2012 Predictions for the Social Sector

Too often in the social sector, our organizations are like rowboats, we are all rowing in the same direction but we are looking backwards as we do it. My personal plan for 2012 is to be more forward thinking, so that I can anticipate what will happen next and prepare for it, rather than being reactive to yesterday's problem. In that spirit, here are my predictions for the social sector in 2012:

0% processing fee for donations

In response to mass protests against the financial services industries, a forward-thinking credit card company decides to demonstrate extreme corporate citizenship and eliminate credit card fees for donations on a charity donation site like www.Razoo.com. Their market share increases significantly, nonprofits see a boost to their bottom line, and other credit card companies quickly follow suit. By 2015, charity donations enjoy 0% fees across donation platforms.

Nonprofit intellectual property infringement

A small nonprofit sued a corporate philanthropy program that uses crowdsourcing contests. In court papers the nonprofit alleged that the corporate giving program used the contest to identify promising trends in the social sector and then funded larger nonprofits to implement those strategies.

95% for social enterprise

A large, national foundation changed its investment strategy from traditional investments that have little mission impact, to 100% of its endowment invested in social enterprise projects. The range of projects that they support include grocery stores in inner city, wind projects, and a Zipcar franchise. The foundation saw an increase in investment returns and was able to leverage its entire endowment for its mission.

Millennial movement

A Top 100 nonprofit hired a CEO from the millennial generation. The organization touts their new CEO's ability to ability to harness the power of technology and manage remote teams. Nonprofit sector analysts watch this placement carefully to determine if this is representative of a new wave of hiring from traditional organizations that are looking to completely revamp the way that they do work.

Common grants become common

Regional Associations of Grantmakers from across the country announce that they have partnered together to create a universal common grant application. The application is widely adopted by grantmakers and significantly reduces the paperwork burden on nonprofits.

Career Agents

An enterprising recruitment firm has identified the trend of Gen X and Gen Y employees taking an increasing number project-based appointments with nonprofit organizations. To capitalize on this trend they added to their staff of recruiters a handful of "career agents", that are not hired by the nonprofit but are retained by the individual nonprofit professional. These career agents identify positions and negotiate on behalf of the professional.

 

What changes do you see happening in 2012 for the social sector?

 

 

 

 

 

EPIP is coming, EPIP is coming!

It is almost time for the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy Annual Conference! Register here. To get you excited about the great content of the conference, I am reposting a session that I did at the last EPIP Conference called "How to Build your Multi-generational Network from Scratch".

Watch the Video Here

2011 EPIP National Conference

Concurrent Workshop: Investing in Influence for Policy Change Conference Track: Philanthropology 4.0 - Generations in Philanthropy

Session Designer: Trista Harris, Headwaters Foundation for Justice

Synopsis: You’ve heard this many times before: good grantmaking is about knowing what is happening on the ground.  Having a strong network can help you master this grantmaking skill.     But how do you network if you don’t have much of a “network”, especially a network that spans multiple generations? Well, back in the day, before Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, people actually made connections face to face most of the time. These days, technology has made communication much less time-consuming, but the old-fashioned methods of networking still hold true.    This interactive presentation will reveal nine practical ways to build your network from scratch – both on and offline.

You can have it all, you just need help

Too often I am self-reliant to a fault. I usually refuse to ask for help and think that I can balance the world on my shoulders. What happens when you balance the world on your shoulders alone is that you drop something or you get squished. A few years ago, I realized that trying to do it all was holding me back professionally and personally. I started writing about how to hire a wife and the myth of work/life balance. The surprising way that I got through that rut and finally had the space to write a book, run a foundation, and travel around the country on a book tour while raising two kids is by becoming a part of a multigenerational household. My Dad moved in with us almost 2 years ago and it has made all the difference in the world. Instead of cursing through traffic to try to get home before daycare closes, he now picks them up from school and I can even have an occasional evening meeting or travel on the book tour without worrying how the kids are going to get in school.

Raising a family and having a career today is becoming a 10 person job. If you feel like it has been impossible for you to juggle the demands of home and work, it is probably because it is impossible to juggle home and work. Calling in the reinforcements doesn't mean that you are weak, it just means that none of us can do this alone.

 

Thanks Dad for having my back.

