.”

2. Opportunity to Demonstrate Your Skills. A former commercial litigator in Manhattan  ”offered legal advice, called supporters, canvassed neighborhoods, trained volunteers.”

3. Restored Self Esteem. A former loan officer says “The contact with other people, the chance to do something different, the learning experience — it can all help you out with your emotions.”

4. Self-Discovery. A former equities analyst says “It’s not the money anymore; I want to do things that will have a real effect on people’s lives, as opposed to just trying to get a company out of a situation.”

5. Meaningfulness. Volunteering “restores some of what they lost along with their jobs: a place to go every day, a reason to put on a clean suit, people to work beside, a sense of purpose.”

Whether you are in a career transition or not, I hope you will consider the opportunity to network with others; demonstrate your skills; deepen your self esteem; discover what it is you want most; and find meaningfulness in your labor.  That is, I hope you’ll consider volunteering.

For more on volunteerism, see my earlier article Finding Your Groove in Career Transition and check out  Idealist.org or VolunteerMatch

photo credit: darlene is evil

But the important thing about learning to wait, I feel sure, is to know what you are waiting for.
— Anna Neagle

If you’re in a job transition, chances are you have been waiting for something — a response to a résumé, a call for an interview, or a job offer.

In her column Where, Oh Where, Has My Application Gone?, New York Times columnist Phyllis Korkki suggests that it’s understandable that one might not hear back from an employer once they have submitted a résumé.  This could be due to any number of obvious factors such as too many resumes and too few staff to follow up, your resume got lost in the shuffle or in cyberspace, or … a lack of interest in your candidacy. So, should you follow up and if so, when?

As a nonprofit executive recruiter, I add this advice   1)  wait at least two weeks before following up, 2) follow up by email first and if necessary by phone, 3) seriously consider if you would be a strong candidate for the position before you do anything, and 4) keep your follow up short and simple.

Although few and far between, there have been some strong résumés that have been lost in a SPAM filter or in some other virtual location.  In these cases, I was delighted that the candidate followed up to determine if their résumé had been received (our search firm acknowledges receipt of every résumé received).  I’ve also had the experience of hearing from the most unqualified candidates (this usually comes in the form of a long voicemail explaining how qualified the candidate is for the position).

Respect the judgement of a recruiter or hiring manager, and defer to their expertise in evaluating if you are a perfect candidate.  If you do follow up, make it a simple question “Did you receive my resume?” and/or “Did you receive my resume and did you determine if my background is appropriate for the position”, and leave it at that.

I really loved reading Todd Cohen’s article, “Real-world skills valued in nonprofit workplace“ (Philanthropy Journal, May 12, 2009).   It was refreshing to learn about what some nonprofit organizations are doing to optimize the capacity of their remaining “downsized” staff such as creating opportunities for on-the-job learning or focusing on leadership development.  Some employers have retained professionals who are able to take on responsibilities outside the scope of their traditional title.    The take-away points for job-seekers are 1) be prepared to show your flexibility to work outside a designated role 2)  include “leadership development” opportunities or experiences you have had, even if they were internal or interim,  3) be prepared to offer examples of times when you have been adaptable in previous workplaces.    Oh, and of course it goes almost without saying, that you should be able to demonstrate your ability to work collaboratively, even under stressful conditions.

photo credit: SideLong

There are a number of websites to peruse for Nonprofit job opportunities.  Which are the best?  Well, that depends on what you’re looking for. My top five favorites are listed below:

If your head is spinning from looking at this list, please consider taking advantage of my introductory offer for a Customized Job List for only $50.

1.   Idealist, is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas.  You can customize your search based on the type of organization, academic qualifications, region of the world, and more.

2. For Executive level searches, I recommend Execsearch.com, a job board that has been serving the nonprofit, government, education and health sectors since 1999. Their goal is to be the most efficient, online source for connecting mission and talent.

