From for-profit to nonprofit

Transcription

1 From for-profit to nonprofit 10 strategies to help you jumpstart your transition Presented by: Heather Krasna, Author/Career Coach For:

2 About Heather Krasna Assistant Dean of Career Services, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health 16 + years experience as a career coach Author, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service Director, Candidate Services, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

3 Overview of the nonprofit sector

4 Facts & figures National Center for Charitable Statistics Sector-in-Brief-2014.pdf

5 Types of nonprofits Grassroots Start-up In Transition Corporate Style Steady/Stable In-Decline Founder-Led

6 Job functions/skills needed: Nonprofit-specific jobs Program Management Program design, delivery; stakeholder outreach; evaluation; volunteer coordination; event management Program Evaluation Survey design, statistics, metrics, writing Fundraising Grant writing/institutional fundraising Individual giving (annual giving, major donor) Events, planned giving and other specialized fundraising fields Policy/Advocacy Government relations, grassroots organizing, policy analysis Executive Director Fundraising, strategic planning, board governance, financial management, supervision of staff, program planning

7 Job functions/skills needed: Less-nonprofit specific Accounting HR Operations Communications/PR/Marketing Writing, editing, media relations, social media etc.

8 Jumpstart your job search!

9 Tip #1: Be clear about what you want and why Why now? What mission area speaks to you, and why? What skills do the organizations you care about need? What job functions/skills do you enjoy using? What other lifestyle factors are important to you? (salary, work-life balance, benefits, geographic location) How will you prioritize?

10 Tip #2: Check your misconceptions of the sector All nonprofit employees are saints. Nonprofits are lucky to employ whomever they can find. Working in nonprofits is not challenging. Nonprofits are all flat organizations. Nonprofit jobs are secure. Nonprofit managers always know how to manage. All nonprofits are alike. Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

11 Tip #3: Overcome misconceptions employers might have about you ASSUMPTION: You expect to be rewarded handsomely for your work while having plenty of support staff. SOLUTION: Mention in your cover letter that your salary requirements are flexible; or that salary is not as important to you as mission impact; and mention in your resume that have handled small budgets/small staff sizes, and have a roll up your sleeves attitude. ASSUMPTION: The impact of your work on the bottom line is the only appropriate gauge of success/you think that nonprofits or government agencies should be run like businesses. SOLUTION: Learn about nonprofit program evaluation; ensure you use appropriate wording in the application; network ASSUMPTION: If you really cared about the mission, you wouldn t have sold out to the for-profit sector so many years ago. SOLUTION: Volunteer! Show your commitment to the mission. Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

12 Tip #4: Understand what nonprofits need Read a lot of job descriptions Read a lot of LinkedIn profiles Go to Idealist.org and Guidestar.org to research relevant organizations Use Wordle.net Program Manager word cloud

13 Tip #4: Understand what nonprofits need Fundraising Word Cloud

14 Tip #5: Identify your transferable skills Talk to a friend, career counselor, recruiter; and use your research to identify when you have used skills such as: Leadership and influence Managing up, down, and sideways Delegating with kindness while demanding accountability Adaptability and openness in management style Ability to manage a broad portfolio of responsibilities Knowing how to get to yes Managing dotted line relationships Delivering impressive results A long term view Working with a client population or context similar to your chosen mission area Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

15 Tip #6: Fill the gap between where you are and where you want to be Current role gap Future role Volunteering Board memberships Classes/ New degrees Internships Networking

16 Some common degree programs Master of Public Administration; Master of Public Policy (MPA/MPP) Master of Science, Nonprofit Management (MS) Master of Social Work (MSW) Master of Public Health (MPH) Master of Education (MSED, MED) JD, MBA, PhD, EdD etc. Some common technical skills Grant writing (classes at Foundation Center Library) Fundraising software (Raiser s Edge, Donor Perfect, Salesforce etc.) Program evaluation/design CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) Source: Laura Gassner-Professionals Advisory GroupOtting, Nonprofit

17 Tip #7: Use the language of the sector in your application Business Lingo work for a company. earn a profit. achieve a return on investment. sell a certain number of goods or services. rely upon staff. develop sales leads. create customer-focused marketing campaigns. work for an organization/agency. generate revenue. Nonprofit Lingo achieve impact from donated funds. serve # community members/ clients/students etc. rely upon volunteers and champions and partners. research potential funders, stakeholders, and partners. advocate to impact social change.

18 Examples: Corporate to nonprofit resume bullets CORPORATE (Investment manager): Lead all marketing and client services activities for Fixed Income Division which manages over $200 billion in assets, including investments in healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, etc. NONPROFIT (Philanthropy management OR fundraising) Establish and maintain relationships with domestic and international, institutional partners, such as philanthropies, university endowments, retirement funds, city governments/ municipalities, and international firms. CORPORATE (attorney): Drafted and negotiated wide range of contracts related to the sale and distribution of software, including end-user license agreements, hosting agreements, reseller agreements, OEM agreements, strategic partnership agreements, and professional services agreements. CORPORATE (grant writer) Reviewed Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from government and private sector prospects and effectively advised clients on how to respond to operational, financial and legal questions. Conducted prospect research and established new relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.

19 Tip #7: Other nonprofit resume strategies Write a nonprofit-focused summary/profile section at the top of the resume. Move your board memberships to the top of the resume (after contact information and summary). Re-order your bullet points so that your nonprofit-specific skills come first. Delete all corporate or other jargon that would not be relevant/ comprehensible to your new employer. Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

20 Tip #8: Network! The # 1 way to get a job especially for career-changers. Don t ask your resume to do all the work for you! Networking sources: An alumni association LinkedIn A neighborhood coalition A church, synagogue or mosque A political campaign A local music ensemble A sports team A nonprofit board A parent-teacher association Volunteering Don t discount your corporate contacts Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

21 Tip #9: Go on informational interviews and leverage your network GOALS: Research Referrals (to new people, resources, organizations) Read your Resume Be remembered positively/recommended TIPS: Build rapport Show sincere interest in the other person Listen Ask how you can be helpful Stay in touch Ask if you can use the person s name in your cover letter when applying Source: The Savvy Networker, Ron and Caryl Krannich

22 Tip #10: Determine your bottom-line numbers and other factors Helpful resources: Guidestar.org 990 tax returns Foundation Center Library Glassdoor.com Networking Nonprofit salary surveys What else is important to you? Benefits Work-life balance Office culture Check back with your priorities

23 Additional Resources Heather Krasna Heatherkrasna.com

24 Thank You! Idealist

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