Fab 5 for me, Fab 5 for you

When I first started in philanthropy I had a great professional network that I could rely on for advice and connections but felt like I was really missing the emotional support that I needed to move on to the next phase of my career. I had great friends, but they didn’t really want to talk about work stuff. I had coffee with a colleague who was expressing the same frustration, so we decided to start an informal coaching group of young female professionals, who were ready to move to the next phase of leadership and would benefit from a community of support.

We called our group the “Fab 5.” The five women were from academia, philanthropy, social enterprise, and business. Their diversity of experiences and perspectives lead to rich conversations and new connections during our monthly meetings. Each meeting is hosted by one of the members on a rotating basis and includes a time for check-in around a guiding question like “how to balance work and home” or “finding volunteer opportunities that sustain you” or “managing up.” Each of these women is an important mentor in my life.

An exciting development in my journey with the Fab 5, is seeing the model be replicated all over the country by people that were inspired by it when they read “How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar”. I was so surprised when I heard someone talk about her “Fab 5” group, so I said “Hey, I have a Fab 5 group too!” She said “I know I got the idea from you when I read the book.” Whoops.  I’m amazed that our little group is useful for people all over that are trying to take their careers to the next level.

What have you tried to get the encouragement you need to strengthen your career?

Nonprofit Rockstar's 1st anniversary means a big present for you!

One year ago this week, Rosetta Thurman and I released the book "How to Become  Nonprofit Rockstar". I don't think either of us could imagine the sort of reception that the book has received. We have heard from readers as far away as Tanzania,  where the President of a Civil Society Foundation in Dar es Salaam has gotten two copies so far because her last signed copy was borrowed and not returned.  The nearest reader has been someone that lives about 10 feet away from me. My 12 year old daughter read a copy of the book and when I took an especially cute photo of her in footie pajamas and said that I was going to post it on my Facebook page, she said I was hurting her personal brand.

I've been especially grateful for the many readers that have tweeted about the book, participated in our leadership intensive, and have worked like heck to get me and Rosetta to your towns as part of the Nonprofit Rockstar Tour. During the tour, I've gotten to visit 6 of the 11 EPIP Chapters across the country and have been so impressed with the expertise and leadership young people are bringing to the social sector. Publicizing this book has been a completely grassroots effort and without your assistance we couldn't have spread this message across the country. Since each of you has done so much to spread the word about the book, we decided the 1st anniversary was a great time to express our gratitude.

For one week only (October 31st to November 6th), we are giving you a free electronic copy of "How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar" ($24.99 value), when you click on the pay with a tweet button below. You will receive a complete PDF of the book, when you send a tweet or Facebook post about the book using the link below.

 

 The 1st Anniversary promotion is over. Thanks to the more than 650 people that tweeted about the book and received the free ebook. You can get your discounted copy of the book here.

Professional Development is for Nonprofit Job Seekers Too

*Image from the amazing Northern Sun catalog

To put it mildly, this economy stinks. Many recent college grads or long-term nonprofit professionals are looking for work. From organizational downsizing, to cuts in grant funding, to hiring freezes, it is tough to get your foot in the door in any field. It's even hard when you are trying to do good for a living. Here are some tips to shorten your job search:

  • Have fresh eyes look at your resume- If you have sent your resume to 40 organizations and aren't getting an interview, it's time to have someone else take a look. Possiblities are friends, mentors, or organizations that have employment counselors can all be helpful.You want to put your expertise in the best possible light and often help is needed to do this.
  • Make a social media splash- It is critical to have an updated social media presence during your job search because possible employers will be Googling you. Setting up a LinkedIn profile is critical and cleaning up any questionable Facebook content helps too.
  • Drink a lot of coffee- Informational interviews are critical where you are conducting a job search. Do research on your "dream" organizations and set up coffee with their Executive Director or someone who is doing a job you would like to do. Spend 80% of the time listening and 20% asking questions and sharing your background. Learn about the organization and ask who else you should talk to in their network. Leave them with a copy of your resume and a good impression of you. 
  • Build your skills- During your job search volunteer to build your skill base. If you want to be an event coordinator for that great mentoring program, volunteer to help them plan their next big event. You'll sharpen your skillset and build new relationships.
  • Get a side hustle- Having an extra way to earn income is critical while your are working full time and especially when you are looking for work. Side hustles allow you to strengthen a skill set (contract grantwriting) or explore another side of yourself (yoga class anyone?), while you are bringing in extra financial resources. Other places where you can identify some side work are www.elance.com or through our network.
What other advice would you give to nonprofit job seekers?

