With college graduations quickly approaching, many are unsure how to begin their professional careers. Here are some considerations for those looking at the nonprofit sector. by Richard McPherson 1. Help change things for the better. Not many jobs let you say you’re in the business of making the world a better place to live in. Working in the nonprofit sector is entirely about improving peoples’ lives, protecting the planet, supporting the arts, caring for seniors or educating young people. You know you’ve picked the right career when people you don’t even know thank you for your effort. 2. Pursue your personal passions. Why limit your deepest personal interests to your “spare time?” Why not make your personal passions the center of your career? If you love the arts, work for a … Continue Reading
A National Opportunity to Transform Local Communities
by Dr. Hal M. Lewis In “The Case for National Jewish Philanthropy” (eJewishPhilanthropy, March 28, 2012), Yossi Prager thoughtfully delineates “a few examples of functions ... best addressed nationally for the benefit of local institutions.” In response to his invitation for further discussion, I would add to that list a single item: the training and development of Jewish communal leaders. For years North American Jewish organizations and institutions have dabbled in what purports to be leadership training for both professionals and the laity. We have done so without a continental mandate or an overarching vision. Leadership programs vary from city to city, from agency to agency. With striking consistency, we have ignored best practices, often conflating Jewish literacy or the teaching … Continue Reading
Seven Principles to Remake Philanthropy Overnight
"For foundations to live up to the spirit of repairing the world, we must speak about failure." "We have to get somewhere and fix something to be successful with our work... [to accomplish that] we need to talk about failure." "Failure is the most universal, and most common, human experience." "Philanthropy can take risks others can't." "Apparently everything we do works [as] we don't talk about failure." Grant Oliphant, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Foundation, addressing the JFN Conference Last week's Jewish Funders Network Conference kicked off with an opening plenary titled, "Embracing Risk and Failing Well: Learning for Philanthropic Success." In TED-style talks, attendees heard from three thinkers with different points view about how funders can open their tolerance for risk and … Continue Reading
The 360 Experience: Challenge and Opportunity
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
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