More Looking to Nonprofit Jobs for Personal Fulfillment

There seems to be a spike in news—do three stories count as a spike?—about careers in the nonprofit sector.

The Kansas City Star theorizes in “Younger workers showing interest in nonprofit jobs” that the tragic events of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina have inspired more and more young professionals to create positive change in the world through nonprofit careers.

And it seems that the growing desire for more meaning in one’s work life extends to senior professionals as well. In “Execs find fulfillment in nonprofit leadership,” the Pasadena Star-News writes about how for-profit executives are transitioning to the nonprofit world, where their business skills are much in demand.

But since nonprofits frequently can’t pay as much as for-profits can, how do you retain good employees once you have them? In “More employers embrace flexible scheduling,” The Boston Globe highlights how some employers are working to keep their best employees by offering tailored work schedules.

A greater demand for nonprofit jobs and increased options for flexible scheduling can only make the sector stronger. Consider what else your organization could be doing to attract and retain talented staff.

Everyone is a Fundraiser

When I was Director of Development for a nonprofit, I tried to convey to my teammates that everyone in the organization is a fundraiser. This can be as simple as passing on news about grant opportunities to being able to speak concisely and compellingly about the organization’s fundraising goals.

Camp Oochigeas, a 400-acre campsite for children with cancer, has really put this philosophy into practice. The organization went from raising $25,000 from their main fundraising event in 2006 to bringing in more than $275,000 in 2007!

How did they do it? Through the innovative use of technology and branding, their staff and volunteers reached out to more donors than ever.

So, how do you empower everyone on your team to be a fundraiser?

1. Communicate: You need to get the message across repeatedly—in staff meetings, retreats, and internal newsletters—that everyone can and should contribute to helping the organization grow. The goal is to create a culture of fundraising.

2. Clarify Expectations: Many people who aren’t professional fundraisers—and a few of us who are!—can be intimidated by asking for donations. Be sure to tell those on your team what you mean by “everyone is a fundraiser.” This could be as simple as having them direct friends and relatives to your website for information on a fundraising event to encouraging them to share fresh ideas with your development team.

3. Provide Tools: Coach your teammates in how to ask for funds—explain the process, offer encouragement, engage in role playing. Be sure to thoroughly review promotional materials with them, so that they’re familiar with key sound bites and central messages. For example, Camp Oochigeas provided standardized fundraising toolkits for their team, complete with personalized web pages to collect pledges. Not sure what your team needs? Ask them!

4. Motivate: When a colleague or volunteer raises money for your organization, whether it’s a small or large amount, thank them personally and in front of the rest of the organization. Camp Oochigeas motivated volunteers by offering a prize for the “team” that raised the most funds.

Brainstorm the various ways in which your staff and volunteers can contribute to your organization’s development efforts and then work to bring them into the fundraising fold.

Crisp Commentary on Fundraising

I just, forgive me, stumbled upon linkrtlink’s StumbleUpon favorites for fundraising, and he mentions the Fundraising Breakthrough blog as offering “trenchant commentary on nonprofit fundraising.” Of course, I had to look up “trenchant” which, by the way means incisive, keen.

From www.freedictionary.com:

in·cisive·ness n.
Synonyms: incisive, trenchant, biting, cutting, crisp
These adjectives refer to keenness and forcefulness of thought, expression, or intellect. Incisive and trenchant suggest penetration to the heart of a subject and clear, sharp, and vigorous expression: an incisive report; trenchant wit.
Biting and cutting often have a sarcastic or sardonic quality capable of wounding or stinging: "Biting remarks revealed her attitude of contempt" D.H. Lawrence. "He can say the driest, most cutting things in the quietest of tones" Charlotte Brontë.
Crisp suggests clarity, conciseness, and briskness: a crisp retort.

The Power of Youth Philanthropy

Nicholas D. Kristof writes in yesterday’s New York Times about how youth are rocking out with philanthropic endeavors.

One New York high school student raised $57,000 to help build an elementary school in rural Cambodia. In a similar vein, two high school students in Massachusetts raised $420,000 to aid the people of Darfur.

These “piggy-bank philanthropists,” as Mr. Kristof labels them, are inspiring. They demonstrate what creativity and drive can do to create real change in the world. If they can do it, so can you!

Are You an Ethical Fundraiser?

Nonprofit Literature Blog notes the recent release of the book Ethical Fundraising: A Guide for Nonprofit Boards and Fundraisers, which covers:

• Appearance of impropriety
• Rights of donors
• Tainted money
• Using donations as intended
• Choosing a leadership role
• Ethical decision-making
• Restoring public confidence in the nonprofit sector
• The ethics of grant making and grant seeking

In addition, the Foundation Center has a selected resource list on fundraising ethics that might help you and your organization assess your current ethical standing and deepen your internal discussions around the issue of ethics.

Does Having A Celebrity On Board Really Help Your Cause?

We’ve all been there. You don’t mean to, but you can’t help envying that nonprofit up the street, you know the one that snagged the well-known celebrity to support their cause. The funds must be rolling in for them, right?

