Even during the recession from 2007 to 2009, nonprofit jobs increased by an average of 1.9 percent per year. At the same time, businesses averaged jobs losses of 3.7 percent per year.

“Nonprofit organizations have been holding the fort for much of the rest of the economy over the past decade, creating jobs right through the recent recession and jobs crisis while other components of the economy have been shedding jobs at accelerating rates,” noted Lester M. Salamon, study author and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies. “Ironically, with signs of recovery beginning to appear, there are serious questions about whether nonprofits will be able to sustain this resilient performance in the wake of the impending sharp cuts in government spending,” Salamon added.

At 10.7 million workers as of 2010, nonprofit organizations employ the third largest workforce among U.S. industries, behind only retail trade and manufacturing.

While overall nonprofit employment grew faster than overall business employment during the 2000-2010 decade, in three key fields—social assistance, education, and nursing home care—for-profit employment growth actually outpaced nonprofits. As a result, nonprofit organizations operating in these fields lost significant market share to for-profits.

“The continued loss of nonprofit market share is a cause for real concern, particularly since it results from the unequal playing field nonprofits confront in accessing capital and their resistance to slashing employee benefits or skimping on the quality of services,” noted Larry Minnix, CEO of Leading Age, an association of nonprofit organizations serving the elderly. “We need to be careful that human needs don’t simply become commodities,” Mr. Minnix added.

Other findings from the report include:

• The U.S. nonprofit sector employs 15 times more workers than the nation’s mining industry, nearly 10 times more workers than the agriculture industry, and about twice as many workers as the construction industry.
• The vast majority of nonprofit jobs are in three service fields—health care (57 percent), education (15 percent), and social assistance (13 percent).

• During the 2007-2009 recession, nonprofit employment grew in 45 of the 46 states on which state-specific data were available, while for-profit employment declined in 45.

• Nonprofit employment also grew in all regions of the country from 2000 to 2010, with an average annual growth rate that ranged from 1.5 percent in the East South Central region to 3.4 percent in the Mountain region. During this same time span, for-profit employment registered annual average declines in all but two of the regions, and the growth rate in these two was no more than one-seventh as robust as the nonprofit one.

• While nonprofit employment in social assistance grew at an average annual rate of 2.2 percent between 2000 and 2010, for-profit employment in this field grew by an average of 5.4 percent per year. As a result, the nonprofit market share in this field fell from 62 percent in 2000 to 54 percent in 2010. Similarly, for-profit growth outpaced nonprofit growth in education (4.4 percent vs. 2.6 percent) and nursing home care (2.3 percent vs. 1.3 percent).

These findings come from a report presenting previously unavailable data on year-to-year changes in employment in private, nonprofit establishments in the United States from January 2000 through June 2010. The data were drawn from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), a data collection program carried out regularly by state governments throughout the country in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as part of the U.S. Unemployment Insurance Program.

The full report, Holding the Fort: Nonprofit Employment during a Decade of Turmoil, which includes charts with state by state data, is available at http://ccss.jhu.edu/publications-findings?did=369.

The Center is part of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies, within the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The American Express NGen Fellows program gives emerging nonprofit leaders an exceptional opportunity to strengthen their capacity for future impact. Over the course of nine months, Kevin will collaborate with other talented under-40 leaders, interact with established mentors, and contribute to Independent Sector’s work on nonprofit impact and leadership.

Kevin is known by many as “the guy who knows everyone.” In his role as Director of Recruitment and Candidate Services at Commongood Careers, Kevin is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with nonprofit talent across the sector.

But that’s not all! Kevin manages our career advising program, as well as leads presentations on the topic of human capital at universities including MIT, Harvard, Yale and Boston University, and at the national conferences of KIPP Schools, Independent Sector and Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy.

Kevin is also one of our most skilled search consultants, having led over 80 executive searches for nonprofit organizations and social entrepreneurs including Public Allies, College Summit and Year Up.

Please join us in congratulating Kevin. And look for great things to come from our resident emerging leader in the years to come!

Commongood Careers has definitely experienced the uptick in hiring in the last 6 months and we have also experienced the challenges of hiring in an environment where turnover is very low.  Jobseekers today tend to be more hesitant about making a transition – why would you leave the known to go to the unknown in a time of uncertainty?  And when they do consider a transition, they are looking at positions that would represent a upward move, are being extremely selective and doing significant amounts of due diligence on potential employers, and are seeking increases in salary and benefits.  Overall, we have seen candidates declining job offers at a higher rate than ever before.

What does this mean for organizations that are excited to finally be hiring again?  First, you need to make sure that your positions are scoped to be very appealing to the right types of candidates.  You have to recognize the dynamics at play and understand that jobseekers will be looking for career progression as opposed to a lateral move.  You need to ensure that your organization is stable, leadership is strong, and that the position is not at risk of being cut.  Finally, you need to be prepared to offer very competitive salaries and benefits in order to get someone to leave their current position.

Overall, even with such high unemployment rates nationwide, recruiting and hiring in the nonprofit sector is more challenging than ever, as organizations really only want to hire professionals who are actively employed.  So get prepared to invest in a hiring process that is longer and harder than you might have expected a couple of years ago.

Each year, the Manhattan Institute presents the William E. Simon Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Social Entrepreneurship in the amount of $100,000 to the founder or leader of a clearly effective organization who has emerged as a prominent public leader in his/her field.

The Institute also annually presents up to five Awards for Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship, at a value of $25,000 each, to nonprofit organizations that provide a direct service within the continental United States to address a public problem. Winners are free to allocate the prize money as they see fit, including by directing it to the organization’s founder or an individual social entrepreneur.

