Monthly Archives: May 2011

Understanding cultural and contextual differences in social media use


Posted by ajlovesya

Allison Fine is currently in Israel talking to foundations about social media. On her first day she gained wonderful insight about the cultural and contextual realities when it comes to social media use:

One fascinating development was that I raised the issue of the discomfort that a lot of non-digital natives have when the lines between public and private are blurred, and one Israeli woman said to me afterwards that there isn’t such a line for most Israelis. We’re all related, she said, we know everyone’s business already, there’s nothing to hide! I never expected that, in fact, I expected in a country so immersed in conversations about security that this issue would be of particular interest and concern. It was eye-opening for me to think about how contextually and culturally based, not just generationally based, the issue is.

Allison realized that level of comfort with social media goes beyond generation.  However, what her reflection reminded me of is our tendency to lose focus on the people we are trying to engage.  Our understanding stops at statistics instead of delving deeper into motivations, needs, and attitudes towards relationships and community.  We might notice that some groups use a tool more than others or in a specific way, yet we dont explore why there are these differences and how these differences affect the role of social media in social change.

Answering the why is hard. Some questions I have started thinking about:

Who is part of our community? What is their relationship with this issue? With our organization?
How does our community prefer to communicate and work together?
Where does our community gather? How often? To do what?
What is social media? Why might we use it?
What changes in our communication and community may occur if we use social media?
How can we use social media to strengthen our understanding of our community?

What do you think? How can we become more aware of our communities’ relationships to us and social media?


Two aspects of the nonprofit sector that help young people thrive


Posted by ajlovesya

My peers and I spend a lot of time talking about what’s wrong with the sector.  However, I have chosen to work in the nonprofit sector and continue to see enormous personal and professional growth.  Given that it is easy to point out where nonprofits fall short when it comes to supporting young people, what are some things that are going right?

  1. Growing professional development and service programs: Last week I shared Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Public Service: A Review of Leadership Development Programs in the US, an excellent list of professional development programs for people of color interested in public service.  This is just one resource; there are a myriad of opportunities for young people to prepare to become nonprofit and public service leaders.  Some colleges and universities have public service programs for alumni or for the larger community while some nonprofits exist solely to support young leaders. Either way, the support is there!
  2. Ability to create your own path: As I work in the nonprofit sector I am amazed by the sheer diversity of professional opportunities available.  There are accountants, lawyers, fundraisers, bookkeepers, graphic designers, doctors, membership coordinators, educators, program analysts, and more. Some have PhDs or MBAs, others have professional certificates, while some have years of hands on experience. Even the size of the organization affects the work you will do. This diversity means is that young people can be exposed to various career paths, gain the skills they need quickly, and take on a great deal of responsibility early on in their careers.

I would love to hear personal experiences and thoughts on what’s working in the sector.  What other aspects of the nonprofit sector that are beneficial for young employees and can nurture leadership and public service involvement?

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5 pieces of advice from Twitter for college grads wanting careers in public service


Posted by ajlovesya

I have spent over three years blogging about how young people can find careers and thrive in the nonprofit sector. With graduation season upon us, I thought it would be nice to share some advice from fellow nonprofiteers and changemakers on twitter for college grads interested in public service. In all of the time that I have been blogging, I have found twitter to be the most useful way of learning about the sector and connecting with others who share my passion.

So I asked my peers on twitter: What advice would you give to college grads looking for careers in public service? Below are their answers with some additional resources.

Want to learn more about finding and preserving your passion in social change work? Check out Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in Challenging Times by Paul Loeb, a handbook to maintaining faith, building community, and creating change.

Concerned about how to manage your debt while pursuing a career in public service? Idealist.org just shared three financial aid and debt repayment options for people interested in public service.

If you want to volunteer to build experience and your network, check out Six Ways Volunteering Can Boost Your Career by Careerealism which includes additional resources to help you get started.


Confidence and commitment go a long way in helping you shine in the sector. To help find your calling and move forward with your vision for social change, check out Echoing Green’s new book Work on Purpose which includes inspirational stories of young activists and tangible resources to help you craft the career you want.


