Tag Archive for 'philanthropy'

Revised Resources for the Nonprofit job hunt

Published on October 10, 2008 in Business and Useful Stuff. 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Updated 10/25/10

Updated 3/4/09

Back in July I shared the first version of my nonprofit job resources.  Since I’ve come across a number of additional places to find job openings, I’m posting an update.  I’ve noted which ones are new.

Non-profit recruiting firms

Los Angeles community

If you live in the Los Angeles, the talent agency UTA has a non-profit foundation that puts out a non-profit jobs list twice a month. You can subscribe to the list by e-mailing UTAFoundation AT unitedtalent DOT com.  Though they don’t abuse your e-mail address, you will occasionally receive promotional e-mail for events being sponsored by the UTA Foundation.

Other resources

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (New)

Regional NPO organizations — frequently they list openings with their members ADDED 1/14/9

National Council of Nonprofits — State Associations (state sites my list member job listings) ADDED 1/14/09

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Video of Day: Arianna Huffington on Life

Published on July 11, 2008 in Useful Stuff. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

I wish I could post the video here, but WordPress makes it really difficult to post non-YouTube stuff.

Click through to listen to Arianna Huffington’s 23-minute talk on work-life balance, self-doubt, relationships and giving back, given at the 2008 WEB Women in Business? conference. It’s worth a listen.

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Part 2: The Personal and Professional Benefits of Philanthropy

Published on July 6, 2008 in Society. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

photo by mickyates

In Part 1, I discussed how volunteerism is cool again.  In this post, I will share some of the direct personal benefits of community service.

A long term commitment to volunteering for a cause you believe in is more than a line item on your resume. Here are 5 reasons you should find a 501c3 to support with your time and energy.  Since there are almost 2 million of them in the US, there’s at least one that matches your interests.

Networking

There’s no better opportunity to meet friendly people in your community.  If you’re new to town, charity work introduces you to locals with at least one thing in common with you — your own cause celebre.

While volunteering, you also might find yourself crossing paths with others in your industry.  While tutoring underserved teens or teaching Fido to sit before adoption day, you might meet someone at a competing firm with an opening that peaks your interest or find another client for your business.  If you’re exceptionally ambitious, you might research where key executives (at your company of choice) volunteer, so you can intend to make their acquaintance over your “shared” love of Hungarian culture.

Leadership skills

I’ve already discussed the implication of early and steady development of leadership skills in part one.

Since non-profits rely on volunteers to keep the mission alive,  these students would have real world, quantifiable experiences. Imagine helping raise $1 million to fight cancer or doubling membership numbers for an organization before the age of 21.  Accordingly,  it might give college graduates a chance to bypass the entry level grunt work that yields corporate churn and help allay Boomer concerns about inexperienced twenty somethings looking for a fast track to management.

New and existing skills put to use

Volunteers typically look to apply skills they already have. If you work in PR, you can hone your pitching skills garnering some media coverage of local charity events.  If you’re in business development, perhaps you can offer to cultivate potential cause marketing relationships and other partnerships.  Sales professionals might just find they can help with fundraising if they apply their schmooze skills to corporate giving decision makers.

I’ve found the opportunity to learn new skills even more satisfying.  Knowing I wanted to move out of research, I looked for gaps in the offerings of Step Up Women’s Network, an organization I regularly volunteer with.  In focusing on how to extend their brand on the web, I put together a proposal looking at the best sites to target and how competing groups use the space.  Since then, I’ve worked to implement some of those proposed ideas.    So I now have a great example of my ability to identify a weakness, strategize potential solutions and implement the best ideas using limited resources.

And who can’t benefit from improved communication skills.  Volunteering at events turns you into an ambassador for the organization.   Successful liasing with guests and members could yield important donations and sponsorships for the organization.  These interactions make you more prepared to handle clients and senior management at the work place.

Local recognition

People like to be validated for their efforts.  That’s why the local chamber of commerce, leadership groups, and, very likely, your favorite charity acknowledge the contributions of community members throughout the year.  Just being nominated means an invitation to the festivities swirling with potential business contacts.  Whether or not you take home a certificate, your name is out there as someone committed to the ideals of the group.  And being associated with a commitment to philanthropy and improving your community is NEVER a bad thing.

Feel good fuzzies

At the end of the day, it just feels good to do something positive.  Trust me, you’ll sleep better knowing that you’ve brought a smile to a cancer patient’s face or that those three dogs that would have been euthanized have new homes because you sold their adoptive parents on the joys of pet ownership. Being a Big Brother or Sister to a kid living on the poverty line helps you to count your own blessings and put your problems in perspective.

Sure, being altruistic can seem selfish at times, but all the best relationships are two-way streets.

How has volunteering impacted your life?

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Looking to be more content? Volunteer or donate to a cause you care about

Published on March 23, 2008 in Society and Useful Stuff. 0 Comments Tags: , .