Please note that the nomination process for the William E. Simon Prize is separate from that for the Awards for Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship.

Nominations may be submitted by anyone familiar with a person’s or group’s activities except for a current employee of that person or group. All nominations must be submitted through the online form on the Manhattan Institute website.

The Manhattan Institute annually presents up to five Awards for Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship, at a value of $25,000 each, to nonprofit organizations that provide direct, effective services to Americans in need.

Nominations will be accepted until March 29, 2011. All nominations are submitted to the Social Entrepreneurship Selection Committee. After review and discussion, the Committee selects a small group (up to ten) as finalists. A representative of the Manhattan Institute visits each of these finalists. The Committee then makes the final selections based on these site visits.

He writes how an increase in volunteer service can help maintain the “feeling to act” generated by the film. He makes a case for how everyday citizens can impact the education reform movement by 1) creating a shift from ideology to pragmatism, 2) acting upon a sense of urgency to impact student lives, and 3) gaining knowledge that “change is possible and that the challenges facing our schools…can be addressed.”

It’s not just our clients speaking up, but the news media too. In last Monday’s New York Daily News, Stanley Crouch reports on Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF), a program that signs up students for after-school activities focused on preparing them for entering and graduating from college.

Crouch points out that, in comparison with some of the grim statistics put forth in “Waiting for Superman,” programs like HEAF buck the odds; all of its kids graduate from high school, 98% go to college and 95% graduate in six years or less.

If you’re interested in helping to advance the phenomenal work of HEAF, they are currently hiring for a Director of Development. You can find the full job description and application instructions at: http://www.cgcareers.org/jobs/detail/director-of-development18/

H.R. 5533 will create a bipartisan “United States Council on Nonprofit Organizations and Community Solutions,” comprised of leaders from nonprofits, foundations, businesses, and all levels of government to identify high-priority issues and make formal recommendations to Congress and the Administration. The legislation will also establish the “Interagency Working Group on Nonprofit Organizations and the Federal Government” to improve policy coordination among agencies in their dealings with nonprofit organizations to enhance outcomes and accountability. Finally, the Nonprofit Sector and Community Solutions Act would assign the Department of Commerce the task of compiling data on nonprofits and develop metrics for performance, establish reporting requirements, and expand information so Congress can make well-informed policy decisions on nonprofit legislation.

According to Congresswomen McCollum, the bill is “a first step” and “the beginning of a positive conversation about the nonprofit sector in Washington, DC.” She states the goals of this legislation are to build a stronger nonprofit sector, craft smarter federal policy and create more vibrant communities in every state.

We at Commongood Careers believe that this innovative bill recognizes as never before the vital role that nonprofit organizations play throughout our communities and our economy, as well as the potential for stronger partnerships between nonprofits and government agencies to further that important work. Demonstrating our support, the following is the transcript of a letter written by Commongood Careers’ Founder and CEO James Weinberg, as published on Congresswoman’s McCollum’s website:

Dear Congresswoman McCollum:

James Weinberg
Founder & CEO

For more information on this legislation, visit Congresswomen’s McCollum’s website.

• Charles Best, founder and CEO, DonorsChoose.org
• Darell Hammond, co-founder and CEO, KaBOOM!
• Rachel Lloyd, founder and executive director, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services

The American Express NGen Leadership Award was created to honor one under-40 nonprofit professional who has had a transformative impact on addressing society’s critical needs. A committee of nonprofit leaders reviewed the nominees and selected these distinguished finalists.

Established by the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, SIF will support some of the nation’s most innovative and groundbreaking foundations and nonprofits.  As Commongood Careers and Talent Initiative are dedicated to supporting the growth and development of such organizations, we have watched with eager anticipation over the past year as this historic legislation was brought to life by the team administering the funds at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Perhaps most exciting of all, however, is the paradigm shift that SIF represents in how the government thinks about investing in social change.  During the press conference to announce the SIF’s grantees, the Corporation’s CEO, Patrick Corvington, stated that, “Feeling good is not enough. Impact is what matters. Results are what matter.”

The SIF grantees are incredibly diverse in terms of their location, structure, and even mission focus.  Corvington explained the connection between these disparate groups in a press release by saying that, “They are all driven by the search for bold solutions and recognize that we must use evidence to target limited resources where they will have the greatest impact.” 

In our experience, SIF grantees can have the greatest impact by targeting their limited resources on “human capital.”  And by human capital, we mean that to fully leverage growth capital, nonprofits must be able to recruit sufficient numbers of talented staff and volunteers, utilize proven management systems, and shape their cultures in order to position talent for success, development, and retention.

Having worked for years with several of the SIF grantees, as well as the organizations that they support, we have witnessed first-hand the results that these foundations achieve when they bring financial capital together with human capital.

Although many traditional foundations have either overlooked human capital issues or focused only occasionally on piecemeal support, pioneering groups like New Profit Inc., Venture Philanthropy Partners, and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation have excelled in supporting a more complete range of human capital needs across their grantees. 

Most of these foundations have senior staff dedicated specifically to advancing the human capital practices of their grantees.  They share information and resources with their portfolio, implement operationally-focused evaluation tools, and help ensure that the right leaders are in the right roles. 

The investment strategies of these funders have proven that optimizing human capital allows their grantees to increase revenue flows, decrease program costs, improve program outcomes, accelerate growth trajectories, create sustainable organizations, and achieve mission impact.

