Archive for September, 2011

America’s Most Wanted: What Diversity Can Do for Business



The diversity model in most organizations is broken. But there is a new, compelling way forward: companies need to use diversity for growth. It’s time to take a business approach in order to get the most productivity, employee satisfaction and authenticity from the underutilized talent pool that hides within America’s corporations.

When I meet with corporate executives, the first thing I tell them is that I am a former C-level executive and not a diversity practitioner, but rather a business strategist interested in redefining the role of diversity to cultivate growth. They look at me as if to say, “why would you be wasting your time?” only to follow by saying, “thank you – we need a fresh business perspective to help our C-levels understand the powerful contributions that our diverse employees can deliver to driving business initiatives.” As the conversation continues, it is evident that there is frustration all around: the executives don’t think they’re getting much bang for the diversity buck, and the diversity leaders are having difficulty advancing the conversation internally with key business leaders.

So what should an organization do? In today’s marketplace, diversity must touch the roots of an organization’s business model – especially within growing segments that represent the rapidly changing cultural demographic shifts across America, and especially amongst Asians and Hispanics. Corporations must begin to align their recruitment and retention initiatives to support these growing market segments in order to match the changing demographics of their world. What are the key steps to take?

First of all, when a company announces a market expansion strategy that targets a particular community, it should stick to the plan. It has been shown that there is an increase in attrition when companies fail to support market expansion plans that target a certain diversity group. Why? Employees of color take their identity seriously and if their organization doesn’t, then they believe they can’t have a trustworthy affinity with their employer.

Secondly, support culturally-tailored professional development training programs for your diverse employees. Again, employees want to believe that your organization genuinely believes there is value by investing in their unique identity.

Third, support an Employee Resource Group (ERG) consortium model for your diverse employees across your industry vertical. In other words, get more of your diverse employees to engage with their ERGs within your organization by allowing them to share their voices with others within their own industry. This is a great approach to show that your organization is willing to invest in business growth by showcasing its unique characteristics and talents to cultivate new types of innovations with supply chain partners.

For too many years, people have talked about generating ERG – ROI. This attitude is misleading because if their ERGs are misrepresented, misunderstood and undefined, then the lack of ROI performance will not inspire others to participate. In today’s new workplace it’s about ERG business leadership. Diversity can no longer be viewed as a Human Resources function or support group but rather a business growth enabler that strategically utilizes the core principals of diversity. Until this happens, diversity will never get the budgets, time and required resources it needs to make an impact and influence on business outcomes within the organization.

As an executive for two decades, I have always believed that business success (especially during times of uncertainty), requires three (3) things: 1) forward-thinking leadership; 2) a transparent, trustworthy and committed workplace culture that is focused on winning through teamwork; and 3) the ability to utilize the unique characteristics that are embedded in your talent pool to ward off your competitors:

  • to see and seize new opportunities (immigrant perspective)
  • to mitigate risk (circular vision)
  • to pioneer new marketplace possibilities (passion)
  • to cultivate continuous innovation (entrepreneurial spirit)
  • to promote a spirit of giving (generous purpose)
  • to be significant (cultural promise)


Today’s business climate requires this kind of open-spirited approach. America’s corporations must do a better job of living the principals of diversity by managing them with a business approach.

Source: Forbes

Take Action: Tell the White House to Include Nonprofits in Jobs Bill





Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits and foundations, has started a petition campaign to persuade the president to include measures that would increase nonprofit employment as part of his proposal to boost the economy.

America’s nonprofits employ more than13 million people — one of every 10 American workers. We collectively pay nearly $670 billion in wages and benefits in the U.S., and employ more people than the finance, insurance and real estate sectors combined. Each year, nonprofits spend $1.3 trillion, contributing to the economy and making important investments in communities across the country.

More than ever, families, communities and governments are turning to nonprofits for help. We can do even more if we can hire more workers.

