Much has been written and discussed about the social sector’s leadership gap, as well as the potential for retiring Baby Boomers from other sectors to play a role in addressing the growing need for talent.  In reality, however, many organizations are slow to recruit and hire from this seasoned workforce, and in those instances when they do, are seemingly meeting with mixed success.

At Commongood Careers, we have seen that many of these barriers and challenges can be related to a lack of sufficient forethought about the experience, nature, lifestyle and motivation of Baby Boomer professionals.  It is difficult to make generalizations about an entire generation, but it is fairly self-evident that recruiting and employing a 60 year old former corporate businessperson is likely to be fundamentally different than doing so with a 25 year old recent business school graduate.

One set of possibilities that is often overlooked in nonprofit employment is “alternatively structured” roles.  These positions may involve flexible hours, working remotely, part-time commitments, or consulting arrangements.  Such non-traditional roles may include some of the following attributes and benefits:

(1) Alternative location arrangements can have employees based fully off-site or working from another place on some days and from the office on other days.  People may be based from home, from their office at another part-time job, from the library or a coffee shop, or from a rented desk within an organization in another city.  Alternative location arrangements may open-up the possibilities of a national talent pool for any role that can be performed outside of headquarters or simply permit those with home-based responsibilities or limited mobility to still play an important role.

(2) Flexible full-time schedules are considered as anything except for 9-5 and may allow some employees to work 12-8 every day while others work 40 hours a week all packed into four or even three business days.  Some employees may work full weekends and half-days during the rest of the week.  These schedules may allow for childcare responsibilities (with children or grandchildren), other out-of-office commitments, or those who require flexibility for other reasons.

(3) Part-time roles are most commonly thought of as 2-3 day per week commitments, but can also include working just half-days everyday or even working full-time during a part of the year while taking unpaid leave for the remainder of the year as teachers do or those who spend summers or winters at second homes in other regions.  These possibilities depend heavily on the nature of the role’s responsibility and the seasonality of the organization’s work, but may also open some intriguing possibilities for organizations to fill roles during periods of high-demand while saving money on an employee’s line item in the budget during quieter times.

(4) Consulting relationships are also most frequently associated with a limited scope of project-based roles that are farmed out to professional consultants or firms, but they can also be thought of as another form of part-time roles.  Structured non-employee relationships can be applied to almost any back-office function and can allow for more flexibility in staffing up and down within an area.  In difficult economic times, these relationships may also serve as attractive alternatives to making a full-time commitment with benefits to an employee.  As with all of these options, however, organizations should consult applicable state and federal employment regulations to ensure that they are in compliance in structuring alternative roles.

With most of the sector having an underdeveloped HR function, many organizations dismiss such possibilities as being too difficult to structure, quality control or manage.  Others find that individuals pursuing these opportunities may not exhibit the same levels of commitment, passion or cultural fit for which they are used to searching.  Short-term thinking in this area, however, overlooks numerous possibilities and may close the door on valuable talent groups like Baby Boom second career seekers. 

Particularly for Baby Boomer careerists, in fact, alternatively structured roles may present attractive opportunities because of the stage that they have reached in their careers and the lifestyle choices that they are balancing.  These roles many also allow organizations to tap into the experience and talent of such individuals, without struggling as much to support the salary needs of a senior professional or to ensure the same level of cultural fit with an employee who may be more of a demographic outlier than the norm.  With some planning and flexibility, these employment vehicles can present win-win opportunities for nonprofits and Baby Boomer career seekers alike.

Today’s nonprofit sector is growing faster than ever. In fact, Independent Sector reports that nonprofit employment doubled to nearly 10 percent of total U.S. employment in the past 25 years. The report also predicts that by 2010, the nonprofit sector will employ 15 million people. With this growth comes a demand for strong nonprofit talent, as well the opportunity to build a long-term career in the sector.

This article explores a few proven career inroads that provide opportunities for advancement.

Ways In and Up

Nonprofit career options vary widely at the entry level, but the most popular inroad is program work, or positions that provide opportunities to work directly with the constituents served by an organization. Often people enter the sector on the ground-level as a tutor or community advocate. From direct service, people often transition into coordinating aspects of programs, such as managing volunteers, and then eventually managing entire programs. While this is a natural progression within the field of program management, direct service positions can also serve as a springboard to positions in different functional areas within an organization.

“Most people go into nonprofits thinking they are only going into the program arena. But getting involved in development, marketing, or some of the other important functional areas can be a smart idea for those seeking to advance their careers,” said Cassie Scarano, Vice President and Co-Founder of Commongood Careers. One of the inherent challenges to advancing in program work is that there are many positions on the ground-level, but only a limited number of senior management positions. Considering other skills that you can bring to an organization, like fundraising or marketing, in addition to having first-hand experience in direct service, is a great way to create career opportunities within or across organizations. 