3.  Also for Executive positions, CEO Update is a widely circulated jobs newsletter for association and nonprofit executives. CEO Update has grown to become an influential news source on executive careers and pivotal events that shape the association sector.

4. Philanthropy Careers hosted by the Chronicle of Philanthropy lists hundreds of nonprofit jobs AND also provides in-depth information for job seekers about potential employers. You can also learn about  live discussions and other events relevant to the nonprofit community.

5.  If you’re looking for work at a Foundation, then The Foundation Center’s Job Corner which provides listings of current full-time job openings at U.S.-based foundations and nonprofit organizations.

Other sites to check out include:

Women In Development (an honorary member of my top 5 list) is a membership organization whose mission is to maintain a supportive and collegial network through which women in development and related fields can assist one another’s professional growth.

Women in Communications (an honorary member of my top 5 list) empowers women in all communications disciplines to reach their full potential by promoting their professional growth and inspiring them to achieve and share their successes in the rapidly changing world of communications.

Bridgestar, provides a nonprofit management job board but you must apply through Bridgespan for positions.

Nonprofitjobs is an on-line gathering place where not-for-profit employers and management personnel can meet one another. By posting a job opportunity or candidate credentials with Nonprofitjobs, you can link with thousands of Internet users who may bring new opportunity to your organization or to your career.

Opportunity Knocks is the national online job site focused exclusively on the nonprofit community.  For Nonprofit professionals, Opportunity Knocks is the premier destination to find nonprofit jobs and access valuable resources for developing successful careers in the nonprofit community.

The Nonprofit Jobs Cooperative is a collaboration of nonprofit management centers from across the United States. Our goal is to provide a one-stop source for job seekers to search for nonprofit jobs, and for employers to easily publish job opportunities within specific regions.

The New York Times & MonsterJobs.com have partnered to provide job seekers with listings of nonprofit jobs from around the world.

Professionals for Nonprofits with offices in New York City, Newark, and Washington, DC, provides exceptional temporary, direct hire, and consulting staff exclusively to the nonprofit sector. PNP has built an excellent reputation as an expert in the nonprofit employment field and an outstanding track record of successful job placements in nonprofit organizations.

If you got this far and your head is spinning from looking at this list, please consider taking advantage of my introductory offer for a Customized Job List for only $50.

photo credit: epSos.de

Over the years in my nonprofit executive recruitment work, several themes have emerged in answer to the question “What do Nonprofit Employers Really Want?”   Regardless of the senior level executive position I have helped to fill, I have found that most nonprofit employers want to meet candidates who can demonstrate:

• Good Track Record. Your resume should highlight important accomplishments and successes.  These can include professional achievements, awards, personal achievements and/or recognition.
• Stability.  Employers want to see candidates with “staying power”.  A resume that shows job changes every year or two will require some extra work (for example, you might want to include a strong cover letter to explain the career moves)
• Commitment to the Organization’s Mission.  Your interest in the organization’s mission should be clearly indicated in your cover letter (especially if it is not clear from your resume’s career history).
• Cultural/Institutional Fit. Every organization has a “culture” (ie, consensus driven culture, hierarchal culture, small “family” culture, etc).  Being able to work within an organization’s particular cultural framework is often overlooked by both the organization and the prospective employee.  But for any senior nonprofit executive, being able to work well within a particular culture is key to success. This is a ”soft skill” that may not reveal itself on paper (resume or cover letter), but will likely become clear during the interview process.

“What Do Nonprofit Employees Want?” I strongly encourage you to answer this question for yourself. What size organization will you be most successful in?  What organizational missions are you most passionate about?  What story does your resume tell about you with regard to stability and growth in your career?   What have been your successes (professional or volunteer)?

Please contact me if you’d like to learn more about ways in which I can help  you direct your nonprofit career search, and optimize your chances for finding the right job match for you!    I am offering a free customized search list, with Career Advising and Resume Renovation services.