Sponsors are the new mentor

I've been preaching for a long time that having a mentor isn't enough to get you big dog status. The Washington Post has a great article that drives that point home. From the Washington Post: Much ado has been made recently about the importance of sponsors, versus mentors, in the career advancement of women. Just this summer, Catalyst released a study, Sponsoring Women to Success , pointing to the fact that sponsorship may in fact be the single most critical strategy for accelerating a woman’s career.

So just what is the difference between a mentor and sponsor? Think of mentors as the friendly guides who dispense helpful information, offering up input and advice to mentees. Sponsors, on the other hand, are defined by their organizational clout and ability to open doors; they will personally advocate for a cause, project or promotion on a protégé’s behalf.

Women, it’s time to get a sponsor.

What may in effect sound like a slight distinction actually has major implications. Research substantiates that women tend to lag behind men when it comes to promotions, even when women have mentors. Yet when women’s mentors are high ranking—that is to say, when they fall into the ‘sponsor’ category—women are just as likely as men to get promoted. As the Catalyst study authors note, a sponsor “can propel a protégé to the top of a list or pile of candidates or even eliminate the list itself.”

Read the rest here.

Getting it together

My life has taken a big turn from worklife balance to crazy tightrope of life. As always Rosetta Thurman has been able to put this feeling together in a beautiful blog post about how to start getting it back together. From Rosetta:

I probably don’t have to tell you just how many things are vying for our attention these days. Well, maybe I do. I have a point to make here. We’ve all got so much to do all the time that it seems to be getting harder to concentrate fully on everything we have to do in the first place. Couple that with technology and you have all the possibility that more opportunities, more networking, and more connections bring.  Alas, they also bring the little things.

You know, the little things that run counter to that “balanced life” we all seem to want to lead. Little things like email (we all get way too much), social media (it’s great, but who can really keep up with 12,000 people on Twitter?), long to-do lists at work and at home (where not much ever seems to really get “crossed off”), tedious meetings and conference calls (many of which seem unnecessary). All these little things add up to one big thing.

I’ve been putting off hiring another assistant ever since business slowed down for me late last year. But then what happens? All spring, all summer and now fall, my speaking and coaching schedule is heating up, and things are moving faster than I can keep up with them. I’m like the little tortoise trying to enjoy the race and the hare is just whizzing by, running around me in circles, taunting me with a full inbox, piled up voicemails and the red glare of unread Facebook updates.

Thing is, I suspect that I’m not alone. Everyone in my circle always seems so damn busy. (Or maybe I just need a new circle?) With the pace of technology, many of us seem to have gone way beyond that magic 150 number of people we can sanely keep track of in our mental rolodex.

Read the rest here.

Become an organizational change agent

There seem to be a common complaint among people that are frustrated with their organizations, it sounds something like this "my boss is an idiot" or "my organization is a mess, it is so hard to get things done". I get the frustration but don't get the common reaction, which is to continuously complain about the situation and not do anything about it. That's where this great blog post from YNPN Detroit comes in handy. Learn how to become an organizational change agent. From YNPN Detroit:

As we look to transform our community, we often overlook the powerful role that we can play as change agents within our own organization. After all, if we work to ensure our organizations are more effective and just, we can help to boost their transformative impact.

But becoming an organizational change agent isn’t always easy. Here are some thoughts for how you can get started:

  • Prove yourself. The leadership of your organization is not going to be interested in seeing you take on additional projects if you haven’t demonstrated success in the work you were hired to do. Make sure you are always delivering over and above on the work you’ve been assigned before you start exploring other opportunities to impact the organization.
  • Start small. You might have a grand idea that would have a transformative impact on the organization’s work, but most likely that won’t be the first place you are able to exercise influence. Find areas where you can build up a number of small wins, so that you can earn the trust you need to tackle the big things.
  • Find allies. Not everyone is interested in listening to the young “whipper snapper” who’s full of ideas. That means that some times you need to send your message through someone else. Find those folks in management who are most receptive to change, and let them carry your ideas forward. Better to see the change take place than to get the credit.
Read the rest here

Speakers Announced For Leadership Intensive

The speakers for the Nonprofit Rockstar Leadership Intensive have been announced. The full list is below but let me just say how excited I am that these experts from the nonprofit sector, government, and philanthropy will be sharing their insights with the retreat participants. I'm even more excited that I will get to learn from their stories of leadership. More info about the retreat is at www.becomeanonprofitrockstar.com. Rebecca Cokley | Director of Priority Placement for Public Engagement, White House Presidential Personnel Office

“Personal Branding for Career Advancement and Community Impact”

Rebecca is responsible for outreach to constituency communities to identify the most qualified candidates to fill political appointments across all agencies. She previously served as the Confidential Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the U.S. Department of Education and has spent the last 15 years reaching out to marginalized and underrepresented communities. During the 2008 Presidential Campaign, Rebecca served on the leadership team of the Obama Disability Policy Committee. Rebecca has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California Santa Cruz and is an alumnus of the Education Policy Fellowship Program.