Please tell the President to include nonprofits in his jobs proposal. Ask that any provisions that encourage job creation by for-profit companies be made available to nonprofit employers — including new hire tax credits, tax credits for hiring veterans, government-backed loans, subsidies for particular investments, or other opportunities.

And tell the President that America needs the donations that the charitable tax deduction encourages. Charitable contributions are down significantly as a result of the recession and continued sluggish economy. Our communities cannot afford the estimated $7 billion decline in contributions that would likely result from the administration’s proposed 28% cap on the charitable tax deduction.

Source: Independent Sector

2011 Non-Profit Employee Engagement Study AirTran Ticket Winner!





Theresa Gibbons, Associate Director of Asset Building for Heartland Alliance, is the winner of the 2 Round-trip AirTran tickets for the completing the 2011 Non-Profit Employee Engagement Study with Opportunity Knocks.

Theresa, a nonprofit veteran, found her first job with Opportunity Knocks in 2000 when she first began working in the nonprofit sector in California. Theresa has been with her current nonprofit, Heartland Alliance, located in Chicago since 2006. With her 2 AirTran Tickets, Theresa plans to go to New York to visit friends and see a show with her wife.

Asked if she thought the Nonprofit Engagement Report will be a valuable tool for nonprofits, Theresa thinks so. “Yes! With increased competition for funding and the best employees, it’s important to know whether your organization is offering competitive compensation for the work, “said Theresa.

The Nationwide Nonprofit Employee Engagement Study, a free report from Opportunity Knocks, is meant to further research employee engagement, specifically in the non-profit sector and how engagement may differ between the private and nonprofit sectors. The study will focus primarily on how employer policies and practices affect the level of engagement of employees, as well as how the needs and motivations of employees in the nonprofit sector may affect their level of engagement.

The Nationwide Nonprofit Employee Engagement Study is to be published in late fall. Sign-up to receive notification of the report release at http://www.opportunityknocks.org/signup.asp

Nonprofit employment up in downturn




By Lester M. Salamon, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Economic Data Project

Nonprofit jobs grew nearly 1 percent from 2009 to 2010, the third straight year of growth in the face of the economic downturn, a period when nonprofit jobs grew 5 percent, a new report says.

Still, the rate of job grew has declined from 2.6 percent in 2009 to 1.2 percent in 2009 and 0.8 percent in 2010, says a report by the Johns Hopkins Nonprofit Economic Data Project based on data on 45 states from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For-profit jobs, in comparison, fell over 8 percent in 2008, 2009 and 2010, including a decline of 0.9 percent in 2010.

“People tend to overlook the nonprofit sector when thinking about job creation,” Lester M. Salamon, senior author of the report and director of the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University, says in a statement. “We would do well to recognize it as ‘the little engine that could,’ producing a substantial share of job growth we have seen in the U.S. economy.”

Nonprofit now employ 10.5 million worker, or nearly 10 percent of all private workers in the U.S., making the nonprofit workforce the third-largest in the U.S. and trailing only manufacturing and retail trade but far ahead of construction, transportation and finance, the report says.

The pattern of nonprofit job growth and for-profit job loss was reflected in nearly all 45 states for which data were available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Nonprofit employment grew in every state during the three-year period, while for-profit employment declined in every state but North Dakota and Arkansas.

The rate of nonprofit job growth between 2007 and 2010 ranged from 0.9 percent in Hawaii to 10.7 percent in Idaho, while the rate of change in for-profit employed ranged from a decline of 15.8 percent in Nevada to a gain of nearly 5 percent in Nevada.

Nonprofit employment for the period fell 0.5 percent among civic organizations but grew at rates ranging from 1.9 percent to 1.5 percent in the fields of education, the arts, professional services, health and social assistance.

Nonprofit employment ranges from 2.6 percent of private employment in Nevada to over 18 percent in New York and Rhode Island.

The health field accounts for 50 percent of all nonprofit jobs, with education accounting for 13 percent and social services for 11 percent.

From 2000 to 2007, nonprofits added jobs an overall annual average rate of 2.3 percent, with the rate of growth dipping in response to the 2002 recession.

