National Council of Nonprofit Associations ED Steps Down

After nine years at the helm, Audrey Alvarado will step down as executive director of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations once her replacement is found.

“It’s time for me to move on for a new challenge and to take a break,” Alvarado says. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past nine years, but it’s time for a new leader to take us to the next level.”

The council, a network of state associations of nonprofits, has assembled a search committee and aims to have a new executive director in place sometime this summer, says Doug Sauer, chair of the council’s board and CEO of the Council of Community Services of New York State.

The choice to leave is her own, say both Alvarado and Sauer, who calls the developments a “planned transition.”

Alvarado says she first introduced the idea to the board last November and plans to continue working with the nonprofit sector in some capacity after leaving the council.

Sauer’s goal is to have a new executive director for the council identified by June, in time for the second Nonprofit Congress, an initiative of the council that drew hundreds of nonprofit leaders from across the U.S. during its first conference in 2006.

Sauer praised Alvarado’s leadership of the Congress, as well as her ability to “galvanize the membership and set forth a vision.”

“To be able to contribute to organizing the sector has been phenomenally gratifying to me,” says Alvarado.

Sauer will serve as chair of the search committee, which has posted information on the position on the council’s website.

The council, founded in 1989, has a staff of six and a 2007 budget of about $900,000.

Source: Philanthropy Journal

IBM to Send ‘Fast-Track’ Employees to Nonprofit Groups Abroad

Among programs that send corporate employees to work abroad, IBM’s Corporate Service Corps is particularly innovative, reports The New York Times. It provides leadership training to promising employees, while giving the company a presence in places where it does not yet do much business.

The company received more than 5,500 employee applications for the program from over 50 countries. It selected 100 workers from 33 countries. Participants will be divided into teams of 12 and will be deployed to projects in Romania, Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Ghana, and Tanzania starting in July. IBM says it hopes to build the program up to 600 participants over the next three years.

During the four-week stints, the company hopes that participants will be challenged by working within another culture on unfamiliar projects. When employees return from the program, they will enter two months of intensive debriefing to discuss what they learned about leadership and the countries they visited in hopes of improving and further developing programs for the Service Corps.

“As a development tool, this is a four-for-one,” explained Allan R. Cohen, dean of the Olin Graduate School at Babson College. “It’s stretching to work in another culture, to work in a nonprofit where the measurement of accomplishment isn’t clear, to take a sabbatical from your everyday routine, and to learn to accomplish things when you can’t just bark orders.”

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

Nonprofit Jobseekers See Obstacles in Building Long-Term Careers, Survey Finds

Many nonprofit jobseekers are eager to build long-term careers in the social sector but believe that nonprofit employers are not doing enough to address the obstacles they face, a new report from Commongood Careers finds.

Based on data from a recent survey of 1,750 nonprofit jobseekers, the report, The Voice of Nonprofit Talent in 2008 (8 pages, PDF), finds that 63 percent of respondents plan to stay in the sector for at least ten years and that 82 percent hope to hold an executive-level position. However, many respondents believe that the relative absence of career ladders, mentors, and professional development, as well as concerns about salary levels and a healthy work-life balance, may limit their ability to remain in the sector.

According to the survey, mission and cultural fit are the most important factors for nonprofit jobseekers, with 84 percent of respondents indicating that they believe “work is part of my identity, not just a way to make a living.” At the same time, more than 75 percent of respondents believe that nonprofits must immediately change their recruitment, employment, and professional development practices.

“This may be the most crucial time in the history of the nonprofit sector to address talent-related issues,” said James Weinberg, founder and CEO of Commongood Careers. “To be competitive in recruiting and retaining the next generation of great nonprofit talent, organizations need to listen to jobseekers and pursue creative solutions. This survey report is one effort to provide them with the information that they need.”

“Nonprofit Jobseekers Say to Employers: ‘We Want Change Now’.” Commongood Careers 3/24/08.

Source: PND

Women Take Top Financial Roles at Nonprofit Endowments

Women now manage 10 of the 50 largest endowments and foundations in the country, reports The New York Times.

The number of women in top roles is greater than in the for-profit world, says the newspaper.

Women in the top jobs oversee more than $60-billion at organizations including the Ford Foundation and Carnegie Corporation, the paper reports. Some women seek such positions because of the mission of the organization, while others find the flexible schedules appealing.

Susan E. Manske, who says she loves investing, left Boeing’s pension fund for the top spot at the $6.5-billion MacArthur Foundation. “This married my interest with working in a culture of philanthropy,” Ms. Manske tells the Times.
Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

Ritz-Carlton Offers Volunteer Opportunities for Guests

Starting April 1, the 70 hotels worldwide that are members of the Ritz-Carlton chain will offer at least one option for guests to volunteer during their hotel stay, reports USA Today.

Billed as “Give Back Getaways,” these volunteer opportunities will include conservation activities, preparing food for the needy, and other efforts.