Building a Career in Nonprofit Development

Careers in nonprofit development provide ample opportunities for advancement and long-term success. Development is the area of each organization responsible for all aspects of fundraising, including pursuing and obtaining funds from foundations, corporations, individuals, and government sources, as well as managing activities like grant-writing, annual appeals, events and strategic campaigns. “There will always be high need for development professionals. Because of the demand, people in the area of development have lots of opportunities, tend to progress quickly and are often amongst the highest paid in an organization,” Scarano said. 

The area of development is multi-faceted and requires different skills depending on the type of position and organization. Writing is important in development positions related to grant writing, while strong interpersonal skills are necessary for positions focusing on nurturing donor relationships. Some development positions are more research-based while others focus on the logistics of planning special events for the organization. There are also positions that are more general and require the development professional to incorporate many of these skills strategically.

Executive Support as a Strategy for Advancement

An often overlooked entry point for new nonprofit professionals is a role as an executive assistant. “While many people avoid these types of positions because they don’t sound glamorous, they actually provide a huge number of opportunities for advancement and provide access those at the entry level would never have otherwise,” Scarano said. 

An assistant to a high functioning executive is connected to all of the senior leaders, both internal and external, with whom the executive corresponds through reviewing and drafting emails and other correspondence, managing the calendar, and fielding phone calls. Additionally, this position often includes work on special projects that are essential to the organization, such as analyzing data, creating reports, or supporting hiring. Especially in dynamic and fast-paced socially entrepreneurial organizations, something as basic as taking notes at a board meeting or managing an executive’s calls can provide a huge amount of experience and insight into the way nonprofits work. 

Also, the executive assistant position is tremendously constructive to a nonprofit career. “Being impressive in an executive assistant role can be a fast track to advancement,” Scarano said. In fact, many executives treat these roles like fellowship positions, making sure that after a year or so their assistants are ready to move on and up, either within that organization or to another nonprofit. 

The Nonprofit Advantage in the Long Run

When on the fence about deciding whether to enter the social sector or head for the private sector, there are some things to take into account about nonprofit jobs that might make a difference in your decision. For example, working at a nonprofit can help you develop highly transferable soft skills like being able to take on leadership, being flexible, and having strong interpersonal skills. 

Working at a nonprofit can also give you personal experience with things that you might not have access to in larger, private sector organizations. “Generally in nonprofits, especially smaller organizations, you get a broader view of how an organization runs, have more access to strategic decision making, and are challenged to take initiative,” Scarano noted. Senior leadership tends to be younger and the environment more collaborative in nonprofit organizations, thus providing those at the entry level more opportunities to have a hand in the organization’s growth while also providing opportunities to advance within the organization. 

What’s more, today’s trends show that the private and social sectors are converging, so that those who want traditionally private sector benefits with traditionally social sector values have more options. “It’s no longer about deciding if you are either mission-driven or profit-driven,” Scarano said. “Instead, people need to consider where on the continuum they fall and what factors on a whole are most motivating to them.” Today’s socially entrepreneurial nonprofits are able to provide many opportunities to develop strong business skills while at the same time aligning with the personal values of their employees. “Choosing a career path is a harder decision today because the sectors are no longer so black and white,” said Scarano, “but with that challenge come many great career opportunities.”

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

In any field, having a professional mentor can help individuals develop and advance their careers. Mentors are especially important in the nonprofit sector, where structured career development opportunities are not always readily available.

A strong mentoring relationship is built on collaboration and the commitment to the professional development of one or both of its participants. While in the typical mentoring relationship, one participant has more experience, skill, knowledge than the other, many strong mentoring relationships provide an opportunity for both parties to learn from each other through the development of a caring and respectful partnership.

The Growth of Mentoring in the Social Sector

Corporate mentoring programs have long been recognized as an essential strategy for attracting, developing, and retaining top employees.  According to a survey by the American Society for Training and Development, 75% of private sector executives said that mentoring had been critical in helping them reach their current position. 

In the social sector, employee mentoring programs are more unusual.  While some innovative organizations are taking steps to create effective internal programs, other organizations offer external programs that connect mentors and mentees; these programs can be a great option for nonprofits that lack the resources to provide internal programs. 

