Tag Archives: non-profit

Zilch: A Lesson on Supporting Employees and Developing Talent when You Dont Have Tons of Money to Spend


Posted by ajlovesya

A few months ago I got a copy of Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business by Nancy Lublin, CEO of DoSomething.org.  The book is a fast and engaging read, set around nine themes of what nonprofits can teach businesses about doing more with less.  Aside from this perspective being validating and refreshing (I mean, seriously, how often do people scream the opposite: that nonprofits should be more like businesses?And how often do we nonprofits dwell on what we lack instead of what we have?) it made me reflect on and appreciate the many times I have witnessed organizations making meaningful and powerful use of limited resources.

In fact, one lesson from the book in particular–”Do More with Less Cash to Throw at People“– spoke directly to my experience in the sector and its enormous potential to cultivate talent.  I think many nonprofits can become experts when it comes to supporting employees beyond limited salaries.  We often have no choice and need the best and brightest to help change the world.  And interestingly enough, for many young nonprofit professionals, money is not the biggest draw to the sector nor is it the main cause of them leaving (indeed one in three wants to be an executive director).  Instead, it’s the lack of opportunities to grow and be supported.

I have certainly seen this first hand.  As I have written before, in my last job I earned $36,000.  While this is a respectable amount, living in NYC I definitely had to be mindful of how much money I spent. However, I was lucky to have my professional and personal goals supported in several ways outlined in the book:

  • Title and responsibility: At my last job I was Development Director and had the responsibility of launching and leading various marketing, enrollment, and fundraising initiatives.
  • Inclusion in goal setting and changes: When it came to fulfilling my responsibilities, I had a say in what our targets would be and how we would reach them.
  • Ability to attend conferences and workshops: My principal was big on continuing education and networking.  She fully believed that the ability to connect with others and be a life long learner were crucial for success and offered generous time off to attend conference and workshops.
  • Discussions of education and equality: I would have conversations with the principal, staff, and teachers about the importance of our work. While we often talked about equality and our role in pursuing it, we focused on how our interactions with students and parents may have a greater potential impact than we realize.  Creating a great school that was engaging and exciting for students and parents was our primary goal.
  • Concern for my well being: If I called out sick, the next day I would have what felt like the entire school (students included!) asking me if I was ok and feeling better.  The principal would set aside time just to catch up and see how I was doing and if personal challenges were arising she had no problem giving me space and time to deal with them.

These kinds of approaches require one of the most valuable yet most misused and taken-for-granted currencies: trust. It is easier to give a higher salary than to train and support.  It is easier to give a higher salary than to re-evaluate office culture and politics.  It is easier to give a higher salary than to give freedom and flexibility in terms of time and work goals.  It is easier to give higher salary then to trust that your employees are doing their best.  But goodness, what a different it makes!

Make no mistake: this isn’t an attempt to dismiss the funding challenges and starvation cycles that many nonprofits endure.  However, it is an attempt to highlight what we do have, what we do well, and what others can learn from us.

Although Zilch was written for businesses, it provides an incredible blueprint for other nonprofits and startups on how to do the most with limited resources.  Nancy states “If you are expecting a book about doing more good, you’ve got the wrong book…It is not some spiritual tome about finding yourself or generating good karma–I want you to read with a highlighter in hand, not a candle.”  When I finished reading the book I felt energized, recommitted to the sector, and ready to put what I learned into practice.

Members of the Nonprofit Millenial Bloggers Alliance are tackling this issue and reflecting on how they’ve seen their organizations do more with less.  Add your story below!


What Keeps Us Single in the Sector?


Posted by ajlovesya

Last week Rosetta Thurman wrote a great piece about being single in the sector. While the discussion focused mainly on being too busy to focus on finding a partner, she also mentions the difficulty her friends have finding someone who is as committed to social change as they are.

But what didn’t come up was how our dedication to social change influences (or doesn’t influence) how we define “committed to social change” and what characteristics we look for in a partner.

For example, if we have dedicated ourselves to creating better opportunities for ex-offenders, would we consider an ex-offender as a potential partner? Someone on welfare? Someone without a college education?

How are we defining committed to social justice? I’ve met incredibly brilliant men and women who could quote every single public intellectual and engage you on a variety of social issues, then walk back into their corporate offices. If we realize that the nonprofit sector is unique, then we must accept that not everyone will find the field appealing and will find other ways to bring about change.

Maybe the real issue lies in the disconnect between our personal and professional lives and that perhaps being committed to social change may only fall within the professional aspect of who we are. What do our personal choices reveal about our professional decisions?


How Gen Y and Nonprofits can Benefit from a Bad Economy


Posted by ajlovesya

Much of the discussion surrounding the impact of the weak financial market on nonprofits focuses on donations. While corporations are responsible for only about 10% of the funds received by nonprofits, the relationship extends beyond money to time (board members and volunteers) and resources (space and advertising) that are very useful to any nonprofit that receives them.

However, what impact does this change have the thousands of young people who pursue investment banking right out of college? No longer is investment banking the secure lucrative career many recent college grads think they are. After all, once the 4th largest investment banking firm files for chapter 11 and others quietly rearrange themselves, well, it’s time to rethink career paths.

Rodger Cohen sums up the impact of sudden change in the economy perfectly: “We’re witnessing the passing of more than a venerable firm. We’re seeing the death of a culture.”