We strongly encourage all SIF grantees to consider the impact that human capital will have on their efforts, as well as the many ways that they can help to control those outcomes.  For example, when sub-granting funds to nonprofits, they can: ask about plans to expand leadership teams and management infrastructures; designate funding to support those investments; encourage diverse teams that include talent from constituent communities; provide resources for professional development; and collect and disseminate best-practices and knowledge.

As a fundamental determinant of social return on investment, human capital can either be an unanticipated barrier to success or an effective catalyst for achieving it.  The difference comes down to intent and strategy.

This bill seeks to transform the way government thinks about and partners with the nonprofit community across the country. We see this legislation as an important part of the social innovation and America Forward policy agenda, and are pleased to be partnering with Rep. McCollum along with leading nonprofit sector organizations that have helped to frame this ground-breaking proposal.

With rare exceptions, the nonprofit sector is invisible to the federal government.  We have entire agencies devoted to supporting small business, trade, commerce, and other industries.  And yet, the nonprofit sector is just as vital to our economy, employing one out of ten individuals and delivering critical human, social, educational, and cultural services.  Innovation in the social sector is as important as it is in the business world.  This legislation will help the federal government do a better job supporting innovation in this realm.

You can read more about the legislation at http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/nscsact. 

We look forward to continuing to work with Congresswoman McCollum and other nonprofit partners to move this legislation in the next Congress.

Though employers across industries are showing reluctance to hire full-time employees in favor of part-time, temp-to-hire and independent contractors, according to Linda Duffy, president of Leadership Habitude, there are certain industries showing potential for serious growth—the kind that offers job stability long term.

1. Nonprofit

James Weinberg, Founder and CEO of Commongood Careers, says the nonprofit sector continues to grow, representing 12 percent of the GNP and workforce. Says Weinberg, “Based on our experience, nonprofits focusing on education and health, as well as those considered to be entrepreneurial social innovators, are best positioned for rapid growth.” Though many nonprofits lean heavily on government funding, budget cuts on the state and federal level have made an impact. Development directors responsible for raising money will likely be more valuable than ever. Median salaries for full-time fundraisers are around $61,000, according to online salary database, PayScale.com.

Read the full article.

As part of theirwork to increase the impact of volunteering, they are examining the current practices in both the nonprofit and corporate sectors.  This research will help inform the design of potential solutions to improve volunteer management. 

For the nonprofit sector they are reaching out to Volunteer Management departments of all sizes from all over the country to participate in this research and have assembled a volunteer team who is fielding this study.

For their research, they are asking Volunteer Management departments of all sizes from all over the country to participate by taking 15 minutes of your time to complete the survey linked below.  The objective of the survey is to collect information on the tools and resources used by nonprofits in Volunteer Management to help identify where challenges/opportunities lie in the sector.  Your candid responses will be integral on developing an understanding of the Volunteer Management sector and will help shape the work of this cross-sector national effort.

They plan to share the findings from this research and potential volunteer management solutions at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in June 2010 during the Reimagining Service Forum. 

Please complete the survey by Friday, April 2, 2010: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22AEAXPJHRS

Today we join many across the nation in applauding the Senate’s unanimous approval of Patrick Corvington to become the next CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Patrick Corvington brings 20 years of first-hand experience in the nonprofit, service and philanthropic sectors to an important new position that has the potential to play a central role in carrying forward the President’s vision of national service and social innovation.

His strong leadership skills and extensive knowledge of nonprofit capacity building are likely to prove to be invaluable in helping the Corporation—as well as the organizations that it supports and partners with across the country—to achieve higher levels of impact, innovation, and effectiveness. 

Commongood Careers would particularly like to celebrate Mr. Corvington’s longstanding commitment to leadership and human capital issues within the nonprofit sector, as well as the vital role that talent management plays in expanding effective program models.

Adding Patrick Corvington’s leadership to the existing commitments of the President and Congress, we now have a unique opportunity to engage even more Americans in service, to continue to strengthen and build the capacity of the nonprofit sector, and to address some of our society’s most pressing challenges through innovative new approaches.

We look forward to working as a partner with the Corporation and Mr. Corvington to these ends.

James Weinberg
Founder & CEO
Commongood Careers

In the wake of an unemployment rate at 10 percent, the White House last week reached out to approximately 130 leaders from business, government, academia, labor and the nonprofit sector to seek input on the most effective ways to create jobs.

While President Obama emphasized that “true economic recovery is only going to come from the private sector,” he recognized the important role that local government can play in spurring investment in communities and sought out suggestions from cities by inviting five mayors from across the country to participate in the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth. President Obama also encouraged Americans around the country to gather and discuss employment issues and solutions in their local communities.

Since then, thousands of citizens has responded to this call to action. Due to the overwhelming response, the White House has extended the deadline to January 7, 2010. This is an exciting opportunity to explore how to address job creation with your local neighbors, business owners, elected officials, and others who have felt the impact of the economic crisis firsthand.

If you are interested in hosting a jobs discussion in your community, complete this form. The White House will then email you discussion questions and other materials to help make your event as productive as possible and give you instructions on to how to share feedback with the White House staff.

Dear Friends of America Forward,

On December 8, Congress made a formal decision to fully fund for the Social Innovation Fund in its first year at $50 million. The Social Innovation Fund will serve as a robust mechanism for partnering across sectors to identify and invest in proven innovations, and will provide the critical catalytic capital necessary to bring these solutions to bear on problems faced by communities across the country.