For example, the Center for Nonprofit Development and the International Mentoring Network Organization have developed their own mentor-matching programs to help connect seasoned nonprofit professionals with professionals earlier in their careers.  The Center for Nonprofit Development focuses on connecting new but high-level nonprofit leaders with other, more experienced nonprofit leaders to help them strategically solve organizational challenges or create carefully developed plans for the future of the mentee’s organization.  The International Mentoring Network Organization applies an “open source” approach to mentoring, giving its members access to interviews with experienced professionals, discussion forums, and a mentor match service. 

Why a Mentor?

There are a number of benefits to building a mentor relationship with a seasoned nonprofit professional, most notably access to new contacts, knowledge, and skills.

“Mentors can do a number of things for your career.  They can help you build your resume, guide you on a project, and help you identify resources, including referring you to other mentors and important people in your field,” said Ken Williams, Director of the New Voices National Fellowship Program and author of the monograph “Mentoring the Next Generation.”

Mentors provide developing nonprofit leaders with the support they might not have access to otherwise.  For example, access to the mentor’s personal network can give emerging leaders a chance to meet important people at a crucial time in their careers and can broaden their range of possible professional opportunities.
 
The New Voices National Fellowship Program, administered by the Academy for Educational Development, works on leadership development for human rights activists, currently focusing on emerging leaders in the Gulf Coast region.  New Voices requires each fellow participating to have a mentor because of the benefits the organization has seen from these relationships.

“In our program we’ve seen mentors help develop the Fellows’ strategic thinking, connections and contacts, and resources and opportunities.  Having a mentor provides people with an open space in which to raise issues, tackle challenges, and nurture growth,” Williams said. 

Finding a Mentor

A mentor is someone whose knowledge and experience the mentee respects and someone whose wisdom and know-how can support the professional growth and development of the mentee.  Often this is a boss, professor or other nonprofit leader who the mentee has already met, but sometimes a mentor can be someone who is not known to the mentee.  Mentors do not necessarily need to be the most senior person at an organization or within the field; the right mentor depends on what knowledge the mentee hopes to gain. 

“If you don’t have an idea about who to ask to be your mentor, find organizations that work in the area you’re interested in and look to their leaders.  Asking to do something as simple as getting a coffee together can be very successful,” Williams said. 

Another great way to engage a mentor is to collaborate on a project that is of interest to both parties.  “Choose something that supports your potential mentor’s work and ask for some help putting it together,” Williams suggested. “This way, you are both invested in completing a goal together that can lead to a deeper relationship during the process.”

Sustaining Healthy Mentor Relationships

To make the most of a mentoring relationship, start with a formal agreement that outlines the roles and expectations of both participants.  Including details such as when the pair will meet, how frequently and for how long, and what the goals of the relationship are will build a strong foundation for the relationship. 

While the duration and frequency of mentoring meetings varies, most mentoring partners meet or talk once a week for about an hour.  The format and content of these conversations may vary, but typically consist of brainstorming sessions to solve problems, updates and follow-ups on current projects, or more focused discussion of professional development topics.  A mentoring relationship should not be considered an inside track to the top or an opportunity to complain; it is a respectful and professional relationship in which both parties can learn from the experience and each other. 

As the relationship develops, mentees should remember to share their successes with their mentors and make sure the mentor knows how valuable their time and insight is.  Remember that mentoring is about sharing knowledge and expertise in a way that benefits both of the participants and thereby helps to build and strengthen the nonprofit sector as a whole.  As nonprofit professionals develop their leadership skills, it will be important to incorporate best practices into every mentoring relationship. 

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

Nonprofit employees are known for their dedication to their jobs, devotion to their organization’s missions and passion for their careers.  In the study The Voices of Nonprofit Talent, Commongood Careers found that 84 percent of nonprofit jobseekers saw work as part of their identities, not just a way to make a living.  While this level of commitment is a driving factor when it comes to working for social change, it also can be a factor in the ability for nonprofit professionals to find a healthy balance between their work life and personal life. 

As the demand for leaders in nonprofits is rapidly increasing, concerns about work-life balance are becoming more important to younger professionals.  In the study Ready to Lead? Next Generation Leaders Speak Out, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and its partners reported that two of the top five reasons potential nonprofit leaders surveyed were wary of rising to executive positions were related to the belief that they would have to sacrifice work-life balance to be a director.  Additionally, the study’s focus group participants frequently said that being an executive director means making compromises in personal life they are not willing to make. 

Simple Steps to Balance the Work-Life Scale

With today’s expectations and norms for work, especially in the social sector, many with nonprofit careers recognize that these things may be more easily said than done.  To address this challenge, here are some simple ideas that can help those looking to balance the work-life scales:

Keep a log of a week’s worth of time.  Writing down every activity in which you participate in one week can help pinpoint opportunities to maximize your time, as well as weed out extraneous or the needlessly time-consuming activities. 