A culture that places such premium on money and power that young people who might otherwise focus their attention elsewhere feel compelled to follow. Cohen continues,

“When I taught a journalism course at Princeton a couple of years ago, I was captivated by the bright, curious minds in my class. But when I asked students what they wanted to do, the overwhelming answer was: “Oh, I guess I’ll end up in i-banking.”

It was not that they loved investment banking, or thought their purring brains would be best deployed on Wall Street poring over a balance sheet, it was the money and the fact everyone else was doing it.”

However, the number of recent grads signing up to do banking has steadily decreased and many are reevaluating other passions and interests.

So here’s my suggestion: get into the public sector.

Take your intellect, creativity, and detail oriented tendencies to create new programs addressing social problems; think of ways to generate money while serving others i.e. social entrepreneurship.  Join a young professionals group at a nonprofit to better explore your options. Help analyze policies for a think tank or work with a political watchdog group.

As I have stated before, the nonprofit sector’s greatest asset is its diversity, allowing a place for everyone. Money shouldn’t be an issue: there is no such thing as security and everyone is going broke.

Read How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of
New Ideas and The Non-profit Career Guide to get a sense of what’s out there and where you fit in. Cohen recommends A New Bank to Save Our Infrastructure for socially minded bankers.

And nonprofits: realize the enormous opportunity we have here. You have access to a crop of “number” people, use them to better organize information and create transparent documents about where money is going; have them develop interesting ways to generate income outside of asking others.  If you can’t pay like a corporation, offer better benefits that enable people to deepen their commitment to the organization.

As our leaders prepare to step down for retirement there is a swelling number of young people looking for a place where they will not get lost and where their talents are appreciated.  Engage them either as employees or as a group with new concerns that can be explored for our mutual benefit.

As we go through a culture shock, questioning more than ever the validity of security and how much money matters, we should reach out, collaborate, and see how we can come out stronger.


Nonprofit Success Tip: The Nonprofit Field is HUGE—Learn About It and Find Your Place


Posted by ajlovesya

Much to the field’s disadvantage, the image of nonprofit workers is as follows: people toiling away at soup kitchens or after school programs to eliminate a social problem that will never end or the executive director/president who has either taken an organization to new heights or plummeted an organization to new lows. I joined the nonprofit world seeking to move from the former to the latter (obviously not plummeting an organization to new lows!). However, what I have found is that there is enough diversity in professions and places to allow me to explore what I want to become and how I need to get there.

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. Some work in large organizations with billion dollar budgets (hospitals and universities) while others work at a small local organization with just under $500K (schools and community centers). Some focus on health and poverty while others work on the arts and non-violence. The diversity is exciting—it’s like when you realize for the first time that there is more to being successful in the working world than being a doctor or lawyer.

When I started my job I thought that I was going to be an educator working directly with youth. However, since my organization is so small I was exposed to different ways I can support youth outside of direct service. I’ve since taken a great interest in development (fundraising) and spend time talking to the development associate, taking courses, and reading about the field.

Idealist.org has a great activity to help you find your place in the nonprofit world. Collect 50 or more advertisements for jobs that interest you because of their a. mission or b. job description. After you have collected 50 or more clips, sort them by job and organization (and there will be some overlap). Look for patterns and synthesize the information: what kinds of issues interest you? What kind of approach to this issue are you drawn to? What departments in the organization piqued your interest?

This activity provided some guidance in figuring out what career tracks are best for me and the types of nonprofit organizations I would most thrive in. Further, it also allowed me to see what areas I need to strengthen in order to succeed in my area of choice.

In order to be successful, you not only have to know the context of sector you are entering but you also have to know yourself.


I'm a Professional, Dammit!


Posted by ajlovesya

In my last post I talked about how people (esp young people) get sucked into the non profit mystique: saving the world one person at a time never taking into consideration that some non profits are horribly run and that we deserve better. However, I have also realized that people tend to down play and ignore the skill and work that is required to take on such a daunting task.

Let me give you an example: doctors spend hundreds of thousands of dollars educating themselves and becoming experts in their field. After becoming doctors they spend anywhere between 4K and 7K keeping up to date on the latest breakthroughs in medicine and their specific field. No one would ever say that the work doctors do is easy or doesnt require knowledge. They are PROFESSIONALS and it is expected that they stay on top of their shit.

Well, people, SO AM I!

I’m not running a “cute little leadership program for kids.” What I do requires me to be on my shit. I’m a budding professional. Non profit work is REAL work that demands excellence and expertise in addition to passion and dedication. I spend my time not just planning my curriculum but also reading about breakthroughs in curriculum development and youth development. I attend conferences, am always buried in a book, and whenever I meet someone who has a job in the non profit sector that I never heard of, I ask questions until they shoo me away. I’ve asked all of my supervisors to give me constructive criticism on how to improve my performance and to share with me their experiences working with young people. I take my job seriously and maintain an open and curious mind. I intend to grow, as all professionals should.

I am utterly annoyed and offended at the assumption that by virtue of working with needy populations that my college degree is somehow worthless or that my work is easy or that I’m doing it until “I find something better to do.” What people fail to realize is that their lives are sustained and enhanced by non profit work. Go to museums? Visit a hospital? Worship at church? Kids enrolled in an after school program? Plan on going to college? Yep, thats all in my domain and I intend to learn as much about it as I can.

And in learning about my field I find that proving its worth is half the battle. I ask: take a step back and think of what your life would be like without colleges, hospitals, museums, churches, community centers, and art programs? Sucks, right? Well then, demand excellence of me and support me–dont doubt me or diminish my value.