This may seem an odd post for a “career advisor”,  but I tend to take a broad view in life.  Anyone working or seeking to work in a nonprofit healthcare facility needs to understand future trends that may impact their employers.

The Center for Nonprofit in partnership with the National Council of Nonprofits, will be presenting a Webinar “Health Reform:  What Nonprofit Employers Need to Know” briefing to discuss how the different federal health reform proposals would affect nonprofit employers. What are the particular concerns of nonprofits on this issue?  How can nonprofits educate the media, the public and policy makers about our unique issues?    To learn more about what the National Council of Nonprofits’ is doing, see the letter from President & CEO Tim Delaney’s letter to the Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors.

Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Time: 3:00 – 4:30 pm Eastern
Cost: $40 State Association Members | $55 Non-members

Tuesday, August 25, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

Excerpted from Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Increasingly, people who work outside of the nonprofit world are pursuing long-held dreams of starting a charity to attempt to solve many of the world’s most intractable problems.

But establishing one’s own nonprofit organization is not easy, and often presents a set of challenges not usually found in the business world. So how do you set up a charity? What are the toughest obstacles? And how are these new charities and the people who establish them changing the philanthropic landscape?

Join us on August 25 as we hear from a woman who, after leaving the high stakes world of Wall Street, started a charity to help some of Afghanistan’s most impoverished women; and another who learned through interviews with those who’ve established their own nonprofit groups the challenges in trying to respond to, through private philanthropic action, the globe’s most pressing social problems.

Click here for the full article

In her article Fund Raisers Find Mix of Personal and Professional Support at Local Round Tables from Chronicle of Philanthropy, Caroline Preston describes how fundraising professionals in the Baltimore area have come together for sharing — both personally and professionally.  Nonprofit “roundtables” are a place where discussion can range from how to evaluate a fundraising program to how to support a friend who has been laid off from a position.  I liken this concept to the party conversation that occurs in the kitchen — informal and meaningful.  And, fundraising professionals are not the only ones to “roundtable” in the DC area, the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington has been meeting for many years.

Excerpted  from Charity Navigator, August 5 2009

At Charity Navigator we receive numerous inquiries from donors, reporters and nonprofit board members asking “how much compensation is too much for a charity’s CEO?” And they aren’t the only ones asking this question. CEO compensation has become such a hot-button topic that the IRS, the entity responsible for regulating charities at the federal level, continues to prioritize CEO compensation as one of its main areas of focus in uncovering fraudulent nonprofit practices. The IRS has even redesigned the Form 990, the information tax return charities submit to the IRS annually, in part, to force greater transparency around nonprofit compensation.   To download the full Survey, click here or go to http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=studies.ceo

photo credit: eMuse Tess Heder

One of my favorite things to do is to advise people seeking careers in the nonprofit sector.   Another one of my favorite things to do is to practice yoga (albeit begrudgingly, but the results are great!).   So, you can imagine how delighted I was to see the article by Emma Brown in the Washington Post entitled “Activists Aim to Make Yoga an Exercise in Accessibility”. I personally consider it a privilege that my lifestyle affords me the time, income, and mental space to practice yoga.  But, people like  Monea Hendrick, an African American doctoral candidate at Howard University who started practicing yoga to relieve stress during college, are making a difference in bringing Yoga to  some who are less privileged.  She says she ”wanted to bring yoga to at-risk teens, especially minorities. It doesn’t have to be an expensive, upscale, Northwest D.C. thing — it can actually meet people exactly where they are.”   Congratulations to Monea and the others who are bringing yoga to the classroom and the streets.   As it happens, I too am engaging in a project to bring movement meditation to women in an Alternative to Incarceration program in East Harlem, New York City.   I’ll keep you posted as that project emerges!