Well, your green-eyed gaze just might be misdirected. Harris Interactive recently released the results of a poll showing that the picture is more complicated than that. Just over half (51 percent) of Americans surveyed say that, “celebrities make little or no positive difference to the issue they are promoting,” while 45 percent state that celebrities “make a large or some positive difference.”

The poll also showed that the age of those surveyed made a difference in perceptions, with older adults being less swayed by a celebrity presence than youth.

However, as the poll notes, “One thing Americans say they have not done is support a cause or gotten more information on one because of something they heard an actor, singer or other celebrity say or do. Just 15 percent have done so compared to 85 percent who have not.”

So, before you spend time courting a celebrity to be your spokesperson, consider if this is the best place to put your energies, that is unless you can get a hold of Oprah.

Foundation Giving Increasing Despite Economic Downturn

The Foundation Center announced yesterday that U.S. foundations increased their giving in 2007 by nearly 10 percent. The findings from their “Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates: Current Outlook (2008 Edition)” estimate that U.S. foundation assets reached a record $669.5 billion in 2007, up almost nine percent from 2006. This news, while undoubtedly welcome by grantseekers, may seem surprising given the U.S. economic downturn.

Sara Engelhardt, president of the Foundation Center, says that, "Foundations are sometimes confused with individual donors in how their giving will respond to economic fluctuations. In fact, foundations—especially the larger, endowed grantmakers—often engage in long-range planning to ensure that they can maintain relatively stable levels of support for their grantees, regardless of periodic dips in their assets."

Foundations are responding, however, by giving more to those hardest hit by the economy. On Thursday, the Council on Foundations released the results of a survey of over 300 US foundations. In it, 31 percent of foundations surveyed reported increased giving this year that “either directly or indirectly aids families, provides human services, assists lower income populations or supports economic development.” In addition, 37 percent of foundations and 43 percent of community foundation anticipate increasing their funding in this area next year.

While the Foundation Center states that overall prospects for increased foundation giving this year “remain modestly positive,” this may be a temporary reprieve if the economy continues to falter. Indeed, nonprofits that don’t directly serve populations affected by the downturn (such as those in the arts or international groups) may feel the effects more quickly as foundations shift their giving priorities.

Regardless, this news highlights the need for all nonprofits to strive to diversify their overall funding base and to engage in long-range fundraising planning, as both practices can help to offset unforeseen changes in funders’ ability to give.

Welcome a New Contributor

I am pleased to announce that my friend and colleague Randal Mason will be a regular contributor to Fundraising Breakthroughs. Randal and I first met while working at IREX (the International Research & Exchanges Board) 15 years ago.

A seasoned grant writer, he has been instrumental in winning awards from USAID, the US Department of State, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.

Having come up through the development ranks, Randal has a deep understanding of all elements of the proposal process from research to writing to budgeting. He excels at organizing and inspiring proposal teams and brings a fresh, creative approach to program design.

As a former Director of Development, he is adept at long-range planning, fundraising strategy, coaching and mentoring staff, and creating organizational systems and policies.

Welcome, Randal!

Doink! Topics are Searchable on This Blog

How did I miss this? I just noticed it (at the left top), Blogger lets you "search this blog." And I just used it to offer some background to a partner organization on in-house donor letters: http://changematters.blogspot.com/search?q=letters

Workshops for Capacity Builders

Consistently the best, most interactive, most content-rich, thought-provoking, assumption-challenging, work-enhancing conference. Just the remedy for any nonprofit capacity-builders needing a fresh ideas and inspiration.

This year, it's in Michigan, July 9-11, 2008. Alliance for Nonprofit Management


And no, they're not paying me to say this.

Using Dance and Collage in a Leadership Retreat

Recently, I had a chance to work with an extraordinarily creative, experienced (and therefore flexible and responsive) facilitation team on a challenging retreat assignment.

A bit of big picture theory of change and strategic planning (or rather, confirming), some practical what to do and how on a specific project, a slightly awkward youth-adult tension, a lot of larger issues around leadership styles and organizational habits.

Mix it up for little more than a day. Add a lot of rain. Subtract sufficient communications about bringing your own sheets.

But spice up this mix with a little contact improv (to notice when we lead, when we follow, and when we flow with a shared impulse; and to sense how unstable we are when we hold back our honest weight), a little modern dance (see the photo of our making a human sculpture representing the shape of a community project--who comes in and when and how they connect), and a collective artifact (see the photo of the collage with layers of contributed words about what each person brings to the shared effort and what's inspiring). Let youth caucus and force adults to let them be. Come back together to listen — wait, really listen — and then share what you know. And you get what the organization's founder brilliantly named "a rough kind of magic."

Gandhi Brigade Calls Retreat | Gandhi Brigade

Practical Advice for Developing Taglines

A colleague just requested feedback on a draft tagline.

See what the Duct Tape Marketing guy says about the difference between platitudes and taglines. I really like his "well, I should hope so" test.

Here's an excellent place to understand the purpose of a tagline, so that you and your nonprofit organization can come up with one that really works.