This $50 million dollar investment in 2010 has the potential to grow to as much as $200 million in its first year, by leveraging private and philanthropic support for both intermediaries and grantees. While we recognize that this may seem small, relative to the billions being invested in restoring our nation’s economy, this pilot fund has the potential to serve as a potent example of the power of social innovation to solve truly complex social problems. Achieving full funding in its first year is a remarkable starting point for what we believe will become a new way to solve problems across government.

We sincerely thank you all for your hard work in securing full funding for the Social Innovation Fund. As you know, this was a long and challenging process, and our success lies in your ability to mobilize with passion around this Fund. Your countless calls, emails, and letters to appropriators helped make the case that there is widespread and deep demand for a new way of solving problems, and that organizations stand ready to scale their programs to the communities where they are most needed.

We also deeply appreciate the forward-thinking champions of social innovation on Capitol Hill, who rallied their colleagues to call for a new way of investing in solving problems. We are inspired by their leadership and vision for a future where all children and families have access to the powerful solutions of social entrepreneurs.

While this is surely a moment for celebration, lots of work remains to be done to achieve success for the Social Innovation Fund. We must now come together to support the implientation of the Fund, to prove that this is a more effective way to invest government dollars, and that by focusing on growing high-impact organizations we can overcome many of the great social challenges faced by our nation.

Thank you for your dedication to this effort. We are eager to continue advancing the social innovation agenda and the Fund.

Best regards,

The America Forward Team

At various conferences, through dedicated convenings such as the one that I was fortunate to have recently attended, and by conducting research including Career Pathways to Philanthropic Leadership, the Council is increasingly focusing its attention on the human side of foundation work. For example…

• Who makes important human resource investment decisions?
• How are individuals selected, prepared, and managed?
• How can we improve the status quo?

All of this is a good start and I wouldn’t say that it is “too little, too late,” especially because I am so appreciative of all efforts moving in this direction, but, as a sector, man oh man do we have a long way to go!

These are issues and problems that have been largely ignored for the better part of a century. And foundations, as a whole, have historically been more of the cause of the probli than its solution when it comes to human resources.

Traditional philanthropic thinking has classified almost all overhead as wasteful, slashed HR functions as expendable, and created a sector of unstable, unsustainable, inefficient, and ineffective organizations. The current state of HR in the larger foundation community and the nonprofit sector at large can best be categorized as abysmal, but it is not without hope.

I am happy to see a new wave of institutions emerging, most notably led by a few major institutions and the maverick venture philanthropists who fund social entrepreneurs. Some of these folks truly appreciate the importance of investing in human capital. They have seen that their grantees and their own institutions are better able to generate social return on investment when they recruit the right leadership, compensate them appropriately, manage them effectively, and ensure that they continue to develop and grow as individuals.

I would encourage the Council in everything that it does to find and connect with these enlightened next-generation funders, hold them up as exemplars, and position them to be teachers and evangelists for the rest of us.

There is a moral imperative at work here. We must get better at talent recruitment, management, and development. To fail in this endeavor, or to continue to fail to try to improve, is an enormous waste of resources and a corruption of our social mission.

—posted by James Weinberg

James Weinberg is Founder and CEO of Commongood Careers. He also serves as a board member on Emerging Practitioners In Philanthropy.

CNCS is a vital organization positioned centrally at the heart of the nonprofit sector and the social service movement in America.

Patrick Covington is a wise and intuitive leader who has loyally served the sector for decades, most recently from his senior position at the Annie E. Casey Foundation.  He has the experience, credibility, perspective, networks and influence to take on the enormous task of implienting the Kennedy Serve America Act and answering the President’s call to national service.

Among the many important causes that Patrick has championed, but perhaps of greatest interest to the Commongood Careers community, he has been a staunch supporter of next-generation talent, inter-generational dialogues, enlightened organizational management, and the value of true diversity within the nonprofit sector and its leadership.

The nonprofit sector has one of the fastest rates of job growth in the country.  It can be—and it must be—a central pillar within our nation’s economic recovery plan.  That is why it is so significant to have one of the sector’s greatest institutions led by a visionary who truly understands what it takes to build and develop effective, people-centered organizations.

CNCS needs a CEO immediately, and the nation needs that CEO to be Patrick Corvington.  I hope that you will join me in urging Congress to put his confirmation on a fast track, and in supporting him in this new and challenging role.

—James Weinberg, Founder and CEO, Commongood Careers

Nonprofits employ 15 million people and, as a sector, account for 11-12% of the nation’s GDP. Over 93% of these organizations have budgets of less than $1 million dollars. If these aren’t not small employers, who is?

The bottom line is this: nonprofits deserve recognition as a major source of employment in this country.

One source of support to get this message across to government is the V3 campaign, a grassroots movement that is determined to ask every candidate for higher office—from small town mayoral contenders to presidential nominees—to provide details about their experience with nonprofits and their plans for partnering with, and strengthening the nonprofit sector if they are elected. The V3 website has some great ways that anyone can support the nonprofit sector, and get the message out that nonprofits are a viable and essential part of the U.S. workforce, economy, and spirit.

Here’s to a more visible, recognized, and valuable nonprofit sector!

The article also pointed out the increase in competition for nonprofit jobs, even the traditionally entry-level and low-paid ones. For example, Peace Corps applications are up 12% and AmeriCorps applications have tripled over the last year. Plus, like most work sectors, hiring is down across the board, resulting in a surplus of talent for fewer positions overall.