For-profit jobs grew at an annual average rate of 0.4 percent for the period, falling sharply during the recession of 2002-03 but growing more rapidly during the subsequent years of growth.


Source: Philanthropy Journal
Click here to view the full report.

How to Show Your Team Appreciation without Costing You a Lot




By Judi Adams

In this economy, even multi-million dollar corporations do not have funds to shower on employees as evidence of appreciation for the hard work the employees have shown. How, then, do non-profit organizations show their teams and volunteers that they are appreciated and keep them engaged? I am here to tell you that the answer is in a $20 book.

Gary Chapman is the author of a very popular book for couples titled The Five Love Languages. The principle is that each person in a relationship is an individual and there are different actions that make each one feel appreciated.

For years I have been using this concept with my team and with my clients. Early on I realized that there are people on the team that love the spotlight of public recognition and others would rather die than get called up in front of their peers to receive an award. Some people desire materials signs of appreciation, while others would love time with their managers to feel heard and experience a sense of connectedness.

Dr. Chapman and Dr. Paul White have now released a book for the workplace titled The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People. The book includes a one-use code to take an online assessment: MBA (Motivating by Appreciation) Inventory. The inventory and book ($19.99 cover price) will help you discover your two primary languages of appreciation.

Team materials are available through the web site. This approach can be used with your team so you know how to encourage the individuals that make up that team, without costing a lot, and in turn multiple your teams engagement to the organization and to you because they feel appreciated.

Non-profits have a challenge keeping their employees and volunteers encouraged and now you have the tool to do just that.

Note: I am not a part of The 5 Love Languages organization (although I would love to be) and do not get compensation for promoting this book. I am just that big of a fan of the concept and know it works.


About Judi Adams
Judi Adams is the owner and president of RightChanges.biz, the affordable and successful job search and career direction coaching company. A 20+ year veteran of Information Technology, Judi began coaching job seekers in 2002 following an eight month job transition of her own. During that job transition she discovered how much the job market had changed and the successful approach to landing that next job.
Ms. Adams founded RightChanges in February of 2009 and her clients have had phenomenal success. 100% of RightChanges’ clients who completed the personal coaching series are now employed in jobs they wanted. In addition to coaching job seekers, Judi publishes job search articles that are read worldwide and is a frequent keynote speaker. Judi is also in the process of publishing two books regarding the job market.


Comment below on how you show your team appreciation.



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Career Exploration in the Nonprofit/Philanthropic Sector





Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy-Bay Area recently invited me to speak at their Career Exploration event at the James Irvine Foundation in San Francisco. We discussed several tips for resume and cover letter packages, specifically for those seeking work in the nonprofit/philanthropic sector. I want to share a few highlights:

1) Use your cover letter to show that you’ve done your homework. Think of your cover letter as the wrapping around your “gift” (your resume). How can you offer an inviting presentation to encourage your reader to anticipate what follows?

A great way is to find out more about your target organization than just what appears on their homepage. Get to know their values, concerns, and priorities—and what makes them tick. Look for information about what OTHERS have said about them. You’re looking for data that will make you stand out as a very well-informed candidate who knows how his/her contributions can make a big difference in the organization.

Back in the mid-90′s I was applying to a mid-size nonprofit advocacy organization that I knew had a public profile. In those days, before the Internet and websites were common, I had to trudge to the local library and dig through the microfiche (remember that old-school way of cataloging?) to find recent press clippings about the organization. I found the information and discussed it in my cover letter. Later, after I got the job, my new supervisor told me how impressed he had been with my research, and how that had made me stand out as someone worthy of an interview.

Today that information is at your fingertips at your very own desktop. Capture it and use it to shine!

2) Discuss both paid and unpaid professional experience. Both are highly valued in the social sector, so you want to make sure the potential employer knows about it all. You can use phrases such as “pro bono” or “community service” to delineate employment from volunteer work. One participant in my workshop thought extra-curricular activities were extremely important because they show how a person gets involved in the community, beyond what’s required for a paycheck.