In her article “Résumés Matter: What Nonprofit Employers Want to Know About Job Seekers” Jennifer C. Berkshire writing for the Chronicle of Philanthropy outlines some good tips for nonprofit job seekers.  Based on interviews with recruiters and nonprofit job-market experts, Ms. Berkshire shares some good advice on résumé writing — whether you are a seasoned executive or an entry level professional.

photo credit: pvera

Based on my experience as a nonprofit executive recruiter, there are few tips that deserve emphasis;

1) Personalize your résumé and cover letter. Make sure your résumé and cover letter speak to the requirements of the position.  Get a copy of the position description, or use the position posting, to really understand the key requirements of the job.   The person reading your résumé wants to see how you can be successful in this position so include information that directly addresses the job requirements. Do your due diligence!  Look at the organization’s website and use the information there to help you understand the culture and unique qualities of the organization.  Based on this, structure a cover letter and résumé that speak to how you will be successful in this organization, in this particular culture, for this particular mission.

2) Show your skills and accomplishments. Include any past accomplishments that could be transferable for success at this organization.  If the position requires ability to “grow an organization” include specific (even quantitive) information about an organization’s growth under your leadership.   Or, a position that requires demonstrated success as a major gifts fundraiser, include quantitive examples of gifts you solicited or even helped to solicit.

3) Don’t be afraid to show your age (whether your a well seasoned professional or new to the field).  Many times, I speak with executive leaders who tell me they want to keep their résumé short so they have left off 10-20 years of work experience.  And of course I ask if the first position on the résumé is the first held position.  More often than not, I learn of a breadth of relevant experience, and sometimes this experience is volunteer.  If you are trying to conserve space, then simply list the name of the organization, location, dates of employment, title held.   For less seasoned applicant’s, my advice is to consider structuring a résumé by skill set rather than be employer.  The résumé should include an “Employment History” section but the bulk of the resume can be set up by way of Skills.  That way, you can include your professional and volunteer experience to create a good description of who you are, what you’ve done, and what you are capable of doing.

click here to read the full Article (which may require subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy)

A 2009 study conducted by the Bridgespan Group,  Finding Leaders for Americas Nonprofits , which looked at position vacancies during the 18 months from June 2007 to December 2008, found about 77,000 senior-level jobs were open at nonprofit groups nationwide.  This figure was about 43 percent higher than was forecast in Bridgespan’s 2006 study. About 25 percent of those leadership vacancies were filled from within, but 41 percent of were filled from other nonprofit groups, and 21 percent came from the business world.

According to the Executive Summary of this study:

• “In the next 12 months, 28 percent of nonprofit organizations with revenues of $1 million and above plan to make one or more senior management hires, translating to 24,000 vacancies in 2009.
• Projected vacancies are largely the result of retirement, since much of the existing leadership is comprised of boomers. Vacancies also stem from new roles being created due to an increase in organizational complexity based on growth in prior years. The need is especially acute in human services and arts organizations.
• Top barriers to finding suitable leaders included compensation and difficulty finding executives with specialized skills, as well as competition for the same in-sector talent pool and lack of resources to find or cultivate new leaders.
• The most important attributes recruiters are seeking include anticipated relevant experience as well as “cultural fit,” or shared passion for the mission (68 percent on average cite fit as a very important asset. That number climbs to 82 percent in the education field).
• 73 percent of respondents said that they value for-profit experience in a candidate.
• 53 percent of U.S. nonprofits surveyed have significant for-profit management experience represented on their senior management teams, including 20 percent in financial roles.
• Additionally, 42 percent of the EDs surveyed had significant management experience in the private sector.

In addition, a series of messages emerged from the survey data, further highlighting key data and its implications in the hiring and recruiting plans of nonprofit organizations.”   Read more

A full copy of the study can be downloaded by downloaded from Bridgespan’s website .

During my daily walk to and from work, I often hear people complaining to their friends (or anyone who will listen) about the person at work that drives them crazy.  I wonder about the effect of this venting process.  Will the irritating person magically hear these complaints, and thus consider the option of changing their irritating behavior?   Does the listening friend have some secret connection to the irritating person, and the ability to alert him or her about these disturbances?  Or, is there a transformation through the venting process, where the “victim” realizes that the problem is theirs and the irritating person is just the “trigger” of some underlying issues yet to be uncovered?