Learn to say no.  The important thing about saying “no” is being honest with yourself about the activities to which you say “yes.”  Remember that saying no can help you do more and better of what you already have on your plate; saying yes to too much not only impacts current projects, but can add a level of stress not worth taking on. In addition, turning down requests to do everything can help you better understand the capabilities of your colleagues, and what they are able to take on themselves.  If you are concerned that saying no is too much of a hassle or is going to produce a conflict you want to avoid, complimenting the person or group’s effort while saying that you’re unable to commit at this time helps to soften the blow and can keep you in good standing with your co-workers.

Communicate clearly.  Mistakes happen, but mistakes that arise from rushed communication are especially frustrating because they can be easily avoided.  Taking the time to communicate as clearly and succinctly as possible can help you avoid the time-consuming mistakes that sometimes come from miscommunications.  Clear communication can mean you are more efficient at work and give you more time for yourself. 

Take advantage of what your organization has to offer.  The best methods of striking a comfortable work-life balance are often readily available at the workplace.  Find out if your organization offers flex time or allows you to work from home.  Or explore the option of a “4 x 10,” essentially compressing your work-week to a four-day week by working ten hours a day.  And yes, use your vacation time and know how much paid and unpaid leave you have available to you. 

Additionally, the message of the importance of work-life balance needs to come from the top. One of the best things current nonprofit managers and leaders can do to attract these new leaders is set an example of positive work-life balance.  Avoiding sending e-mails at all hours, staying in the office far into the night, and keeping weekends relatively work-free are simple ways to communicate that working to help others does not mean unacceptable personal sacrifice. 

Work-life Balance as an Organizational Value: DonorsChoose.org’s Story

DonorsChoose.org is known for helping teachers fund educational projects by providing an online platform that gives donors the flexibility to choose projects to support.  What may be news is that it also applies that flexibility to the organization’s approach to work-life balance.  The organization’s culture puts an emphasis on a healthy work-life balance by encouraging employees to use their alloted vacation time, maximize their individual work time, and work on a schedule that fits with each individual’s home and work life. 

“We still work hard enough that sometimes our work load is pretty immense, but in our employee survey, flexibility of work hours was one area that scored highly.  Our employees told us how much they appreciate the flexibility of their work time,” said Charles Best, Executive Director of DonorsChoose.org

Since there are a number of parents on staff, the organization is flexible about when employees can arrive and leave.  “One of our workers makes time to take his kids to school every day and so comes in more around 9:30 or 10:00, while some of the moms on our team make an effort to walk out of the office doors at 5:00 or 5:30 to be with their kids when they’re awake,” Best said.  By being flexible to these kinds of approaches, working at DonorsChoose.org encourages healthy family life in addition to a dedicated work life.

In addition to offering flexible hours, DonorsChoose.org offers five weeks of paid vacation at every level of employment. “We encourage people to take their vacation time, and unlike some law or consulting firms that state a policy but don’t stick to it, there is an organizational expectation and allowance for our team to take that time,” Best said. 

Additionally, the organization encourages employees to evaluate their work if they feel that they have too much on their plate. “There is a standing offer between managers and their direct reports that if someone is feeling overwhelmed their manager will run a prioritization exercise to maybe eliminate some items from the bottom of the priority list or prune down a task list to what has to get done,” Best said.  The organization is committed to helping its team work at its best and one of those ways is through promoting a healthy work-life balance. 

Balancing as Best You Can

Even if your organization does not offer all of these benefits, it pays to take a look at what they do offer and see how you can best take advantage of it.  Additionally, stay aware of the other things you can do to make your work life and home life as balanced as possible.  Taking stock of the important things you do during the day and remembering to take on only the tasks you know you have time for can increase your performance and productivity at work and make your home life happier too.  Dedicated people with nonprofit careers may have put their home lives aside in the past, but as new leaders look for positive examples to encourage them to direct nonprofits, paying attention to the balance of your work and life may be one of the most important things you can do for the health of both your career and the social sector.  Finding the right work-life balance can help you do a better job, create more impact while also giving the social sector a boost in attracting the best talent that will continue to make a difference. 

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

There are numerous benefits to building a long-term nonprofit career, such as connecting to organizational missions and working in sector that reflects your personal values.  However, there are challenges to sustaining a nonprofit career. Understanding these challenges and taking advantage of opportunities to advance your career are key to a long and successful nonprofit career. 

Understanding the Challenges

Comprehensive research has been done to explore the challenges that nonprofit professionals face in pursuit of strong, rewarding, and stimulating careers.  These studies show that many people who work in the nonprofit sector are not only committed to improving their world, but they are also committed to improving their careers.