3) Always think about your reader’s primary question: ‘What’s In It For Me?” How can you make his/her job easier and help solve the problem the organization is facing? Your reader is looking for someone to make a significant investment in (money, training time, etc.), and it’s your job to show how you will help generate the highest return on that investment.

4) Get away from always starting your sentences with “I.” Try thinking in terms of “you” (the reader). Again, it’s about what you can do for the organization, not just about how wonderful you are. Also, starting out most sentences with “I” can sound a bit monotonous. Try to start with phrases such as: “Your interest’s match mine, as we both have been involved in…”, “My work included…” and “With ten years of experience in the field, I…”

5) Keep in mind my new acronym, KISSS: Keep It Short, Simple, and Skimmable. The person who receives your documents will not be reading, but skimming. You must make it easy to find what he/she needs at a glance!

6) Finally, proofread everything. Twice. Try reading aloud, so your ears can catch the errors that your eyes miss. My new book, “Writing to Make a Difference,” uses the last 5 chapters to discuss the most common proofreading errors—and how to fix them.

About the Author
Dalya F. Massachi specializes in helping nonprofit professionals advance their missions through outstanding fundraising and marketing materials – online and offline. A lifelong writer, Dalya’s first Letter to the Editor was published in her hometown newspaper before she was even a teenager. For nearly 20 years, Dalya has worked professionally with community-oriented organizations as a sought-after trainer, writing coach, grantwriter, journalist, and organizer. She has crafted countless successful marketing pieces, grant proposals, and news articles. Dalya’s award-winning book, entitled “Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact,” is available at a special discount for OK readers (http://bit.ly/kna7RA). Her website and free tip sheets and e-newsletter are at: www.dfmassachi.net.


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What to Avoid When Designing and Writing a Cover Letter



Sometimes, fixing the little things can offer the most benefit. Anyone writing a letter to a hiring rep should follow some golden rules before hitting start on the fax machine, licking that envelope shut, or hitting “Send” on that e-mail. Treat your letter like any piece of business correspondence. It should have a professional appearance, a professional tone, and possess accurate grammar and punctuation. Remember, you’re out to impress, not turn a job away. Your correspondence should command attention, and if it doesn’t, you’re virtually sabotaging the opportunities that took so long to uncover.

Before sending, be sure to review your cover letter thoroughly. You’re looking for amateur mistakes; the kinds your competitors are making. Below is a list of errors to avoid:

Avoid sloppy copy. Visually, your letter should appear consistent and the content should be “tight.” The first impression given to any hiring agent is based upon overall appearance of the letter. The cover letter is the first item seen before proceeding onto the resume. Should a letter arrive on a hiring manager’s desk without consistent margins, font, pica and without effective writing, your candidacy just may be “dead in the water.”

Avoid listing unrelated skills and qualifications. Weigh every sentence contained in your letter, and ask yourself two key questions. Does each sentence add to my candidacy? Am I fully relaying my quality and value without that particular sentence? If so, you probably don’t need that sentence in question. Mention only significant skills or achievements that pertain to your current position — or in accordance with the scope of the target position. Including irrelevant information can leave a negative impression, so be selective on what you list.

Avoid forgetting to input contact name. By failing to list the basics, like a contact name, you’re showing a lack of attention to detail; and possibly worse, allowing the document to float around the company rather than sitting on the right person’s desk — or in a general e-mail account currently neglected by an overworked secretary.

Yes, there are instances where a company doesn’t list a contact name within job postings. To ensure your resume and cover letter make it into the right hands, consider placing a call to the company or contacting your area Better Business Bureau or Chamber of Commerce to find a proper name to place in your correspondence. Take care to include the proper spelling for the recipient’s name, and to include the correct position title.

Avoid forgetting to verify the company’s address. While scouring the Internet or reading your area’s newspaper, how many typos do you uncover? Never assume what’s listed is 100% accurate. In fact, assume the address is incorrect until you verify otherwise. Visit the company’s website or scan the yellow pages to ensure the address you list is perfect.