Alas, in the June 21st Career Couch column in the New York Times, Phyllis Korkki’s does a great job at laying out some options for these unhappy street “venters”. In I Find You Annoying, but I Can Cope, Korkki summarizes some common sense wisdom about managing day-to-day perturbances that come with most workplaces.

For example,  “How can you can minimize the impact of co-workers who talk ad nauseam  … or who talk loudly on the phone… or who eat smelly food at their desks or slurp their coffee? “   In this Career Couch column we learn that these perturbances can be due to the other (irritating) person, you, or the layout of the space.     The good news is that rather than “seethe inwardly and complain bitterly to family members and friends after work”, there are creative alternatives such as purposeful venting with a friend, direct communication, taking a break, and/or involving a manager.

Purposeful “venting” involves talking to a friend (or other good listener) about the problem with an ear toward how you might take responsibility and/or action to transform it.   In my experience direct communication of the problem is the most effective tactic (once you’ve had a productive venting session).   If a problem is not communicated to someone who can fix it,  chances are it will not get fixed.  By communicating directly with the “irritating person”, you give that person the opportunity to know that a behavior of theirs is annoying to you.  This communication should not be blaming “You did this or that” but should be explanatory “When you do this …”   By communicating directly, you may even learn that you are not disempowered by the will of that “inconsiderate co-worker” but rather you are empowered to impact your work environment.

Sometimes this sort of direct communication will uncover an underlying cause of the problem that actually unifies the unhappy co-worker with the person causing the annoyance.  For example, you discover that the noise in the “open” office is due to your co-worker’s hearing impairment and as a solution, the co-worker moves to a location that is more suitable for you both.

But, will the culture of your organization support this type of direct communication?   Are there unspoken power dynamics (due to gender, age, race, ethnicity, culture) that prevent us from using  “direct communication” to unravel workplace annoyances.   Or, does the culture of the organization create and support instances where co-workers can safely communicate with one another.

In their books, Becoming a Conflict Competent Leader and Building Conflict Competent Teams, Craig Runde and Tim Flanagan help leaders “learn how conflict naturally occurs as well as what they need to do to get the best out of it”.

The good news is that there are creative alternatives to responding to the workplace nemesis.  And, workplaces that are “communication and conflict friendly” can provide an environment where these “annoyances” can be managed at the lowest level of conflict intensity and serve only as a bump in the road, and not as a pothole!

In an already tight and tenuous job marketplace, competition for nonprofit executive positions will become stiffer as corporate executives consider making a move to the nonprofit sector.  According to The Nonprofit Times March 12, 2009 article Fundraisers Fighting For Jobs, some career changers are preparing to increase their appeal by enrolling in nonprofit management programs.

But, what ultimately qualifies an executive for nonprofit work?  To what extent will a graduate certificate in nonprofit management give a career changer a competitive edge?  And, will a nonprofit management degree hold more value for someone aspiring to be a nonprofit CEO than for those aspiring to a COO or CFO position?

Ultimately, nonprofit employers want to hire someone who can demonstrate their commitment to the nonprofit sector. To that end, the time and money devoted to a nonprofit management program can certainly help. But candidates need more than a certificate. They must also be able to show a track record of successes using skills that are transferable to a nonprofit setting.

Nonprofit employers also seek candidates who understand a nonprofit organization’s mission, and fit in to their organizational culture.  So, career changers who have served on a nonprofit board or worked as a volunteer will be stronger candidates than those who simply possess an academic certificate.

Career changers seeking a CEO position may stand to gain more from academic training than those seeking a COO or CFO title.  There are simply more new skills for a CEO to learn such as fund development, donor cultivation, and working with a nonprofit (volunteer) Board of Directors, where the internal skills of a COO or CFO can be more easily transferred.