Monthly Archives: July 2011

The State of Millennials and What It Means for Nonprofits


Posted by ajlovesya

The Pew Internet Project recently released a report entitled: The State of Millennials.   While the presentation covers basic demographic info, values, and habits, a few key pieces of data stood out to me as important for nonprofits as they seek to work with millennials as supporters and employees.

Millennials are pro-government: 53% believe the government should do more to solve problems.  I see this not only in terms higher expectation of government but also higher expectation of people and  their engagement/ involvement with government.  How are nonprofits positioning themselves and their work to connect and challenge the government and pursue a larger impact?

Millennials connect offline around hobbies: While comparing the type of groups millennials are most active in, millennials seem to connect online around interests (music, news, games) and offline around hobbies.  How are nonprofits connecting the interests and activities of millennials to their organization’s outreach initiatives and engagement?

Millennials build community online: In addition to simply being active online (including commenting and “liking”) millennials are more likely to use the internet to keep up with news and information about groups they care about and share what they are learning with others online.  How are nonprofits participating in a conversation with millennials around their interests?  What are nonprofits learning from these conversations?

At the same time, while the stats provide insight on behavior I’d be curious to get to the “why?”  Why do they believe government should do more?  Why are they more active online in some instances and not in others?  The “why” provides a framework for reaching out to millennials and more room for crafting innovative ways to connect with them.

Have you seen the report?  What do you think?  Share your thoughts below!


The number one resource job seekers should pay attention to: human resources


Posted by ajlovesya

While much of this blog focuses on professional development in the nonprofit sector, an important part of thriving in the sector is knowing what you can/should and cannot/should not do on the job. Yes, the day to day interactions and the larger legal and social protectations and expectations that affect your experiences at work.

I’m talking about Human Resources, people.

Mention HR and people assume you are talking about folks who hire and fire. However the folks in HR often have a birds eye view on organizational culture, general practices in hiring and firing, and understanding of legal protections to employees and employers. This kind of information is always helpful for job searching, identifying organizations to work for, and most importantly, what you are and are not entitled to as an employee (in your quest to save the world dont forget that you do have rights).

Here are my favorite HR blogs:

Ask a Manager: Alison Green answers questions from readers while sharing great advice on what it takes to be a great manager, all with a bit of snark :) There is also something juicy about her blog.  Specifically, the kind of questions readers ask make me wonder “Wait–this really happens at people’s jobs?!”  She also blogs at US News. My favorite posts:

Evil HR Lady: Like Alison, Suzanne Lucas answers questions from readers. She combines her advice with timely comments on job searching practices and social issues that affect employees and their organizations in a straight-no-chaser style. She also blogs on BNET.  My favorite posts:

See You Guys, I’m Going Home: If the title alone doesn’t make you want to read the blog, Donna Ballman’s wit and insight on legal issues in the workplace will. She also blogs at AOL Jobs.  My favorite posts:

Are there any HR blogs you read?  Share them below!

Photo Credit. And I am obsessed with The Office–couldn’t talk about HR and not have a picture of Toby!  And there’s your random Allison Jones fact for the day.