CompassPoint’s 2006 Daring to Lead survey found that 90% of executives had participated in professional development of some kind and almost one in five enrolled in a nonprofit management degree or certificate program. In addition, 25% of respondents said they had used an executive coach at least once. 

This dedication to professional development and growth isn’t always matched by appropriate opportunities.  Respondents to Commongood Careers’ survey The Voice of Nonprofit Talent in 2008, for example, said that a “lack of career ladders” was one of their biggest concerns about sustaining a nonprofit career. 

Frequently, nonprofit leaders find that once they have reached a certain level in an organization, there is no further room for growth or promotion so they have to search for a different position position elsewhere in the sector. 

“In the private sector, highly competitive companies often tell employees to ‘move up or move out,’” The Voice of Nonprofit Talent notes, “but in the social sector, individuals are more often finding they must ‘move out to move up.’”

Similarly, the Daring to Lead survey found that almost half (43%) of the executives today reported that they had decided to spend some time in the for-profit sector to reach career development goals or to gain more expertise in management. 

Not only that, but many executives decide that “once is enough” to lead an organization.  Respondents to the Daring to Lead survey cited stress, personnel problems, and the constant need to juggle finances as major deterrents to taking on another leadership role.  With so much to manage, it is hardly surprising that the study also found that the majority of leaders had not identified a successor within their organization. 

Creating Ladders to Leadership

Some organizations are taking steps to address these challenges. As a result of the sector-wide recognition of the impending talent crunch, several new initiatives have been put into action.
 
The Center for Creative Leadership and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, for example, collaborated to create The Ladders to Leadership Program. This program, launched in May 2008, aims to build the leadership capacity of community-based nonprofit health and health-related organizations serving vulnerable populations, where people are often economically disadvantaged and have limited educational opportunities and inadequate access to health services.

“Nonprofit organizations are a critical part of health care and service delivery in this country. It is important that we work with current leaders to build a pipeline of qualified future CEOs and Executive Directors, so we do not lose the vision and capacity needed to continue to do this work effectively in the future,” said Sallie Petrucci George, Program Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Offering 270 early- to mid-career professionals access to a 16-month leadership development curriculum, the Ladder to Leadership focuses on helping social sector professionals develop critical leadership skills in order to ensure that the needs of the populations they serve are met in the most effective and efficient manner.

“Fellows will be taught a range of skills from how to build and manage a team to probli-solving and networking,” said Karen Dyer, Director of CCL’s Education and Nonprofit Sector. “We believe this program will have a powerful and lasting impact on individual leaders and their organizations.”

Similar leadership development programs include The United Way of New York City’s Nonprofit Leadership Development Institute, which offers training to entry-level, junior and senior nonprofit leaders in New York City.  Likewise, New Sector Alliance, in addition to offering organizational development services, provides one-on-one career coaching, customized training sessions, and workshops in career development topics like nonprofit management and socially responsible careers.
 
The Value of Mentor Relationships

Other organizations are working to address different aspects of the leadership challenges facing the field.  For example, the Center for Nonprofit Success found that many current CEOs and Executive Directors had questions about leading their organizations and developing their careers but did not know where to look for support. 

“We developed the mentor program so that nonprofit professionals have help when they need it. Having a mentor can help you grow in your organization, determine strategy, or probli solve. Mentors have experience running their own nonprofits and provide support and answers as well as advice,” said David Johnson, Communications Manager at the Center for Nonprofit Success. 

The program connects current leaders of nonprofits who volunteer to mentor other, often younger or less experienced leaders.  The organization couples the mentor and mentored based on a short questionnaire filled out upon application for the program and then lets the mentoring pair work on their own from there.

The idea of the program is to inspire dialog and mentorship within the sector.  Part of the goal of this program, Johnson said, is to start a trend of mentoring that will support the career development of nonprofit leaders.

A Robust Future for Nonprofit Careers

While there are a number of challenges to building a long-term nonprofit career, the sector is responding.  Thanks to an abundance of research on what it will take to develop the next generation of nonprofit leaders and some innovative programs already addressing these challenges, nonprofit professionals have more options for professional development to build and sustain long-term nonprofit careers than ever before.

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

A socially entrepreneurial organization (SEO) takes the goal of creating social impact to a new level by using innovative methods to organize, manage and measure a venture.  If you’re looking to make high impact in the social change arena and have a new, enterprising plan on how to do it, starting your own SEO could be a great choice for success.  In this article, we give you some tips on how to start a SEO that can survive, thrive, and even change the world. 