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Last week the media reported on preliminary study findings which suggest that people who donate a portion of their incomes to causes or people they believe in are happier than those who simply spend on themselves. Whether giving college students money to spend or looking at professionals who received workplace bonuses, individuals cited a greater level of happiness with their lives when they gave a share of that money away.

In recent years, a number of studies demonstrated that a commitment to volunteering in one’s community yielded lower levels of depression. A 2004 study in the UK showed that nearly two-thirds of 25-34 year olds reported reduced stress after they began volunteering. Seven in 10 felt that using their professional skill sets for a philanthropic endeavor cut down on feelings of depression, while almost a third of 19-24 year olds reported lower rates of workplace absenteeism as a result of their charitable commitments. Additionally, a 2007 compilation of study results showed positive health effects from volunteering peaked at 100 hours per year; additional health benefits were not found in those who volunteered more than 100 hours each year.

What should these findings say to you? Find a cause you care about. Think about the community and society stories that tug at your heart strings. Do puppy mills and the Michael Vicks dog fighting scandal sadden you? Perhaps a local animal shelter would be a good fit for you. Do you enjoy playing with your nieces and nephews? Maybe you’d be a great Big Brother or Big Sister. Are you frustrated by the disenfranchisement of qualified voters each election season? Maybe you want to take advantage of volunteer opportunities with a group that focuses on making all votes count. Whether you’re volunteering one weekend a month or 2 hours a week, you and your community benefit.

As twenty somethings, we are often juggling debt and entry level jobs that don’t often leave us with a lot of money to spare. One thing we do have is energy and time. So let’s not discount the fact that the time we can give to a cause is just as valuable as the dollars they collect through various fundraising efforts. A lot of smaller non-profits rely on their volunteers to make their dollars go farther and to keep programs a live. Dedicated volunteers are great ambassadors of the organizations they support.

Whether you have $20 per paycheck to donate or 2 hours every Thursday, you can put a smile on your face knowing that your contribution is making an impact.

P.S. VolunteerMatch is a great site that helps partner you with organizations that need your help. DonorChoose allows you to purchase supplies for underfunded schools.

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It's a Networked Society

Published on November 19, 2007 in Business, Entertainment and Gen Y. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Today’s WSJ featured a column (Women Getting Better About Forming Networks to Help Their Climb) about women using their networking to make it to the executives offices. Women have longed been viewed as engaging in the crab in the bucket syndrome. (If you put a bunch of crabs in a bucket, none get out because they spend their time pulling each other back into the bucket and not giving one another a boost up.) With few women in executive roles, once one made the cut there was little in the way of a support network. Fortunately, times they are a changing.

Mary Sammons, chairman, president and CEO of Rite Aid, notes that for years men have used informal networks to help one another get jobs and board seats. So, after turning around Rite Aid and becoming its top leader, she intentionally recruited a woman to the board. She also has “come to the conclusion that it’s good to get more women together,” and involved on work teams and at company meetings. That helps ensure “that they’re really heard when they bring things up,” she said.

To do that, women need to seek mentors — something they often don’t do enough. “One of the mistakes I made earlier in my career was not building those relationships” with the people who say when positions are being filled, ‘Well, what about her for that,’” said Billie Williamson, director of flexibility and gender equity at Ernst & Young LLP.

I’m very committed to networking for social and professional purposes. I joined Step Up Women’s Network just after finishing my Master’s degree because most of my friends were moving out of Los Angeles or were continuing on with more degrees. Two of Step Up’s foci include networking and professional development, just what I was looking for.

The networking component features events running from beach front communities (Venice, Santa Monica, etc) to Hollywood, with a few Orange County venues thrown in. The events frequently combine retail therapy or mini-spa treatments with appetizers and cocktails to maximize the time in terms of networking and self-pampering. With over 2000 members in the Los Angeles chapter, it’s hard to not meet new women at each event.

The professional development series includes panel events featuring CEOs and business owners, as well as power breakfasts, which invite industry leaders to share their learned wisdom with women coming up the ranks. Additionally, SU offers a professional mentorship program that pairs their most active members with senior leaders of their chosen industries for 6 months, frequently sparking long term friendships.

Two weeks ago, I renewed my membership for a third year because of the quality people I’ve been meeting and the generosity of spirit put forth by members. Since I’m currently on the job market, I am talking to people in all sorts of industries. My connections through Step Up have generously share their contact lists when they can connect me with someone inside a company I want to work at. About 25% of my LinkedIn contacts are people I met via Step Up. Executive level members have shared their experiences and wisdom through informational interviews. And my mentor, a senior level executive, spent 90 minutes doing a mock interview and providing her insights on everything from cover letters to thank you notes (even though our participation in the mentorship program ended in March).

The networking opportunites provided by organizations like Step Up are invaluable because women need a network of like-minded peers that are also moving through the ranks. Men have long taken advantage of the old boy’s networking, it’s about time women embraced the up-and-coming women’s network.

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