Robert Egger

Robert Egger | Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen

“Authentic Leadership: What It Is, What It Looks Like and How He Does It”

Robert Egger is the Founder and President of the DC Central Kitchen, the country’s first “community kitchen”, where food donated by hospitality businesses and farms is used to fuel a nationally recognized culinary arts job training program, where unemployed men and women learn marketable skills while donations are converted into balanced meals. Since opening in 1989, the Kitchen has produced over 23 million meals and helped 800 men and women gain full time employment. The Kitchen operates its own revenue generating business, Fresh Start Catering, as well as the Campus Kitchens Project, which coordinates similar recycling/meal programs in 30 college or high school based kitchens.

In Washington, Robert was the founding Chair of both the Mayor’s Commission on Nutrition and Street Sense, Washington’s “homeless” newspaper. He was also the Co-Convener of the first Nonprofit Congress, held in Washington DC in 2006.

Robert’s book on the non-profit sector, Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient and Rewarding For All, was released in 2004 by HarperCollins. It received the 2005 McAdam Prize for “Best Nonprofit Management Book” by the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.

Robert was included in the Non Profit Times list of the “50 Most Powerful and Influential” nonprofit leaders from 2006-2009. He was the recipient of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s 2007 “Lifetime Achievement” award and the 2004 James Beard Foundation “Humanitarian of the Year” award. He has been named an Oprah Angel, a Washingtonian of the Year, a Point of Light and one of the Ten Most Caring People in America, by the Caring Institute. He is also a 14-gallon blood donor to the American Red Cross.

Robert speaks throughout the country and internationally on the subjects of hunger, sustainability, nonprofit political engagement and social enterprise. He writes blogs and editorials to share his ideas about the nonprofit sector and the future of America.  To check out Robert’s most recent speaking schedule, blogs, and editorials, please visit www.robertegger.org.

Melissa JohnsonMelissa Johnson | Executive Director of Neighborhood Funders Group

“Movin’ On Up: Everything You Need to Know About Becoming a Nonprofit Executive Director”

Melissa Johnson is the Executive Director of the Neighborhood Funders Group. Prior to NFG, Melissa served as the national field director for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.  With over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit  sector, she has served as a philanthropic consultant helping to seed giving circles, develop models of community philanthropy, and advising foundations on issues of social justice and racial equity. Melissa’s career in philanthropy began in her work with community foundations in her native state of North Carolina where she served as a program officer and other key roles in rural and urban grantmaking, funding collaboratives, and major community initiatives. Additionally, her prior work at the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits grounded her commitment to build nonprofit capacity and strengthen the sector as a whole.

She holds a B.A. in English and Sociology from Wake Forest University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a concentration on community practice and community development. Melissa’s voluntary service has spanned several organizations including Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, Guatemala Human Rights Campaign-USA, North Carolina’s Youth for Tomorrow (ncyt), NCNG Emerging Leaders Network, United Way of Greensboro, YWCA of Greensboro, Resource Generation, and the University of North Carolina’s School of Social Work Alumni Council.

Monisha Kapila | Founder and CEO of ProInspire

“Developing Valuable Expertise: Essential Skills for Nonprofit Managers”

Monisha founded ProInspire to address the gap between nonprofits that seek broader pools of talent, and business professionals who want to transition into the sector. Monisha brings 10 years of experience in the business and nonprofit sectors. Most recently she was a Senior Marketing Manager for Capital One Financial Corporation. Prior to Capital One, she was a Harvard Business School Leadership Fellow with ACCION International, a pioneer in the commercial approach to microfinance. Monisha has worked with a number of leading non-profit organizations throughout her career, including CARE, the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, and the Clinton Foundation. She began her career as a consultant with Arthur Andersen.