The Emerging Field

The idea of social entrepreneurship is not new.  The legacy of social entrepreneurs even reaches back to include historical figures like Florence Nightengale and Theodore Roosevelt. However, the term “social entrepreneur” became much more widespread in the 1980s, and today the movement is picking up more speed than ever. 

“[Today’s social entrepreneurs] have such an opportunity. There are no hard and fast rules.  It’s a whole new kind of hybrid world that brings together the best of both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors,” said Jerr Boschee, Executive Director of The Institute for Social Entrepreneurs and Visiting Professor of the Practice in Social Enterprise at Carnegie Mellon University.

The growth of this movement stems from the realization that “successful social entrepreneurs possess the same competencies as traditional business entrepreneurs, such as the abilities to plan strategically, manage people and programs, and measure results,” said Chaula Kothari, Director of Teach For America’s Social Entrepreneurship Initiative. These skills applied to SEOs create stronger, more sustainable organizations that assess their impact in tangible ways, and with excellent results.

Social Enterprise vs. Social Innovation

In the emerging world of SEOs, there are near limitless options for exploration, but two basic directions from which to approach them.  These are social enterprise and social innovation.  The differences are mostly in emphasis and final execution, although both rely on best practices, measurable results, and a socially-connected bottom line to drive their organizations. 

Starting a social enterprise “is not all that different from starting a business,” said Boschee.  A social enterprise is generally a venture whose ultimate purpose is social good and that advances and supports its social mission through a revenue generating mechanism guided by entrepreneurial principles.  It does not rely on fundraising or other more traditional nonprofit areas of revenue. 

Social enterprises take many forms and are becoming more and more prevalent.  Hot Bread Kitchen, for example, is a bakery that promotes independence and growth for immigrant women by creating professional opportunities for immigrant women as bakers.  The bakery sells various breads and rolls and then uses the profits to pay a competitive wage to its workers, as well as encourage its employees to start their own businesses.

Social innovators, on the other hand, start new organizations with the idea of systemic change that they use to create a sustainable organization. This can lead to organizations with better practices, more efficient management, and higher impact.  While sometimes social innovators take an existing nonprofit and begin thinking in new ways to come up with systemic changes, Boschee said, much social innovation starts from scratch. 

Social innovators fill a societal need not already addressed or take a new approach to meeting a need that is currently insufficiently addressed.  For example, the Education for Democracy Foundation is a cooperative effort between Polish and American pro-democratic educators to promote knowledge of democracy and provide skills for civic activity in a democratic state.  The organization gathers groups of between 10-15 volunteers, mainly made up of teachers, who are taught how to address both specific democratic issues as well as broader civic participation concerns in a training that takes the course of a year.

“The idea isn’t to adhere slavishly to either a social innovation or social enterprise model,” Boschee continued.  “The real challenge is to discover which one of them is the best approach for meeting a specific social need.”

Five Steps to Starting Your Own SEO

As a starting point, here are five concrete steps to help you plan to launch a socially entrepreneurial organization:

1) Clarify your objectives — Consider the ultimate goal of this SEO.  What social need will it meet and how will it meet it?  They should be issues that you are passionate about and that you really believe in.

2) Find a balance — Always keep in mind that the success of your SEO relies on a balance between sustainable social change endeavors and sustainable business practices.  What balance will make your organization most successful? 

3) Research the field — Learn from the people who have come before you and don’t limit yourself in the scope of your research.  See how other organizations and businesses, whether public or private, have used innovative methods.  Try to learn from their mistakes.  Make contacts and consider partnerships if it is appropriate.  (For a unique conversation about failed social ventures, look at a recent discussion on Social Edge)

4) Understand your market — It is essential to have a good understanding of the market for your product or service if you hope to make an impact.  Know who you will be serving and what they really need.  Always make sure what you are providing is something that the people you will be serving need. 

5) Know your numbers — Understand at least the basics of managing the finances your organization will be working with.  An ambitious vision for your organization will certainly get you somewhere, but if you don’t have a clear understanding of what makes your organization work financially, you won’t be able to plan strategically or make complete decisions.  (For a comprehensive list of FAQs about nonprofit finance management visit CompassPoint’s Nonprofit Genie)

Some Expert Advice

Starting your own SEO has some solid steps, but it also takes much more than simply following any single process.  Kothari and Boschee both say there are a few things that transcend the basic how-to of starting a SEO.

“If you plan to start your own organization, you need to be absolutely committed to and happy with what you are doing,” Kothari commented.  “If you’re not happy to take on the challenges that come with starting your own organization, you will not do a good job of helping others.”

Boschee agreed, saying “don’t do it unless it is literally the most exciting thing in your life.”  A passion for the mission and the work of an organization is what makes it most successful. 

