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.

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?