Although the Ritz-Carlton is a luxury hotel, Sue Stephenson, the Ritz “social responsibility” chief who proposed the program and is overseeing it, believes that guests want opportunities to help others during heir leisure time. Most programs will last a half day and cost hotel guests $50 to $100 to cover transportation and a donation to the charity or group.

Some critics and nonprofit groups have expressed concern over guests viewing the volunteer work as a kind of “zoo experience,” but David Clemmons, founder of VolunTourism.org, a clearinghouse for volunteer vacations, who consulted with Ritz-Carlton on its new effort, said he was confident about the hotel chain’s approach. “I feel what they’ve created can stand up to the scrutiny and do good,” he said.

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

Employers Increasing Master’s Level Hiring by 22% in 2008

CollegeGrad.com today announced the Top 100 Master’s Employers for 2008. Good news for students finishing their master’s program: the results of the 2008 Top Entry Level Employers survey reveal that Top Master’s Employers plan to increase their master’s hiring by an astounding 22% in 2008.

At the top of the list, Americorps plans to hire 1000 master’s candidates in 2008. RSM McGladrey/McGladrey & Pullen finished at number two with 875 projected hires. Microsoft and Education Management Corporation project hiring 715 and 700 master’s candidates respectively, and the Peace Corps rounds out the Top 5 Master’s Employers with 420 projected hires. In all, the list accounts for more than 8000 master’s hires in 2008.

This year’s most sought after master’s degrees include Accounting, all Engineering, and Computer Science degrees. Together, the top three majors account for 63% of all master’s hiring for 2008. Education and Business Administration are also in the top five master’s degrees being hired.

So what’s the benefit of hiring master’s level candidates?

According to CollegeGrad.com, candidates with master’s degrees provide higher qualifications for employment that can be equivalent to as much as two or three years of experience in the field. Added to that, employers also find that master’s candidates have a greater level of technical and field expertise that can bolster a company’s growth and competitive stance in the industry.

Even with the current decline in economic confidence, a projected 22% increase in master’s hiring presents master’s level job seekers with a very positive job outlook in 2008.

Source: Onrec.com

Six Strategies for Young Nonprofit Employees to Become Next Generation Leaders

A recent study, Ready to Lead? Next Generation Leaders Speak Out, by the Casey Foundation and others, asked more than 600 nonprofit workers of various ages what problems they find in nonprofit work as well as why they chose it, stuck with it, or thought about leaving it.

The report provided a number of suggestions for current nonprofit leaders and their boards to get ahead of the coming crunch.

In addition, the study authors provided advice for young staffers on how to become the next generation of nonprofit leaders:

Take control of your career. You are in charge of your own career. It is true that your executive director should have your best interests at heart, but don’t wait for him or her to mentor you. Take the initiative by asking your director for opportunities to lead or take on special projects. Offer to lead a staff development effort, facilitate a meeting, or present a report to the board. Find workshops and trainings you wish to attend and ask for support in doing so.

Develop broad management expertise. Look outside your particular area of interest and find ways to broaden your experience. Next generation leaders will need to understand budgeting, grant-writing, and how to supervise. Embrace these responsibilities instead of dismissing them as administrative. You will need to be a generalist if you aim to serve as a leader and these areas and skills will put you closer to the heart of the organization. Building management skills while you build programmatic skills will help you overcome the nonprofit tendency to pit program against management.

Join a board. The study found that only 30% of the respondents had served on a nonprofit board of directors. If you haven’t done so, you are missing out on an ideal way to prepare yourself for nonprofit leadership. Besides providing great experience, contacts made while on a board may become mentors or even referrals to new job opportunities.

Find a mentor. A mentor provides a model of career development and he or she can also introduce you to people, provide strategic career advice, and help you avoid mistakes. Look around. Who is doing interesting work? Who inspires you? A mentor does not have to be in your organization. Look around at people in your professional networks and approach likely people and develop a relationship. Someone you ask to mentor you will likely be flattered but don’t overwhelm them right away…start with coffee and conversation first.

Work with a coach. Mentors can help you build a network and give advice, but a coach can help you build your skills and develop a career strategy. Executive coaches have existed in the business sector for many years and now that practice is appearing in the nonprofit world as well.

Recognize and respect generational differences. Try this: stop saying they just don’t get it. It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong, just try to understand generational differences and take the intiative to work over and around them. Remember it may be just as difficult for your older colleagues to understand you. When you recognize these differences, find a way to remember to focus on the work rather than on individuals. Understand that you are all working towards the same goal but your approaches might be different.

Follow these suggestions and you will be on your way to avoiding disillusionment with the nonprofit world and on track to being a next generation leader. Your future job prospects have never been brighter.

Source: About.com

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Aspiring Nonprofit Executives Cite Barriers

About a third of likely leaders of the next generation have set their sights on running a nonprofit, but several barriers stand in their way, a new study says.

Inadequate long-term compensation and work-life balance are among the challenges aspiring executive directors face, says “Ready to Lead? Next Generation Leaders Speak Out,” a study by the Meyer Foundation, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and Idealist.org.