“However, be candid with yourself if the results are not really there,” Boschee added.  There is an important balance between passion for continuing a mission and understanding when to move on from a venture. 

Ultimately, today’s social entrepreneurs have the opportunity to take advantage of the exciting changes in the nonprofit sector.  They have the chance to be innovative and make a difference in the world in a way that is promising and fresh.  “Social entrepreneurs look at social need with a new set of lenses,” Boschee said. “There are no rules for today’s social entrepreneurs.  They can be the trailblazers.”

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

There’s an old saying: for every door that closes, another one opens. When leaving one job for another, make sure that the door doesn’t hit you on the way out.

Everyone leaves jobs for different reasons, some personal and some employer-related. Whatever your specific reason, it is important to show respect for your current employer upon your exit.

Before making your decision to leave, think long and hard about it.  Make sure that it is the best decision for you and that there is nothing that could change (promotion, pay increase, flexible scheduling, etc.) that would alter your decision.

Once you have come to this conclusion, analyze your particular situation with your employer.  It is recommended that you start talking to your employer early, give the organization plenty of notice, and do as much as possible to ensure a smooth transition.

The following are some specific tips on what to do—and not do—in order to transition out of a position with integrity, grace, and style.  Most of these suggestions are intended to apply when it is you who is initiating a resignation process, though most of the following are also applicable if it is your employer who initiates a termination discussion.

Do take into consideration, when contemplating leaving, whether your decision to leave may harm your credibility within the sector or field in which you are employed.  Be aware that if you plan to continue to work in the same field, potential employers may question your decision to leave a similar organization.

Do have a clear conversation with your manager about your decision and try to time it so that your supervisor is able to absorb the news.  Think in advance about his/her possible reactions and be prepared for any possibility; don’t be shocked by your employer’s reaction, whether positive or negative.  Often, you can predict how your employer may react by honestly gauging your performance and by thinking about how much of an impact on the organization your departure might have.

Do give as much notice as possible; 30 days is standard, with a minimum of 2 weeks.  Be prepared for the possibility of your employer letting you go sooner, however, and plan your remaining time carefully for the smoothest transition.

Don’t try to use your paid vacation days at the end of your employment term.  Although you may be legally entitled to this compensation, employers will often view this as petty or insulting if you initiated the resignation process.  This practice is more commonly used as severance when an employer initiates a termination.

Do craft a professional explanation of your departure to share with peers, contacts, and others in the field.  Review any such notice with your employer before sending it out to any constituents whose opinion they might value.

Do allow your supervisor the opportunity to negotiate with you to stay, but only if you would actually consider staying.  Be realistic about the likelihood of any counter-offer coming to fruition and take this into consideration.  If you have made up your mind to leave, you should not consider any counter-offers; it will only lead to frustration on the part of your employer and will serve to make you look greedy.

Don’t look for a new job while on-site at your current place of employment, even if you have already decided to leave or you have informed your employer of your decision.  It is unprofessional and reflects poor character and judgment.

Do take into account the impact your departure will have on the organization. In most cases, your departure will require the organization to find a replacement, which can be a difficult and time-consuming process.  Be willing to help transfer your personal institutional knowledge to others.  You might offer to write a manual that outlines the position’s key tasks and projects, including important contacts and systems used.  It may also be that the position will be vacant for a period of time after your departure.  Ensure that all of your projects are left at a place where they can be put on hold temporarily or easily picked-up by someone not familiar with the project.

Do offer to help write and/or revise the job description for your position. Also, offer to participate in the process of finding and training your replacement, if desired by your employer.

Don’t forget to tie up any logistical loose ends (e.g. final pay, keys, passwords, health insurance and COBRA forms if needed).

Do request an exit interview to share and receive final feedback, if appropriate.

Do use this opportunity to build credibility with your employer. Even though you are leaving, be as available and present as possible in your final weeks on the job, exhibiting a positive attitude and performing at a high level.  This will leave your employer with a positive impression of you and your work.  As you continue down your career path, you will find that relationships with past employers are vital, so be sure leave the best impression along the way.

This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.

For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.

Graduate degrees and professional certifications can provide nonprofit jobseekers with a leg up in their careers; in some cases, a degree or certification in a specific field may even be required for certain positions. Even if not required, post-bachelor’s education provides the opportunity to establish professional contacts, experience an internship, and increase knowledge about a specialized function or field within the nonprofit sector.

How do you decide if a graduate degree or professional certification is necessary to reach your career goals? Here are some ideas.

To Go or Not to Go?