Monisha has an MBA from Harvard Business School, where she was recipient of the Dean’s Award, and a BBA with distinction from the University of Michigan. She received her Certificate in Leadership Coaching from Georgetown University. Monisha is an Advisor to the Social Enterprise Program at American University and previously served as Vice Chair of the Board for the I Do Foundation.

Time to Reap and a Time to Sow

The last 6 months have been a whirlwind. I have had the opportunity to meet amazing young professionals across the country as I have been touring for "How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar", the book was nominated for a  Terry McAdam Book Award, which has brought new visibility and years of relationship building on behalf of Headwaters has led to new collaborations and enhanced resources to do our work.

I am really excited about all of this wonderful things that are happening but when I had a second to breathe I was reminded that I need to plant seeds for the next harvest. All of these things have happened because of hard work and planning and the time to do that hard work is not when you are ready to do the next harvest. I will admit that it is hard to plan for the future when you are really enjoying the present but that is when it is the most critical.

That is why I am personally so excited about the Nonprofit Rockstar Leadership Intensive that is happening September 30 to October 2nd in Washington DC. We have nonprofit professionals from all over the country coming to plant the seeds for their next harvest and that sort of environment is what it will take for me to get my own house in order. Taking 3 days out of the year to plan for the future may feel like a luxury but it is a definite necessity if you want to be able to do your best work and increase your sense of purpose. I hope you join me there.

Register Now

You want to move to the next level? Do something!

I have been having a fabulous time traveling across the country on a book tour for How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar. I have met many great young professionals who are trying to figure out how to get the most out of their social sector tours. After each presentation or discussion with someone who is struggling with how to excel in their careers I wish I had more time to dig deep in the book's content. Now I finally have that chance! Rosetta and I are hosting a Leadership Intensive September 30- October 2nd to help you move to the next level of nonprofit leadership. We will be limiting attendance to make sure that you get personalized attention and build relationships with the other participants. Act quickly if you want a spot! REGISTER NOW

How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Nonprofit Career authors Rosetta Thurman and Trista Harris are hosting an exclusive leadership intensive in Washington, DC from September 30-October 2, 2011. This program will focus on helping nonprofit professionals strengthen their leadership skills to be able to serve their organizations and communities in a bigger, more meaningful way. Participants will learn how to develop expertise, build a strong network, establish a great personal brand, practice authentic leadership, plan for balance, and move up in their organizations.

Each attendee will leave the program with an individualized Action Plan for the next stage of professional growth. All who attend the intensive will experience and receive the following:

  • A 30-day Action Plan that defines your immediate next steps for strengthening your leadership skills.
  • A complimentary copy of Rosetta and Trista’s book How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar ($24.99 value) as well as the Nonprofit Rockstar Workbook ($10 value).
  • Course material that will reinforce the ideas and principles learned at the retreat. You will learn how to excel in six essential  areas of personal and professional development.
  • A fun and supportive environment to nurture your leadership skills and self-development. This will be an intimate group learning experience to ensure personalized attention.
  • Insightful guest speakers such as top nonprofit leaders, subject matter experts and executive coaches.
  • Small group discussions, activities, and workshops that will prepare and inspire you to lead at a higher level.
  • Pre- and post-conference calls to ensure that participants fully maximize the leadership development experience.
  • The beautiful surroundings of suburban Washington, DC during the fall. We will be staying at a relaxing retreat center that feels like it’s light years away from the hustle and bustle of downtown DC!

 We hope you will join us for this unique leadership development opportunity!

REGISTER NOW

Summer Bucket List

To give a little context, I live in the lovely state of Minnesota. I live here because for 3 months Minnesota is one of the most glorious places in the world (National Geographic agrees). The other 9 months have me holed up, in front of the fireplace, dreaming of a warm breeze. So as I looked over my calendar for this month, I was surprised that I have completely booked the month of June with meeting after meeting in windowless conference rooms. If this doesn't stop soon, it will be Fall and I'll still be the color of printer paper. The solution is the summer bucket list. Thinking about all of the specific things that I want to do, will encourage me to actual schedule it and do it. I'd also like to hear your summer bucket list ideas in the comments.

1. Go to a drive-in movie

2. Strawberry picking at the end of June  We went to a farm by our house, it was one of those experiences where I will look back at the pictures and say "wow, we had such a great time". The actual experience was filled with complaining children and the smell of manure. On the positive side, the stawberries were delicious and my kids could see that food actual grows somewhere.