Next Big Thing in Grassroots Fundraising

Katrin Verclas, whose organization Mobile.Active is funded in part by Surdna Foundation , is working on the use of mobile phones in mobilizing donations from the grassroots. She explains that to date, the cell phone companies have been taking 50% of each gift as the administrative fee, which for charities and social change organizations is way, way, way too much. However, for a special cause-related event advertised during this year's Super Bowl, United Way was able to negotiation a better deal, and Katrin sees this as the future. Check it out here.

Accountability Overkill

Fellow advisor to nonprofits (and blogger whose post, along with mine, was chosen this week the Nonprofit Consultants Carnival) Ken Goldstein offers this right on concern about the trend of what he calls "hyper-vigilant" focus on administrative expenses by government officials and foundation officers.

He says: "But what happens to the small nonprofit whose administrative expenses seem too high only because of an effort to comply with all the data collection, analysis, and reporting requirements of their funders? The same funders who will then use that nonprofits' high administrative expenses as a reason to discontinue funding them.

"In another recent post here, I called out Paulette V. Maehara (president and CEO of AFP) for admonishing nonprofits to "put the needs of donors first." I believe that we've coddled and begged and babied the donor foundation long enough. We need to educate them about the needs of our clients, and how they are best served by locally provided community-based nonprofits, and, perhaps, on the true definition of the word "charity."

Thanks for putting this out there, Ken. It's not that nonprofits, even small ones, should not be accountable or care for their donors. It's that small nonprofits need to be able to stand strong in the integrity and authority of what they do well, and not pulled too far away from their tender, essential work.

Predictions for the Nonprofit Sector

PREDICTIONS

Musings about what’s in store for the nonprofit sector.

• Continued overlap and blurring of lines between socially responsible business and nonprofit enterprise. Eventual new categories to the tax code. The best musing on this is being done by Allen Bromberger, who has sketched out a hybrid model, and is certain some change not yet defined is coming.

• Explosion in the number of new nonprofit organizations started by retiring baby boomers. I get calls every month. Some wonderful new energy and ideas. Many of the ideas seem too quirky (even for me), stale, unlikely, and (I’m sorry) uninspiring. A bunch of these organizations will get started, but will represent an opportunity cost (in energetic, smart people with life experience and networks who could partner with existing organizations and go further faster). Most will peter out over time. I agree with Bob Giannino-Racine’s comments in the Chronicle or Philanthropy’s article on nonprofit predictions, which ran December 31. He sees it in young people. I’m seeing it in Boomers.

• Foundations cycle away from "venture philanthropy" and back to general support, infrastructure, and capacity-building grants. For a while.

• Mega foundations (Gates) with the budget, and therefore similar, power, of national strategies and policies. Someone else (my guess, a non-American) will establish another mega foundation. The Ford, MacArthur, and other such long-standing mainstream large foundations suffer minor identity crisis.

• We will have learned what really works in social networking. The practical opportunities, enduring benefits, and honest limitations of generating fans and building community online become common knowledge and no longer mysterious (or the object of overheated attention). I like how Daniel Ben-Horin, founder and co-chief executive officer, TechSoup (formerly CompuMentor) in San Francisco puts it in the Chronicle article.

• Small becomes Big (Microtrends and Seth Godin’s Small is the New Big). The internet and some deeper authentic evolution of social networking continue making it more and more possible for small organizations to get wildly big attention and traction. Freshness and innovation in our sector will come from here. Local, global, small, big converge.

• Substantive networking, exchange of ideas, creative collaboration across international boundaries. And therefore, programs get better, marketing (and community connecting and fan-building) gets better, and all boats rise. Kiva is just one example.

• The sector’s reputation suffers more through high-profile scandals and stinking personal ethics of CEOs. Congress steps in further than we’d like without understanding or appreciating how most of our modest organizations and committed leaders operate.

• Mainstream, well-known charitable organizations cannot change fast enough. Responsive, flexible, culturally-diverse, technology-current, mostly smaller-staff organizations doing decent work create relevant, remarkable programs and generate transformative ideas that inspire fans and allow donors to get close and personal.

• A stormy economy along with the widening gap between rich and poor leaves surprised “middle class” folk in urgent need of services. Government (of elites) do not step in sufficiently while holding up examples of the creative wow-ness of some nonprofits as the answer. The nonprofit sector simply cannot fill the gap.

• Economy, again, forces execs in their 30s and 40s out of nonprofits and into private sector. Newly retired corporate and government sector baby boomers take executive jobs in nonprofits because they can afford the pay. But they don't count on the steep learning curve, particular constraints, and different rules.

• Philanthropy becomes cool, an idea from Tim Walter, chief executive officer, Association of Small Foundations (Washington) from the Chronicle article. Not certain he’s right, but I like his thinking

"On the presidential front: Obama wins, public service becomes cool. Or Clinton wins, Bill becomes Philanthropist in Chief, and philanthropy becomes cool. Or Bloomberg wins, public service and philanthropy become cool."