In this “buyer’s market” for talent, how can job seekers find out about who’s hiring first? Three simple words: FOLLOW THE MONEY. Track news about nonprofits that are receiving funding, increasing their budgets, launching new programs, etc.

Guidestar can be a great source for researching general budget information, but you’ll also want to follow headlines on grantmaking activity on a news aggregator like Google News or Alltop. We’ve found Alltop to be an amazingly comprehensive resource that pulls the latest nonprofit news items about all things nonprofits from a variety of sources, including blogs and press releases.

To find out who is giving what to whom, familiarize yourself with The Foundation Center website. There is a grant look-up tool on the site. Also, visit the websites of major funders (e.g. Ford Foundation, Kellogg Foundation) as well as niche foundations (e.g. Edna McConnell Clark, New Profit) to get the skinny on how these funders are supporting their portfolio organizations. Before you know it, you’ll have the inside scoop on which organizations are expanding. This knowledge may lead you to a career opportunity well in advance of an actual job posting. For other resources to leverage in your research, check out our Resource Directory.

Engaging with innovative nonprofits like Year Up is central to the Obama administration’s efforts to tackle persistent social problems and highlight what works in our communities. 

Read more about Obama’s visit to Year Up in The New York Times.

If your organization is interested in getting involved with the Summer of Service initiative, please email ServiceInitiative@cns.gov for more information.

Published in April 2009, the report “Finding Leaders for America’s Nonprofits” suggests that the leadership deficit previously forecasted by Bridgespan in 2006 has widened. According to the report, senior job openings grew to 77,000 in 2008, a figure that is 43% greater than what had been predicted in Bridgespan’s 2006 survey report, “The Nonprofit Sector’s Leadership Deficit.”

Additionally, and despite the current economic conditions, 28% of organizations surveyed plan to fill over 24,000 senior management roles in 2009.

Where will these leaders come from? While Bridgespan suggests that talent recruited from the corporate and government sectors can step in to fill these roles, that is just one piece of the puzzle. The need for organizations to develop leaders from within has never been greater. The ability to identify “next generation” leaders within your own organization, and then provide career ladders, mentoring and other professional development opportunities will also help to address the leadership challenge. By thinking creatively and broadly – both within and outside of our organizations—there are solutions to the leadership gap.

Earlier today, Obama made the following statement on the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act:

“I congratulate the House on passing the bipartisan Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.  This is legislation that will usher in a new era of service in America, and I look forward to signing it into law when I return to Washington.” 

“Because of this legislation, millions of Americans at all stages of their lives will have new opportunities to serve their country.  From improving service learning in schools to creating an army of 250,000 Corps members a year dedicated to addressing our nation’s toughest problems. From connecting working Americans to a variety of part-time service opportunities to better utilizing the skills and experience of our retirees and baby boomers. This legislation will help tap the genius of our faith based and community organizations, and it will find the most innovative ideas for addressing our common challenges and helping those ideas grow.  But while our government can provide every opportunity imaginable for us to serve our communities, now it is up to each of us to seize those opportunities.  I call on all Americans to stand up and do what they can to serve their communities, shape our history and enrich both their own lives and the lives of others across this country.”

The passing of this legislation is largely due to the mobilization of a huge citizen movement, organized largely by the leaders and members America Forward and Service Nation. We are proud to be a part of both of these coalitions.

It truly is an historic time for social innovation and service in this country!

Here a few amazing highlights resulting from the national mobilization around this legislation:

• The New York Times published an editorial in favor of the Serve America Act, as did the Appleton Post-Crescent in Wisconsin.
• Shirley Sagawa published a great piece on the Center for American Progress Blog called “A Chance to Make America Better”
• ServiceNation funder Laurie M. Tisch wrote an op-ed for the Philanthropy News Digest
• ServiceNation Youth Chair, Usher, sent out a text message to all of his followers asking them to call their Senators in support of Serve America.
• A number of organizations today sent out email updates and/or calls to action to their entire email list including Youth Service America, Rock the Vote, I have a Dream Foundation, YouthBuild and Democrats Work. Do Something highlighted the call to action on their homepage.
• Habitat for Humanity made phone calls in 7 states; David Battey of YVCA rallied his network in Kansas to make phone calls; and AmeriCorps Alums mobilized in Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee.
• The National Council on Aging released a statement of support of the Serve America Act.
• The AARP has decided to make the Serve America Act an accountability vote this means they will publicly post how each member votes on their government watch site and let their members know where their Senator sided. They will be faxing every Senate office letting them know that they will be publishing the results on their website. Senator Mikulski has also agreed to guest-blog about the Serve America Act on the AARP blog

Last Friday, members of Service Nation were asked to mobilize our networks in preparation for this week’s Senate vote on the Serve America Act. In just a few days, our coalition, working with Voices for National Service and America Forward, rallied and we are off to an extremely positive start.

Floor debate in the Senate began today at around 4:00PM with excellent speeches by Senators Mikulski, Hatch, McCain, Kerry and others. Senator Kennedy was also present on the Senate floor. It was followed by a cloture vote to allow the bill to proceed. The final vote on the cloture was 74-14 in favor of proceeding. This was an extremely strong bi-partisan vote, with 22 Republicans joining 50 Democrats and 2 Independents voting in favor.  The full vote tally is pasted below.

As we move forward throughout the week, it must be our goal to first thank all of the Senators who voted in favor of cloture and continue to flood their offices with phone calls in support of Serve America so that we hold onto their vote throughout the week. This will be critical.

Debate continues on the Senate floor tomorrow.