3. Concert at Lake Harriet Bandshell

4. Comedy at the Park

5. Kayaking at Lake of the Isles and lunch at Tin Fish Restaurant

6. Twins Game (so what if I hate sports, I want to see the new stadium)

7. Uptown Art Fair- August 5-7

8. Izzy's Ice Cream I was probably eating the ice cream before the post was complete. MMMM Izzy's.

9. Minnesota State Fair

10. Wine tasting at Chateau St. Croix Vineyard This was so much fun, if you are in the Twin Cities look for their deals on Groupon and Crowdcut.

11. Visit Northern Minnesota, including a ride on the Alpine Rollercoaster at Spirit Mountain My hubby and I took a short vacation to Duluth and had a great time! I convinced him to go on the Alpine Rollercoaster and it was fabulous. Beautiful view the whole way down.

12. Visit Taylor's Falls

Walking the Talk

I just received a press release that made my heart sing. I know that is rare but hear me out. Many nonprofit organizations and consulting firms complain that there are not enough young people with the skills and interest to lead the nonprofit sector. This is an example of a firm that is actually doing something by giving undergraduates the chance to do social change work at their firm. I think it's a great example for all of us. From Frontline:

 In June, the philanthropic sector will be introduced to six undergraduates handpicked by the social change organization Frontline Solutions. The Hilliard P. Jenkins Undergraduate Fellowship Program, now in its second year, is an internship opportunity for students to receive practical training with senior staff at Frontline Solutions. Aimed at aspiring professionals with a passion for the fields of social justice and entrepreneurship, the Hilliard P. Jenkins Fellowship Program is a venue to aid and learn from Frontline’s ongoing work of supporting foundations and nonprofits and the communities in which they serve. Through the summer internship, HPJ Fellows are placed at one of Frontline’s offices in Durham, NC, Philadelphia, PA, and Brooklyn, NY. The students receive introductions to organizations in their base office and around the country, and receive professional development opportunities by working on a variety of high-impact projects.  “Being a part of exposing students to the multiple facets of the social change sector is both fun and fundamental to our mission to invest in the pipeline of emerging social change leaders,’” says Frontline Senior Partner Marcus Littles. “Our work allows us to engage with policymakers, academicians, community leaders, organizers, grantmakers and entrepreneurs. We have been privileged the past couple of years to have the best and brightest students work along with us, and this year is no exception.”

The program is designed to expose fellows to the inner workings and strategy development of a start-up consulting firm in its sixth year of operation as well as the work of Frontline’s clients, such as W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, Community Investment Network and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy.  Before the program ends in August, each fellow will take at least one Frontline-supported work trip and participate in multiple meetings with clients and community partners around the country. Read more about the HPJ Fellowship.

Frontline Solutions (helpingchangehappen.com) is a social change organization that invests in the pipeline of social change leaders; provides consulting services to institutions in the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors; and engages in field-building in three areas of expertise: Education, Social Innovation, and Males of Color.

Rosetta, Nonprofits, and Diversity

The fabulous Rosetta Thurman has a great post about The Voice of Nonprofit Talent Report. Diversity is critical to the sector but most reports dance around this idea. From Rosetta:

About a dozen people sent me the link to The Voice of Nonprofit Talent: Perceptions of Diversity in the Workplace, a new study produced by Commongood Careers and Level Playing Field Institute. I didn’t read it right away because honestly, most reports about diversity in the nonprofit sector pretty much say the same damn thing and are a total waste of funder’s money.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Nonprofit staff isn’t very diverse. Nonprofit boards aren’t very diverse. Nonprofits need more diversity. Nonprofits don’t know where to find people of color. Nonprofits can’t seem to attract young people. Or gay people. Blah blah blah. Whatevs.

But this study is a little different. Yes, the study focuses on ethnic and racial diversity in the nonprofit workplace, but it’s the first report I’ve seen that doesn’t focus on the fact that nonprofits are ruled by white people.

Instead, it examines the repercussions of what happens when organizations do nothing to change this reality.

Read the rest of this post here.

Nonprofit Rockstar Contest!

Thank you for your support of How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar! In just six months, the book has made a positive impact in the careers of nonprofit professionals all over the world. (Shout out to our very enthusiastic readers Colin in London and Carmen in the Netherlands!)

