Viewing Jewish Life in Moscow in August, 2010

In 1988, I first traveled to the former Soviet Union. Not only did I take kosher food with me but I also had to be very careful about the public display of my Jewishness and my connection to Jews living in the countries of the USSR. Over the years, I have visited many places within the region and have been to cities like Riga, Vilna, Minsk, Kiev, Odessa, and Kishinev, among others. Although I loved traveling to the various cities, meeting local Jewish leaders and residents, and learning about the Jewish communities, I always felt living a Jewish life style required a great deal of effort and was not easy in any of these places. Yesterday, I returned from a ten day visit to Russia and very few of my friends in Israel could believe that my wife, Marsha, and I actually vacationed in Moscow. In the weeks... Continue Reading

The Way You Leave A Job

The Way You Leave A Job Is As Important As The Way You Start One The way we leave a job is as important as the way we begin one. Often there so much excitement about beginning a new position that you have mentally left your present job before beginning the new responsibilities with your new employer. While the excitement is understandable, it is not professional. It is essential to complete all tasks before leaving one job to begin another; the way you tie up loose ends often says more about your professionalism than anything else you may have done during your tenure with the non-profit organization. Having received the offer for the new position is a very exciting time and anyone who has been through this process knows what it feels like to be excited not only about having been offered the job but... Continue Reading

Negotiating in Good Faith: The Key to Integrity

Oftentimes, there is a sense that we have reached an impasse with the group or the person with whom we are negotiating. This may have to do with seeking a new job, with negotiating terms of employment, or with a discussion about salary. In any of these cases the most important aspect is to maintain good faith no matter what side of the table we occupy. Discussing a job, and its salary and benefits, is a common process and often involves a series of meetings between the prospective employer and the candidate. There are several phases to the process, and it begins with a candidate responding to a notice of a job opening or being approached by a head-hunting firm. It continues through the interview process that may involve members of the board of directors and members of the professional staff interviewing... Continue Reading

The Board’s Trust in the Consultant’s Loyalty to Their Cause

I received a question this week from a reader concerning the Board of Director’s trust in the consultant’s loyalty to the non-profit organization. The question arises because consultants are generally working for a number of organizations at the same time. It is only natural for there to be some concern about the potential for competition among clients or for the consultant to have a possible conflict of interest in working for multiple organizations. Essentially, these are two separate issues. One has to do with the client organization receiving the appropriate attention and time they require in order to maintain their financial sustainability. Two is the issue of potential or actual competition among organizations providing similar services or serving the same client population. In either case... Continue Reading

Working with a Fundraising Firm

Working with a Fundraising Firm: Clarifying Expectations From Both Sides During the last few weeks I have discussed the processes and content that non-profit organizations use when outsourcing their fundraising to a consulting firm. A question was raised about the expectations from both sides: what the organization’s expectations are from the fundraising firm and the fundraising firm’s expectations of how the non-profit agency will work with their principals and staff. This week’s posting explores these issues. When an organization makes the decision to outsource its financial resource development (FRD) function it often does so following an arduous and lengthy process. Often the executive director of the organization will have spent many hours interviewing perspective firms and reviewing proposals.... Continue Reading

Compensating Fundraisers

Compensating Fundraisers: A Dilemma for the Non-Profit Organization and the Fundraiser Last week I discussed engaging a professional firm or a professional fundraiser to assist in developing the financial resources of Israeli non-profit organizations. In the posting I identified the options the organizations have for engaging the needed services and the different approaches to compensating professionals who raise funds for non-profit organizations. Interestingly enough my reference to the ethical issues involved in compensating a resource development professional by paying a percentage of the funds raised was understood to be either an objective view by some readers or tacit approval of this approach by other readers. I would like to focus on the broader issue of how non-profit organizations finance... Continue Reading

Financial Resource Development for Israeli Organizations

Financial Resource Development for Israeli Organizations: Hiring a Professional Fundraiser or Outsourcing to a Professional Firm One of the most challenging dilemmas that Israeli non-profit organizations face when raising funds outside Israel is whether to hire a professional fundraiser or engage a professional fundraising firm. The decision is not a simple one and often depends on many variables that all have to be taken into consideration. Making the decision requires a thoughtful process to allow for the proper planning. A number of larger Israeli non-profit organizations have established relationships with their American “Friends” groups and may have an existing body of volunteer leadership and professional staff in an office located in a major city. A director who is a seasoned fundraiser... Continue Reading

Job Descriptions: For What Purpose and For Whom?

Last week’s column focused on networking and how the networker can make contacts that may lead to potential employment. During the past week I have received a number of inquiries concerning job offers made by prospective employers to people they wish to hire. I found it interesting that in several cases the employers did not have a written job description and were discussing responsibilities in general and at times they were somewhat vague about the details of the position. The job description is important for both the employer and the employee, and today’s posting will explore the meaning and purpose of a formal written description of the employee’s responsibilities when accepting a position with an organization. An employer needs to develop a job description because it is a way for the organization... Continue Reading

Networking: Making Connections that Create Opportunities

This is the time of year when graduates are looking for their first jobs and when professionals who have been working are either looking for new opportunities or are in the process of interviewing for open positions. Networking is an important strategy when a person is contemplating a professional change and there are a number of tactics that are essential when engaging in the process. Networking involves speaking and meeting with people who can assist in broadening and strengthening professional connections. Although it is only natural to ask “why should so and so meet with me?”, in most cases colleagues are willing to have a conversation with someone who wants to learn about a particular field of practice or about a specific agency or organization. The first step is identifying the organizations... Continue Reading

Ensuring a Planning Process Works

During the last several weeks I have been engaged by clients who want to initiate planning processes and in each case the question was asked, “How do we insure that the process works for our organization?” Of course this is a key question. Non-profit agencies wants to be sure when they invest in planning that there will be tangible results reflecting the process was worthwhile investment. There are two important steps to beginning and implementing a planning process. The first step is to clarify the purpose of the planning process. Is there a need for a strategic plan for the agency; is it to create a new plan for financial resource development; is it to reorganize the professional staff; or is to reposition the organization in the community? The second step is to be very clear about how the process... Continue Reading

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