In the meantime, thank you to all of you who have mobilized your networks and stepped up your efforts in support of the bill. Some achievements of the day include: Over 110 people have stepped forward to serve on the various committees.  ThinkMTV has featured our call to action on their homepage; Mark Lazarra and Josh Randle helped secure an editorial in the Buffalo News and the Boston Globe published one as well (read them at http://www.bethechangeinc.org/servicenation/media/latest_news); Teach for America and City Year sent out an email to their entire alumni list; members of our coalition stepped up to be point people for 25 out of the 28 states we are focusing on (we are still looking for point people in Indiana, Wyoming and South Dakota); the National Council on Aging sent out a call to action to their listserve; Ashton Kutsher sent out a twitter message asking his thousands of followers to call their Senators; AARP has begun circulating editorials in their key states and is preparing an ad to run in the Roll Call and Hill Newspapers and Craig Newmark of Craigslist has been blogging about Serve America throughout the day. We have had reports of hundreds of phone calls being made.  This is only a sampling of what we accomplished through our collective networks and what we must continue to do.

Over the next day, we must continue to focus on 1) Calling Senators and asking them to support Serve America, focusing especially on those Senators who voted in favor cloture and 2) securing favorable editorials in newspapers around the country and reaching out to other media sources.

This can be a historic week- but we have a few more days of extremely hard work ahead of us.

All Best,

Alan, Bridge, AnnMaura, Michael and Michelle

Also recently, DonorsChoose.org announced that Stephen Colbert, comedian, actor, and host of The Colbert Report, has joined their national board: http://blog.donorschoose.org/blog/2009/01/12/stephen-colbert-the-colbert-report-joins-donorschooseorg-board-of-directors/.

The discussion explored if the financial crisis is causing shifts in the nonprofit job market, and how particular people are being affected. On one end of the spectrum, people seem to be postponing retirement and staying at their jobs longer. Younger employees are concerned about their long-term prospects in the social sector.

The overall financial situation may also result in sector-switchers from the corporate world wanting to enter the nonprofit sector, which creates more competition for fewer jobs overall.

How is the economy affecting you in your job search and/or current position?

Obama has pledged to create a Social Entrepreneurship Agency within the Corporation for National and Community Service, to generate more venture capital for socially conscious startups. The new agency would make it easier for small nonprofits to get federal grants, plus come up with a results-driven accountability system so government officials could make better decisions about which charities to fund.

Obama also wants to create a Social Investment Fund Network, which would steer private and government money to cities that identify innovative solutions to their most pressing social issues.

He estimates his ideas will cost $3.5 billion a year. He plans to pay for them through savings found by ending the war in Iraq and eliminating some corporate tax deductions.

In the news story, Investors Focusing on Social Enterprises, San Francisco Bay Area television station KGO reports that venture capitalists are investing their dollars in socially responsible businesses. “Social capital markets” are gaining more attention in investment communities, and both new and existing organizations are reaping the benefits.

Similarly, Venture Beat speculates if “social capital” is the next big market to emerge. With a lens on microfinance, fair trade, environmental, and social change organizations, this article looks at how investors are putting their faith—and dollars—into triple-bottom line ventures.

So what made September so special? In truly historic terms, ServiceNation launched a national and groundbreaking campaign, elevating the conversation about citizen service to a new level. For those who are unfamiliar, ServiceNation is a coalition of organizations dedicated to strengthening our democracy and solving problems through civic engagement and service, of which Commongood Careers is a proud member.

Kicking off the campaign on September 11th in New York City, Senators Obama and McCain set aside partisanship to speak together at a Presidential Forum about the importance of service and their views on how to expand its impact.  The following day, the ServiceNation Summit brought together hundreds of leaders – nonprofit and for-profit CEO’s, elected and appointed government officials, army generals and celebrities – to discuss and embrace the future of citizen service.  But the rubber really hit the road on September 27th’s “Day of Action,” during which more than 2,700 service events were organized across all 50 states to showcase the power and potential of service.

The month also brought some of the most powerful legislation in decades to expand and improve service opportunities when, on September 12th, Senators Kennedy and Hatch introduced “The Serve America Act” with co-sponsorship from Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain.  When many policy efforts grind to a halt during an election cycle, waiting to see what the election will bring, it is tremendously encouraging to know that the next President of the United States has already endorsed this sweeping and important reform.

These developments are likely to have a profound impact on the workforce of the nonprofit sector, as more and more people are introduced to service and earn marketable experiences working to those ends.  Particularly in response to conversations about the sector’s impending leadership crisis, there may be few more effective strategies for increasing the talent supply than to expand national service programs like City Year, Public Allies, Civic Ventures and Teach For America.

Finally, it is also worth noting that this work represents some of the absolute best tenants of social entrepreneurship – innovating new approaches to addressing social problems, pursuing audacious goals, measuring impacts, and building powerful cross-sector coalitions.  As is often the case with successful examples of social entrepreneurship, and as was certainly the case during ServiceNation events, I found myself thinking daily about Margaret Mead’s often quoted observation: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

As a citizen of the world and on behalf of all of us…. thank you ServiceNation!

Levin emphasized the importance of bringing education to America’s students now, noting that KIPP does everything it can to make learning and teaching both fun and productive. “One of the things we want to do is make sure that every kid has a chance to work toward their own future,” he said. 

“We can think of education like steroids for our kids’ futures,” he said.  And while the analogy garnered some laughs, KIPP’s record shows that it really is improving kids’ futures astronomically.  It isn’t steroids, but commitment, dedication and hard work on the part of students, teachers, and families that give KIPP’s kids the boost they need. 