In honor of the 6 month anniversary of the book we have some exciting things going on this week:

-Free 1-hour teleseminar with me and Rosetta called “Movin’ On Up: 7 Steps to Rock Your Nonprofit Job Search”. Check out www.rosettathurman.com for more detals.

-25% discount on copies of the book purchased this week. Get the ebook here or your hard copy here. If you already have a copy for yourself, have you gotten one for your work BFF, cousin who just finished the Peace Corps, or your neighbor who is getting her nonprofit management degree?

-Last but not least we are having a special contest this week. We want to know what your definition of a nonprofit rockstar is. Leave your answer in the comments and you have a chance to win a signed copy of the book! The contest ends May 6th.

 

How to Build Your Multi-Generational Network (from scratch)

YNPN of Detroit did an amazing summary of the session that I led at the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy conference. Check out their blog for other great posts. From YNPN Detroit: I had the chance to hear Trista Harris (co-author of How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar) discuss how to build your multi-generational network at the National Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (EPIP) Conference. This serves as a nice complement to the session by Rosetta Thurman at the YNPN National Conference that we blogged a couple of weeks ago.  Here’s what Trista had to say…

In approaching networking, Trista referred to a saying from a fortune cookie: “You are the average of your 5 closest friends.” This means that it is very important that you think about how you keep close to you, and how they relate to who you want to be.  Also, Trista noted, it is important to not limit yourself to people like you. She suggested that some cross-generational insight will make the guidance you receive much stronger. In order to achieve that, however, you must grow your network.

Growing your network

Trista suggested that you start with the network you already have. Make sure you let people know when you’re going through a transition.  Also, don’t rebuild your network with every new job. Take that contact information with you – those are relationships that you have built, so don’t leave them behind.

Of course, if you do this a couple of time your list of contacts can become pretty large!  To make this manageable, create lists as you build your network.  Then, when you run across information you think will be helpful to a certain segment of your network, you can quickly shoot it off without too much effort. This also creates much more robust relationships – it demonstrates that you are putting thought into who that person is and not just spamming them periodically. You become someone who adds value to your network, as opposed to someone who is always just looking for help.

The Power of Your Network

It’s great that you have folks willing to serve as references when you apply for a new job. However, managers are much more impressed by those people who offer their positive opinions of you unsolicited.  The best way to have these people in your corner is to build a strong network.  By having a number of folks who can speak on your behalf as a nonprofit professional, you create more opportunities for these unsolicited endorsements.

Also, Trista noted that people with strong networks are less likely to get laid off by their organization. When you have a strong network and you get laid off, people ask about you and want to know what happened.  This can get pretty uncomfortable for managers.

What about when you’re at a conference?  Introduce Yourself!

Trista asked us all to participate in a practice exercise: Person 1: Introduce yourself with a 1-2 sentence bio. Person 2:  Listen. What questions do you have for the person? What excited you about what s/he had to say?

After having the opportunity to practice this and share, the group learned the following:  Bios get exciting when people feel as though they have a personal connection to what has been said. (This might be where you are from, or the work you’re involved in – whatever strikes a chord with them.)  What this means is that with a really short introduction, you can create an avenue for a much more robust conversation.  Within just a sentence or two, you are creating an opportunity to folks to “hook in” to your passion and interests and share their own.

Read the rest here.

It's Not Just About the Benjamins

This morning, during the final plenary of the Council on Foundations conference, I had the opportunity to hear from former diplomat and ex-COF president James A. Joseph. “You got to hear the Ambassador!” friends and colleagues told me (Joseph earned that title as the U.S. ambassador to South Africa during the 1990s). They were right. Joseph’s speech was called “Philanthropy and Pluralism: Diversity That Does Not Divide.” Although he took a sober look at the current state of things—we are “a badly divided nation is a badly divided world”—he offered up wisdom about how intentional diversity practices can start drawing us all together. Foundations, he reminded the audience, have much more than conventional capital to offer, listing those additional assets of social, intellectual, moral, and what he called “reputational” capital (using social capital as collateral to “vouch” for organizations).

During these past three days, I heard a good deal of dollars and cents talk, so it was great to receive that exhortation to do that spiritual work of digging deeper for the sake of building more inclusive communities.

Brian Baughan is Director of Communications at Frontline Solutions (helpingchangehappen.com), a social change organization that invests in the pipeline of social change leaders; provides consulting services to institutions in the nonprofit, government, and philanthropic sectors; and engages in field-building in three areas of expertise: Education, Social Innovation, and Males of Color.