Massive fundraising responsibilities and a lack of mentoring also make potential leaders wary.

In a survey of 6,000 “next generation leaders,” almost seven in 10 respondents feel underpaid in their current jobs, and almost two in three are leery of committing to nonprofit careers for the long-term.

While only a third of the people surveyed aspire to lead a nonprofit, a larger share of those who do are people of color, the study says.

Among those aiming to lead an organization, four in 10 believe they are ready for the post now, or will be within five years.

In general, people employed in the sector say their work is important and satisfying, and those interested in creating social change tend to be drawn to the sector.

Fewer than one in 20 young nonprofit staffers say they are being groomed for leadership, the study says, with men reporting such development at a higher rate than women.

Source: Philanthropy Journal

Corporate Executives Make the Switch to Nonprofit Work, With a Few Bumps

While charities often try to lure executives from the business world, some former corporate executives are finding themselves drawn to nonprofit work — though there are some bumps along the way, reports The Financial Times.

Connie Duckworth, a retired advisory director at Goldman Sachs, founded Arzu Rugs, a nonprofit group that helps Afghan women sell the rugs they weave, after a visit to Afghanistan. Kelly Fiore, who worked for Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs, left the business world and created Charity Folks, an online marketplace that auctions items and events donated by public figures; though it is a business, 80 percent of donations go to charity, the newspaper reports.

“I loved the intellectual challenge, and both organizations were phenomenal to work for from a career-development standpoint,” Ms. Fiore says. “But I started wondering what I was doing every day and what effect I was having on the world.”

Business people who make the transition to nonprofit work face several hurdles: the lack of technology and other support, lower pay, and cultural differences between business and charity, for example. But executives can also contribute their business skills to nonprofit management.

John Wood, who left Microsoft to start Room to Read, a group that supports literacy and education in several countries, says: “I tell our team that we want to run Room to Read with the compassion of Mother Teresa but the focus and tenacity of a blue-chip company.”

Source: Chronicle of Philanthropy

Nonprofit Management Degree Programs

The following Colleges and Universities offer Graduate Degrees and Certifications in Nonprofit Management, Nonprofit Leadership and Public Administration:

Azusa Pacific University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Arizona State University
University of Arizona
Alliant International University
California State University - Hayward
California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - San Bernardino
California State University, Long Beach
Fielding Graduate Institute
San Francisco State University
University of California at Berkeley
University of California at Los Angeles
University of Judaism
University of San Diego
University of San Francisco
University of Southern California
Regis University
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
University of Colorado at Denver
Sacred Heart University
Southern Connecticut State University
University of Connecticut
Yale University
Georgetown University
The George Washington University
University of Delaware
Florida Atlanta University
Florida State University
University of Central Florida
University of South Florida
University of West Florida
Georgia State University
Kennesaw State University
University of Georgia
University of Northern Iowa
DePaul University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Loyola University Chicago
North Park University
Northern Illinois University
Northwestern University
Saint Xavier University
Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville
Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
Indiana University - Bloomington
Indiana University -Purdue University-Indianapolis
Indiana University, Center on Philanthropy
University of Notre Dame
Southern University
Louisiana State University in Shreveport
Bay Path College
Boston College School of Management
Boston University School of Social Work
Clark University
Harvard University
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Worcester State College
Boston College
Brandeis University
Cambridge College
Harvard Business School
Lesley College
Tufts University
College of Notre Dame of Maryland
John Hopkins University
Long Island University
University of Maryland - College Park
University of Maryland - University College
Eastern Michigan University
Grand Valley State University
Lawrence Technological University
University of Michigan
University of Michigan School of Social Work
Wayne State University
Western Michigan University
Hamline University
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
St. Cloud State University
University of Minnesota, Humphrey Institute
University of St. Thomas - Center for Nonprofit Management
St. Louis University
University of Missouri at Kansas City
University of Missouri at St. Louis
Lindenwood University
Park University
High Point University
North Carolina State University
University of North Carolina - Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Antioch University
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Dartmouth College
New England College
Kean University
Rutgers University - Newark
Seton Hall University
CUNY - Hunter College
CUNY- Baruch College
Long Island University - Brooklyn Campus
Marist College
New School University
New York University
Roberts Wesleyan College
SUNY College of Brockport
SUNY University at Albany
Syracuse University
Yeshive University
Columbia University
Siena College
SUNY University at Buffalo
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland State University
Franklin University
Kent State University
Ohio State University
Union Institute, The
University of Akron
Portland State University
Portland State University
Southern Oregon University
University of Oregon
Duquesne University
Eastern University
Gratz College
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Marywood University
Robert Morris University
Temple University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
Widener University
Providence College
Rhode Island College
College of Charleston
University of South Carolina
University of Memphis
Vanderbilt University
University of Tennessee,Chattanooga
Abilene Christian University
Texas Tech University
University of Dallas
University of Houston
University of Houston - Victoria
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at San Antonio
University of North Texas
George Mason University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Tech
School for International Training
Seattle University
University of Washington
University of Washington School of Social Work
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
West Virginia University