Only one question remains: When will the “Colbert Bump” kick in for KIPP?

This year, over 1,000 projects were submitted, which has since been narrowed down to five projects. We are thrilled to see that two Commongood Careers clients—DonorsChoose.org and Kiva—are amongst the top five nominees!

If you are an AMEX cardholder, you can cast your vote at: http://www.membersproject.com/

If you are not a cardholder, AMEX invites you to show your support by sounding off about your favorite nominated projects at: http://community.membersproject.com/category/Discussion-Board/3

The PSAs feature City Year corps members in meaningful moments that convey the impact they have as young people engaged in citizen service: tutoring in schools, mentoring students, cleaning up neighborhoods, and ultimately working together for a common purpose.

“The more you learn about City Year, the more you are inspired by the energy, passion and optimism that shine through everything they do,” said Brian Hayes, creative director, Arnold.  “We hope that these new ads convey this feeling and motivate more young people to get involved in the program.”

The PSAs will be shown almost 2,500 times as part of Comcast’s three-year commitment of $27 million to City Year. 

Among the calls to action for our next administration are:

1. Expand innovation incentives and free them from the earmarks and conditions that have blunted past initiatives. Adequate incentives, coupled with rigorous accountability, would remedy this.

2. Use influence over state and local policy to sweep away regulations that hamper innovative thinking, such as caps on the number of public charter schools allowed and excessive restrictions on how teachers are trained and credentialed.

3. Continue the strong push of two efforts already underway. One is the move toward a common set of standards for what students should be expected to know and be able to do. Then, to make shared standards work, a national data infrastructure must be built to assess educational progress.

This op-ed also featured the outstanding work of other Commongood Careers partners such as KIPP, Teach for America, and New Leaders for New Schools.

Read the full article.

Tenacity will be honored by the USTA during Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the US Open this year as the featured National Junior Tennis League organization. Attracting over 30,000 adult and youth spectators, Arthur Ashe Kids Day honors tennis legend Arthur Ashe and continues his mission of using tennis as a means to instill in kids the values of humanitarianism, leadership and academic excellence. To see the coverage, tune in to CBS Sports TV on Sunday, August 24th, from 12 - 1:30 PM (EST) for the Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day national broadcast featuring a short video on Tenacity.

We congratulation our partner Tenacity for being recognized on this special day that celebrates the importance of shaping and encouraging youth in the classroom, on the court, and in the community.

The article also highlights the work of Teach For America, teachNOLA, and New Leaders for New Schools and shows incredible images of students of Langston Hughes Charter School.

We applaud the tremendous effort of New Schools for New Orleans and its supporters to further the transformation public schools in New Orleans.

Plus, Foote cites some impressive stats, for example that about 10 percent of Yale, Georgetown and Harvard seniors apply to be a part of Teach For America’s corps of world-changing teachers.  She also writes about the realities of the challenges facing America’s education system and how Teach For America is offering solutions. 

Encouragingly, the article notes that many of Teach For America’s alumni are inspired by their experience to do more.  Foote points out that KIPP, whose impressive education successes we recently blogged about, was started by Teach For America alums. 

Due to lack of state funding, the school’s future was uncertain just a few weeks before it was to open.  Fortunately for Hartford and its students, local figures like Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell, Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez, and the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving came forward to champion Achievement First’s cause and energize donors to help get the schools ready for the fall.

With Achievement First’s success in education, it’s no wonder so many in Hartford were ready to step forward to support the organization.  A recent report shows that students at a similar school in New Haven, Conn. performed an average of 56 percent higher on all sections of the state test than their peers in non-Achievement First schools in that city.  Now that’s putting achievement first!

That’s where the article recognizes organizations like Kiva and DonorsChoose.org.  The article advises: “if you want to exercise the kind of control that deep-pocketed philanthropists enjoy, consider donating to one of a new breed of charities that allow donors to browse descriptions of specific projects online and fund them, in whole or in part. “

Both Kiva and DonorsChoose.org use the Internet to connect individual donors directly with recipients of the donation, whether through Kiva’s microloans or DonorsChoose’s donations to classrooms.  They champion diverse causes, but they’re both doing what’s great: helping people exercise their philanthropic spirit, no matter the size of their bank account. 

Washington Post education columnist Jay Mathews recently wrote an article about KIPP’s focus on finding the cause for any drop-outs from its schools and its continuing research on learning how its graduates are doing once they reach college.  He highlights the importance of KIPP’s dedication to looking at the data to achieve results. 

And achieve they do.  The article also notes that in addition to being much more likely to graduate high school and go to college than their non-KIPP school peers, middle school students who completed four years at KIPP increased their average math achievement level from the 40th to the 82nd percentile and their reading level from the 32nd to the 60th percentile.  Dare we say “KIPP up the good work”?

Pride partners throughout Latin America use social marketing tools to change attitudes and behaviors critical to conservation.  Rare provides the tools, along with in-depth training and technical support as its local partners launch two-year Pride campaigns that have resulted in truly impressive results.

One Pride program alum, Martin Castillo Paniagua of Mexico’s National Park Service, helped lead a campaign that grew knowledge of one area as protected in the target community from 35 to 98 percent.  You can read all about his and other Rare Conservation success stories here.

The grant will allow for at least 500 students in 2008, 750 in 2009, and 1,000 in 2010 to participate in the BELL’s highly effective Summer program in New York City.  The program, which helps to strengthen reading, writing and math skills, has been so successful that over 95 percent of children enter their program at the “failing” level advance to a higher academic performance category and at least 75 percent of them go on to achieve “proficient” or “advanced” levels in core skills.