Not sure if social media is for you or feel intimidated by the idea of personal branding? Rosetta Thurman has a Social Media 101 series on her blog providing support to folks new to social media for personal branding.

I am also happy to offer coaching to college grads. Check out what help I provide to young people wanting careers in the nonprofit sector and contact me to discuss a consultation.

What advice/resources would you provide to a college grad wanting a career in public service?


One powerful way to help you find your blogging style


Posted by ajlovesya

In my experience, there are two challenges new bloggers face: creating content (what on earth can I write about?!) and writing well (how can I write so that people will read?!)

When it comes to the former there are plenty of resources. However when it comes to latter, it’s sometimes hard to provide support.  Don’t get me wrong, there are some general guidelines to writing engaging posts.  However, you’ll find that the tone and style aspects of writing are unique to each writer. When it comes to finding your blogging style, I’ll tell you what my 11th grade English teacher told me: “Good writers are good readers.”

When we talk about reading different blogs, we focus on the benefits of being part of a community.  However, reading the work of other bloggers is a great way to get a sense of different styles and approaches to creating content.  Below are some of my favorite bloggers who take on the difficult topic of social change work with their own unique approach.

Jessica Journey: Straight to the Point

Jessica’s posts are short and focused; she gives you the info and includes a lesson, making it easier to digest and share her work. Example: How Waitressing Made Me a Better Fundraiser

Rosetta Thurman: Research, Reflect, and Act

Rosetta has a knack for combining research and personal experience to explore into larger issues affecting the nonprofit sector.  Example:  Lessons of Greg Mortenson: Hero Worship and the Danger of Outsourcing Leadership

Sam Davidson: Keep it Personal

Sam inspires you to do good by encouraging you to enjoy and reflect on the various aspects of living that make you YOU. His posts often remind to put my work into a greater context of personal development. Example:  Significant Memories

Akhila Kollisetty: Open and React with Urgency

Akhila often opens with a compelling article, fact, or experience and shares her point of view without holding back. She’s unafraid to draw a line in the sand and state clearly what she stands for. Example:  Unsettling Identity: South Asian & Social Change

So while you read other blogs, whose style resonates with you?  While these writers provide examples of how to write, nothing beats writing regularly to refine your style.

Whose blogging style do you admire?

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The Mother of All Public Service Diversity Programs and Reports


Posted by ajlovesya

I posted these resources in my previous post about diversity in the nonprofit sector but they are so good they need a post of their own.

Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Public Service: A Review of Leadership Development Programs in the US (PDF) is is a great list of resources–funding, trainings, programs, etc–for organizations interested in building diversity and people of color interested in developing skills to thrive in the sector.  It  reports on a 2010 project developed at NYU Wagner’s Research Center for Leadership in Action in support of the National Urban Fellows (NUF) Public Service Leadership Diversity Initiative.

Here is a summary of the document:

This document features existing leadership development programs for people of color in public service and general leadership programs in public service that focus on diversity. We defined leadership development programs as formal programs with allocated resources that provide specific content expertise and skill building in a group setting. These programs are designed to help people advance their leadership capacity and/or advance professionally.

Over 60 pages of opportunity.

The good people at NYU Wagner and NUF have also published: Leadership, Diversity, and Inclusion: Insights from Scholarship (PDF) a literature review of works on leadership and race.

Here is a summary of the report:

In a report released in partnership with National Urban Fellows, RCLA scholars examine recent research on leadership and diversity, with a focus on public service. They find that scholars are linking diversity with adaptability, arguing that learning how to build organizations that effectively leverage racial diversity can foster the leadership capacity to adapt to other kinds of diversity and thrive in an increasingly complex environment. Yet there is less agreement in the literature on just how to do that. Limited empirical research in the public service field has resulted in a dearth of evidence for what works, even two decades after the diversity agenda has become a focus for public service organizations.

Creating diverse organizations is hard. However NYU and NUF  are providing the research and the resources that organizations can use to at least try building diversity.

Read.  Share. Discuss.