Monthly Archives: November 2010

Looking for a nonprofit job? Go beyond the online job bank.


Posted by ajlovesya

When starting the nonprofit job hunt from scratch our gut reaction is to tap into our networks or hop online. Various websites like idealist.org, common good careers, opportunity knocks, dotorgjobs, and even craigslist offer hundreds of jobs to choose from, but what other online resources can help you while you search for a nonprofit job?

I recommend associations and networks related to the profession you’re interested in (fundraising, marketing, management) or your cause (arts, hunger, social work, education). These groups give you more of an edge in the job hunt for the following reasons:

1. Community: The nature of these groups is to bring people together over a common interest. This leads to the sharing of ideas, experiences, and resources as well as simply meeting friends and growing your network.

2. Events: With events, you can easily connect with other people and learn more about your field or profession. Additionally some events are great for professional development and may even give you new tools and approaches for your job hunt. For example, perhaps participating in a workshop series helped you become more comfortable with a new technology–you now have another skill to develop and market.

3. Awareness: Through more focused exposure to your cause or field of interest, you can stay on top of trends and challenges, making you a more knowledgeable candidate, and perhaps allowing you to make better decisions in the job hunt. If you realize more jobs are developing in a particular city or that certain jobs in your cause are in demand, while others are shrinking, you might adjust your approach.

When used effectively these three resources can help you become a more competitive candidate.

The drawback is that some groups have a membership fee. Some are relatively inexpensive while others may be hundreds of dollars. Depending on your interests you may find it’s worth the cost to sign up. However, I find that you can still learn a great deal by subscribing newsletters or following the organization on various social media sites and carefully selecting the events or opportunities you may want to pay for.

Below are a few networks to get you started:

Idealist.org has a great list of various associations and job banks around the world.

What are some other online resources that have helped you in your job search?

Photo Credit


In Case You Forgot: Young People Have ALWAYS been Social Justice Leaders


Posted by ajlovesya

Tim Wise, an anti racism activist, recently posted a picture of Dave Dennis, delivering the eulogy at the funeral of James Chaney (killed by cops/Klansmen) in 1964.  He shared this picture because he felt: “It is the face of justice. Of truth. Angry, yes, but for a reason. I own an original of this photo and it inspires me daily.”

I decided to click through the website and came across several collections of young people in the civil rights movement, from college students to children.

Prince Edward County, Virginia. Students demand re-opening of their schools which have been closed for years to prevent court-ordered integration. Closing the schools denied education to Blacks, but white children were given vouchers to attend segregated "private academies" taught by white public-school teachers.

http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgyoung.htm

"I was really, really involved. I didn't realize at the time how dangerous the situation was. The only thing I was concerned with was that I wanted my freedom, I wanted to be able to go where I wanted, like everyone else did." — Dannela Bryant, Civil Rights Movement: A Photographic History

http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgbham.htm

Gasping for breath, James Bevel and John Lewis are trapped inside a Nashville restaurant filled with insecticide gas when the manager turns on a fumigating machine to disrupt a sit-in.

http://www.crmvet.org/images/imgcoll.htm

While looking through these photos I realized something: young people have always been leading.  It’s really not new to have young people taking the lead.  Aside from well known student and youth led justice powerhouses such as SNCC many of the people we admire, like Martin Luther King, began leading when they were young.

Sometimes we speak as if young people being leaders is a new idea that the world needs to prepare for; as if our presence is odd if we haven’t taken the right steps or gained the right credentials. When I look at these photos I see in them what I see today among my peers:  young people moved by a need for justice and taking collective action based on the skills and passion they had, not waiting for the right person or moment.

Our involvement and impact didn’t start or stop with the civil rights movement and has taken different shapes throughout history.  From child laborers in the early 1900s going on strike to people like Adam Werbach, who at the age of 23 became the youngest president of the Sierra Club in its history, we’ve always been leading.

When it comes to  young people in social change, our questions shouldn’t focus on if we can lead or when, but how we lead and what we bring to social justice movements.


Three Challenges in Starting a Social Justice Movement


Posted by ajlovesya

After reading Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer I’ve gotten more into our agriculture system.  Oddly enough I finished the book the week before Thanksgiving which was ideal in the sense that everyone was talking about food  and awful in the sense that I felt paralyzed by the thought that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the feast my mother had already begun preparing.

Heritage Turkey

In doing follow up research I came across this article in the Atlantic about family farm heritage turkeys that are raised and killed with limited impact on the environment but are more expensive than factory farm turkeys.  While the article was compelling, commenters were worried about inclusion:  Can we expect everyone to pay $7/lb for turkey or to become vegetarian?  How can we feed people on such a small scale?  In other words, how can everyone participate in making change a reality when the conversation seems to be dominated by a few voices or ideas which are inherently exclusive?

This issue of inclusion-making sure everyone affected by an issue have opportunity to share their point of view and actually participate in creating and participating in solutions-arises in all movements.  However, it seems to take on a different shape in the environmental justice movement simply because of the scope of the issue. The environment inevitably affects everyone, although in very different ways.

When addressing inclusion in an issue as broad as environmental justice there are several challenges that we have to consider:

  • The challenge of saying yes or no:  There are various ways to examine environmental justice–some people look at food and state that a vegetarian lifestyle is better while others focus on supporting family farms and dismantling factory farms. Is there only one way or best way of addressing environmental issues?
  • The challenge of defining engagement:  Given how people engage with the environment in different ways and have different backgrounds, engagement does not look the same. Can we redefine activism to make it more inclusive?
  • The challenge of examining privilege: When creating opportunities for change, some voices and ideas get heard and supported more than others.  We tend to put our experiences at the center and not address how folks who dont look like us may not share our views but also may not even be treated fairly in the conversation.  How can we be mindful of the empty chair at the table?

At the same time, while movements should be inclusive are there moments where we should focus on certain approaches and certain groups? For example, not everyone can afford to spend $7/lb for a turkey, however this does not mean that a conversation on this aspect of changing behaviors and making better choices should not be had.

So how can we address these challenges?  How do we create more inclusive movements or will there always be exclusion?  Feel free to share your thoughts and resources to keep the conversation going.

Photo Credit


Want to Meet Fellow Young Nonprofit Employees? Check out Nonprofit Network Roulette!


Posted by ajlovesya

An awesome opportunity from Brazen Careerist to connect with other people in the sector and build your network.   It’s virtual so you can participate wherever you have access to a computer. And you can log in using your facebook account–so it’s super easy.  Check out the details below.


WHEN: Thursday, November 18, 8 p.m. Eastern | 5 p.m. Pacific

WHERE: Brazen Careerist

RSVP TODAY: Click here to accept this invitation.

What is Network Roulette?
Network Roulette is an online speed networking service.  After answering two simple questions: What are you looking for? And What are you providing?, Members are randomly matched for a 3 minute conversation to determine if the person on the other side can help their network.  After the networking session, members can than choose who to follow up with through their network dashboard.  Watch a quick video about Network Roulette >>