Plus, Earl Martin Phalen, Co-founder and CEO of BELL, notes that the students on average gain four to six months worth of education during BELL’s six-week program.  What student wouldn’t want the equivalent of six month summer vacation?  With growing support, learning programs like BELL make summer a great time to achieve. 

Last week, the Akron City Council gave the go ahead for an agreement between OneCommunity Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic to create a network that will provide wireless Internet connectivity in an 11-square-mile area of the city.  The agreement puts into action the first $250,000 in matching funds from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s $500,000 challenge grant.

Akron will also be the new home of the OneCommunity Knight Center for Digital Excellence, which provides resources to spread broadband access programs so that communities can fully participate in today’s digital world. 

A little while back, Alice Lunsford, Teach For America’s Director of External Talent Recruitment, told us about some opportunities for entry-level jobseekers at her organization.  She said that “[Teach For America] is filled with people who are passionate about their work and working in a smart manner toward measurable goals.  It’s the culture that I think makes it a great place to work, especially coming out of college.” (Read the whole article here.)

That sounds to us like CollegeGrad.com had it right when they chose Teach For America for the top of their list!

Service Nation , an effort headed by Be The Change Inc. , is building strong foundations. 

Habitat for Humanity just joined the movement, whose goal is to engage 1 million Americans in a year of full time national service by 2020 and inspire a culture of civic service nation-wide.  Habitat’s added support makes the list of organizations backing Service Nation 100 strong.  Support for the movement is impressive and expansive.  The organizing committee includes entrepreneurial organizations like College Summit, Teach For America, Year Up and many more.

Service Nation aims to engage the country in a dialog about national service.  Keep an eye on them as they set forth bold goals for national service in America at their Service Nation Summit Sept 11-12 this year.

The national Read for the Record effort is designed to build awareness for America’s crisis in early childhood education and Jumpstart’s role in solving the crisis by breaking the world record for the greatest number of children reading the same book on the same day.

While the campaign’s spokesperson LL Cool J wasn’t there (see him voice his support in this YouTube video) the party did boast a few celebs, including Boston Bruins player Bob Sweeney.

This year’s Fellows will tackle issues as wide ranging as community improvement, economic development, education, the environment, health, human rights, and legal advocacy.
Since 1987, Echoing Green has invested $27 million in more than 450 leaders to make a difference in lives all over the world.  This year’s promising Fellows will be an excellent addition to Echoing Green’s impact.  Congratulations and best of luck to the 2008 Fellows!

Neil Armstrong Elientary’s 4th and 5th grade students grew over 5,000 marigolds from seeds that they planted at school. By growing and selling the marigolds in the past year, the Neil Armstrong Elientary students funded over 20 teacher proposals on DonorsChoose.org, resulting in over 2,500 hours of instruction to over 600 students.

This coming year, they are hoping that their efforts will have an even greater impact.  So far, they’ve met over half of their $10,000 goal.  Visit their challenge page to see their progress, an adorable photo of the class, and how you can help them out!

Venture philanthropy is getting quite the buzz, from MBA campuses to nonprofit conferences. This model of taking a business-minded investment approach to funding new organizations offers a viable alternative to traditional grantmaking, and allows emerging nonprofits to obtain the capital they need to get off the ground and scale their programs.

An innovator in venture philanthropy, New Profit Inc. has helped some of the nation’s most entrepreneurial and effective nonprofits get off the ground and grow to achieve huge social impact. New Profit provides multi-year financial and strategic support to a portfolio of social entrepreneurs working in education, youth development, workforce development, and other areas.

New Profit is also the main driver of America Forward, a coalition of more than 60 social entrepreneurs and high-impact organizations that have come together to present presidential candidates and policymakers with a new and transformative way to solve the difficult social problems facing our nation.

Are you looking for way to get in on the ground floor of this amazing organization? New Profit Inc. is currently seeking a Portfolio Analyst to join its team. The Portfolio Analyst is an essential role that encompasses a broad set of responsibilities requiring analytical skills, project management capabilities, and general research abilities.  This person will work closely with the New Profit Portfolio Management Team, representatives from New Profit portfolio organizations and other relevant external stakeholders. Read the full job description.

Will portfolio work turn epidemic? Probably not, although its incidence is growing, according to recruiters, career coaches, and others who follow trends in work culture. James Weinberg, a recruiter for nonprofits, sees an uptick in those willing to work this way - and those willing to hire them.

More job candidates are asking Weinberg for part-time work, saying, ” ‘I’m trying to knit together a career’, or ‘I’d like to have multiple roles that will allow me flexibility,’ ” observes Weinberg, chief executive of Commongood Careers in Boston. Sometimes, executives work on a shared basis for several groups, splitting their time between jobs, he says.

Read the full article.

From the article:

“...Commongood Careers, helps nonprofit organizations recruit, screen, and hire for jobs ranging from support staff to senior managers. It also provides career advice to job seekers, keeps a database of about 20,000 job candidates, and maintains online listings of job postings across the country.

Those services are filling a gap that has long hindered the nonprofit sector, which often struggles to fill vacant positions. Commongood specializes in working with rapidly expanding, high-impact, socially entrepreneurial organizations. And its low-cost, flat-fee search model is designed to make it affordable to even the smallest nonprofits, whether they need to fill a $20,000-a-year job or a six-figure executive position.”

Read the full article.