The decision to invest in a graduate or continuing education program is an important one. These programs typically require a substantial financial and time investment. According to Cassie Brown, Vice President of Commongood Careers, knowing what you’ll get out of a particular program can inform your decision.

“Generally, there are two reasons to go to graduate school,” Cassie says. “The first reason is to acquire job-specific, vocational training as required for positions in certain fields. For example, if you want to be a public school teacher, you get a Master’s in Teaching with certification.”

“The second reason is to gain experiential or environmental knowledge, such as pursuing a Master’s of Education in order to work as an administrator in a nonprofit or school setting. While this type of training is more theoretical, it provides the intellectual knowledge needed to operate in a particular professional environment or arena,” Cassie adds.

When contemplating “to go or not to go,” ask yourself the following questions:

• What educational credentials are required in my field or career of interest?
• How will a specific degree or certification help me achieve my career goals?
• Are there comparable ways to earn the same training and knowledge available through a graduate or continuing education program? (e.g. internships, volunteering, on-the-job experience)
• Will a specific degree or certification make me a more attractive candidate to particular nonprofits? (This is especially relevant to jobseekers new to the nonprofit sector and recent college graduates.)
• Will I be able to manage the expense and potential debt resulting from a graduate or continuing education program?
• Does the time required to continue my education fit with my current or desired lifestyle?

When it comes time to choose a course of study, there are many options. To assist in your exploration of program options, consider the following:

Many nonprofit professionals hold other important degrees, such as law degrees, master’s degrees in public health and social work, and specialized degrees in functional areas like accounting, fundraising, counseling, finance, and technology.

Putting a Degree to Work

Here are a few examples of nonprofit professionals who have used their advanced degrees to help them pursue exciting career opportunities:

Caitlin MacDonald, Events and Communications Manager at Year Up, a professional training program for young urban adults, worked as a high school English teacher before deciding to pursue an MBA with a concentration in Public and Nonprofit Management. Eager to work in an organization that creates educational opportunities, Caitlin believed earning this degree would provide her with the hard skills and experiences needed to transition from the classroom to a new environment.

“Before going to business school, I had a lot of experience in the education field, but not a lot of experience in how nonprofits operate,” Caitlin says. “My degree gave me hands-on experience in core nonprofit functions like development, accounting, and strategy.”

“The result of this education goes well beyond the acquisition of hard skills,” Caitlin adds, “I learned so much about nonprofit environments in general, such as common nonprofit inefficiencies and organizational cultures. Upon completion of my degree, I felt really prepared to join an organization in a strategic role. I wouldn’t have been able to get the knowledge and experience required for my current position if I hadn’t gone to business school.”

For Krista Clarkson, earning a Master’s in Teaching not only allowed her to work as a social studies teacher, but prepared her for a program role at a nonprofit organization that supports educational programs. A former Teach For America participant and charter school teacher, Krista is now the Associate Director of the Fellowship Educational Program at Building Excellent Schools, a national training program for charter school founders.

“In addition to allowing me to become an instructor, my Master’s program provided the intellectual space to think about big issues in education,” Krista says. “I acquired the knowledge to understand how to access and leverage resources in an educational setting, a critical skill when forging new ground in developing a new charter school.”

Krista found her training in classroom instruction to be an asset in her current role. “Being able to approach a non-teaching role with an instructional eye is key. When I know what a good classroom looks like, I’m better able to inform the educational needs of the charter school founders I’m currently working with, and develop systems to support them.”

Throughout her 20 year career, Claudia Alfaro, Director of Volunteers at Citizens Schools, has held program and operations management roles at a number of education-related organizations. In order to expand her knowledge and expertise, Claudia invested in continuing education classes in business, including business strategy, nonprofit management, and business management.

“At Citizens Schools, our programs and operations are growing extensively. The training I received through business classes allows me to bring a strategic eye to creating systems and scaling for growth,” Claudia says. “As my classes were case-based, I received exposure to many different business scenarios. I am able to apply that experience to implient successful partnerships and to develop programs in a nonprofit setting.”

Some Helpful Resources

There are numerous books, web sites, and other resources about graduate and continuing education programs. Here are a few of Commongood Careers’ favorite resources on the subject:

Idealist Graduate School Fairs
A multi-city annual free event created to help people considering graduate education as a way to improve their skills and advance their nonprofit careers

Harvard Business School Guide to Careers in the Nonprofit Sector
A print resource MBAs interested in entering the nonprofit sector as full-time managers, board members, or volunteers.

Social Enterprise Reporter
An overview of MBA programs that focus on nonprofit management and social entrepreneurship

US News & World Report
A ranking of over 1,200 graduate programs in a number of disciplines