Avoid using an unprofessional layout; use an appropriate business format only. Business formatting has always meant your letter contains certain elements; e.g. current date, contact name, company address, regarding line (RE:), salutation, and signature line. You only need to review two or three letters from your own mailbox to identify common features contained within proper letter formats.

Source: Careerealism.com

SoundTable Networking Event





Opportunity Knocks hosted a fabulous networking social at the Sound Table in Atlanta on Aug. 18th, with over 500 people in attendance. The Sound Table provided us with complimentary light fare, we gave the first 75 people to arrive a free cocktail and we mingled, talked and just had great fun. We raffled off some wonderful prizes from AirTran, The Atlanta Braves, The Botanical Gardens, Nonprofit University and The Georgia Center for Nonprofits and more!

Congratulations! to Mark Redding for winning the grand prize, one AirTran Ticket to anywhere in the domestic U.S., at the SoundTable Raffle Drawing on 08/18/2011. Mark is the current Human Resources Manager at Apto Solutions

To view pictures from our past networking events, Like us on Facebook!







Join Opportunity Knocks and YNPNsfba for a Networking Social on Thursday, June 16th from 5-7 pm at The Liege Spirits Lounge in Oakland.

The Liege Spirits Lounge
481 9th St
(off of 12th Street Oakland BART)
(between Broadway & Washington St)
Oakland CA 94607
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
This event has reached capacity. Please sign up to receive Opportunity Knocks newsletters to be notified of upcoming networking events.

Click here to subscribe to Opportunity Knocks Newsletters


If you are currently a nonprofit professional or if you are planning to engage in work with the nonprofit sector then this is the place you need to be!

By attending this free Networking Social you will:
  • Have an excellent opportunity to meet with fellow nonprofit professionals in an enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere
  • Get to know the Bay Area nonprofit environment better
  • Build and leverage relationships with other nonprofit professionals
  • Have an opportunity to join YNPNsfba
  • And most importantly you will have fun

    The Liege is providing our guests with home-made snacks and Opportunity Knocks will have a limited number of free beer and cocktail tickets so be sure and get there early for your complimentary beverage.

    Please note that although this is a free event, we ask that you thoughtfully consider your RSVP as your personal commitment to attending. We rely on your RSVP to allow us to provide our generous venue a fairly accurate head count for this event.

    DIRECTIONS
    Walking from The 2nd Annual Career Conference held at Cal State East Bay (3 minute walk)
  • Head SW on Broadway toward 10th St
  • Turn right onto 9th Street and the destination is half a block down on the left

    BART
    12th Street Oakland City Center is a 4 minute walk to The Liege
  • Come out of the BART Station and head SW on Broadway towards 12th St.
  • Slight right to stay on Broadway
  • Turn right on to 9th Street and the destination is half a block down on the left

    • Allison Jones, New York City Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Communications Committee Member




    OK Radio


    09.06.2011
    OK Radio host Lynne Norton speaks with Allison Jones External Affairs Manager at Explore Schools and a member of the communications committee at New York City Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network. Allison shares about how mentoring can help in nonprofit career development.

    Download this program now to find out…



    Listen Now Listen to the Podcast Now!

    (7.2 MB)


    Subscribe to OK Radio!

    About Allison Jones and YNPN
    Allison Jones is a Brooklyn based blogger and advocate for millennial leadership in public service. She blogs at allisonj.org on the future of nonprofit leadership and her work has been featured in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Daily News, and more. Allison is currently the External Affairs Manager at Explore Schools, a network of high performing public schools in Brooklyn and is on the board of the New York City Chapter of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, an organization that supports the professional development of the next generation of nonprofit leaders by providing opportunities for skill-building, information sharing, and networking.


    Interview Highlights
    About YNPN
    Why have a mentor
    Why consider becoming a mentor
    How do you find a mentor
    What can you expect from a mentor
    How can a mentor help
    OK If? What is the strangest food Allison has ever eaten?


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