by Dr. Chaim Y. Botwinick The Challenge: I recently had the good fortune to participate in a 360 Performance Evaluation as part of my annual Board review. The assessment was conducted by an independent consultant with over 25 years of experience in this highly specialized area. The process involved three kinds of respondents - agency Board members, staff and outside communal lay and professional leadership. As we know, the results of a “360” are intended to identify strengths and weaknesses in core competency areas which require attention, including the eventual creation and implementation of a “professional development plan” to directly address the weaknesses. The purpose of this article is not to publicly reveal 360 findings or to share strengths and weakness, but to address … Continue Reading
The Challenge of Communicating Across Cultures and Time Zones
by Valerie Khaytina Most professionals in global Jewish organizations have experienced the challenge of working with counterparts living in different time zones, often on the other side of the ocean. In North American offices, we often speak about the frustrations of relying on "Israeli deadlines", local staff’s interpretation of the donor’s needs and variances in communication styles compounded by cultural differences. As professionals, we need to strive to work seamlessly within our teams regardless of our geographical location. Our goal is to ensure that donors receive what they want, and we should aim to turn frustrations into opportunities for improvement. Below is a discussion of some common challenges development professionals may face daily and suggestions to resolve … Continue Reading
Do You Want to Work in a Foundation?
This year marks the 11th year of my teaching philanthropists and foundation professionals at NYU’s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and the 10th since the development of the program now called the NYU Academy for Grantmaking and Funder Education. This posting is one of a series of reflections on a decade of teaching funders at the USA’s oldest and most comprehensive university program of its kind. The very first course I taught was one of the first three offered by the Center for Philanthropy, and was intended to introduce fundraisers to the other side of the table. It was entitled “Do you want to work in a foundation?” At the time I was still heading a now closed foundation and in fact was able to host the entire course at the offices of the foundation. Much to the surprise of the new … Continue Reading
Is Consultancy an Appealing Option?
With job cuts coming, consultancy could become an appealing career option - but some skills are more sought after than others. from voluntary sector network: Is consultancy your next career move? For voluntary sector professionals with a strong track record, switching to consultancy can be a tempting prospect. ... Some may be forced to consider consultancy after redundancy or early retirement. It's also likely that many contemplate the move because they are unhappy at work. A survey by the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo) on pay last year found 70% of its members had seen pay frozen or cut. A quarter reported an increase in stress; the same proportion reported increased workloads. Opportunities for managers who have steered organisations through … Continue Reading
Are You Missing the World’s Best Free Service for Fundraisers?
Once upon a time, there was no place to go where you could steal terrific fundraising ideas and not get sued. Well, things have changed in the 21st Century. And if you haven’t yet taken advantage of the awesome array of great stuff on the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII) at sofii.org, you haven’t yet left behind the 20th Century. You can get a fair idea of what’s in store for you on this extraordinary Website from this screen capture of a portion of SOFII’s home page: There’s a ton of innovation and inspiration on SOFII. Check it out! … Continue Reading
Introducing the School of Jewish Nonprofit Management
The School of Jewish Communal Service, established more than forty years ago by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), is changing its name to the School of Jewish Nonprofit Management (SJNM), reflecting the dramatic changes in the nonprofit and Jewish communal world during the past decades. The SJNM is unique in the academic world - it is the only graduate program of its kind that is embedded within a Jewish institution of higher learning and enjoys a special partnership with its neighbor, the University of Southern California. Students at the SJNM receive a cutting-edge education in nonprofit management grounded in Jewish history and values, as well as the opportunity to earn one of five dual degrees at USC. Originally conceived as a graduate program preparing social … Continue Reading
Are Good-Looking People More Employable?
“Good looks” are only sometimes a positive factor in consideration for a job, according to new research from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU). In the new working paper, “Are Good-Looking People More Employable?” two BGU economics researchers prove that a double standard exists between good looks as a positive factor in men vs. women. The research involved sending 5,312 CVs (resumes) in pairs to 2,656 advertised job openings in Israel. In each pair, one CV was without a picture while the second, otherwise almost identical CV contained a picture of either an attractive male/female or a plain-looking male/female. The dependent measure was whether the employer emails or calls back the candidate for an interview. Overall, the response rate was 14.5 percent. “To the best of our … Continue Reading
An Executive Leadership Program for Rabbis
American Jewish University’s School of Nonprofit Management is partnering with the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and the Rabbinical Assembly to create the Rabbinic Management Institute (RMI), a visionary program for Conservative rabbis. The curriculum is designed to give rabbis the opportunity to engage in deep, applied, educational and professional development in nonprofit management, focusing on issues crucial to the daily work of rabbis in the twenty-first century, such as marketing and public relations, fund development, nonprofit law, budget and finance of nonprofit organizations, strategic planning and negotiation and conflict resolution. The one-year Institute will begin Sunday, February 6 through February 8, 2011 and will end with another three-day seminar in February 2012, both in … Continue Reading
How to Market Yourself in the Nonprofit Sector
by The Bridgespan Group Despite signs that the economy is improving, the nonprofit job market remains extremely competitive. In this buyers’ market, simply being a talented candidate is oftentimes not enough to land a senior leadership role, so job seekers need to get out and sell themselves to prospective nonprofit employers. The idea of coming up with a personal marketing plan may be intimidating, but the following six steps will help nonprofit job seekers put their best foot forward during a nonprofit job search. Throughout this article, you’ll find links to other Bridgestar articles that offer more in-depth information about each topic covered in the six steps, as well as advice from individuals with experience in the areas of self-assessment, resume and cover-letter writing, … Continue Reading
An MBA with a Twist
from about.com: A Guide to Nonprofit-Focused Graduate Degree Programs Ten million people, or about 7% of the U.S. workforce, are employed by the nonprofit sector. Are you one of these people? Do you want to be? Whether you’re looking for a career boost or an opportunity to break into the nonprofit world, a master’s degree focused on the public sector can help you get there. As the realization that passion doesn’t automatically lead to success comes to more and more non-profit managers, public sector organizations have changed their business model to run themselves more and more like their for-profit counterparts. No one has made this quite as clear as Warren Buffett, who made a global statement about the importance of business know-how in the public sector with his multi-billion … Continue Reading
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