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Author: nonprofitchapin

I’m Off to Grad School!

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Exciting news! I have been accepted into the Masters in Nonprofit Administration program at University of San Francisco. I will be making the move from San Diego up to the Bay Area, where I grew up and where most of my family is. I have lived in San Diego for nine years and have made many great friendships down here, but it is time for me to be closer to my family and truly begin settling down.

There is a big debate about the necessity of grad school for nonprofit professionals right now. There are numerous experts explaining the reasons why nonprofit leaders don’t need graduate level degrees. Because the nonprofit sector is so experience based, instead of skill based as many other fields are (business, law, teaching, etc), people claim that through experience, networking, and confidence one can obtain her dream job.

The hard truth of the matter is that more and more nonprofit employers are hoping for advanced degrees when looking for their next leadership. Of the job postings I look at for leadership positions, almost all recommend a Masters to apply. Now, I completely understand the argument that it’s all about what you’ve done and who you know. Absolutely – that can work for many people. But I would not say that getting a Masters is a waste of time or money. If you get a Masters that is highly specialized for the nonprofit sector, and focuses on practical tips for the working world, I feel that it’s time and money well spent. And that’s exactly what I looked for in my ideal program… and found it in the USF program.

Everyone I spoke to in the nonprofit field recommended working 5-10 years before entering grad school… and I totally agree with that. That’s just long enough to catch the bug and know that you’ll be in this sector forever.

-N.C.

Three Things I Love About Working in the Nonprofit Sector

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There is no doubt in my mind that I will work in the nonprofit sector for the rest of my life. I thrive off of working for the good of mankind, striving every day to make things better for those with less fortune in this world. I like to help people. The nonprofit sector can hardly be described in a few words, but I’ll take a stab at some of my favorite things about working in it.

1. My everyday work isn’t so, well, everyday.

While the tasks I do can sometimes get tedious (one can only do so much data entry before going a little crazy), no one can dispute the fact that what I am doing makes a real, tangible difference. Even though I might be doing administrative tasks, the larger picture of what I work on is to contribute to the efficiencies of an organization that makes a difference in the community. Every day I am surrounded by kids who are receiving the services of the nonprofit I work for and are hanging out in our center as opposed to the streets. I hear over and over stories about how lives were changed because of the facility. Every day I get to contribute to this larger movement – and I get paid for it!

2. The other four letter word: Hope.

All my coworkers work in the same nonprofit because they believe in the mission, and believe that there is the possibility for change in this world. They all have hope. They believe that there are ways that the system can be changed to make life better, they believe in the power of education, they believe that life can be better. It’s refreshing being surrounded by people who are all working toward this common goal, and it makes the tough times easier to swallow.

3. My contributions are more important than my possessions.

I have never experienced a coworker saying to me, “Good job getting that bonus!” Instead, I hear on a more regular basis, “You did a great job on that project” or “This will be so helpful for the organization, thank you.” I appreciate that everyone working at a nonprofit has a common goal of the organization’s mission instead of a goal of being out for themselves. Of course, everyone would appreciate a bit more money, but in a nonprofit that’s not the focus – it’s not the focus of the organization or the people working in it.

Like I said earlier, I can’t describe the sector in just a few words. But I certainly hope that someday you get the chance to experience the joy I do, every day, working for the larger good.

-N.C.

For-Profit Superman to the Rescue?

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This morning was like most Tuesday mornings: arrive to the office, read up on local and nonprofit news, and meet with the rest of the development department. After the meeting, I got my black tea and oatmeal and set up at my desk to listen to a webinar that our CEO had forwarded to me. She likes to see if we can get connected with the latest and greatest social media outlets, so when she hears about something new, she usually asks me to look into it. I’m happy to oblige – the more I learn, the better off everyone is.

The product was a social media platform where people could create a profile, join projects, raise money for causes, etc. The platform itself is not what I have issues with – I am sure some nonprofits are gaining supporters and raising funds for very important projects. The issue I have is who started this platform: two brothers with a retail background.

Why do people in the for-profit world think they can fix all the problems in the nonprofit world?

I’m not talking problems as in environmental destruction, homelessness, or lack of adequate education. I’m talking organizational problems. Marketing problems. Fundraising problems. Basically, what I do.

This particular group focused on making the experience of donating fun. Their website is littered with jokes, incentives, and peer pressure to get other people to participate. They even have the option that someone can donate anonymously to a project but they will leak their information… apparently inspired by a joke on Curb Your Enthusiasm that people like to donate anonymously to look selfless but really want everyone to know how great they are.

Huh????

I don’t know any nonprofit that would institute a policy like this, or believe it’s acceptable and encourage that people can do such a thing. I know, I know, this is supposed to all be a joke and all be in good fun. But I would invite any of them to spend one hour with a homeless mother using the charity’s services to clothe her children. I don’t think she’ll be laughing.

I don’t want to get stuck on the details. I know that these people have the best of intentions. They believe they are taking their experience and applying it to the greater good. The hard truth is that they have no idea what nonprofits go through on a day to day basis. Until you’ve been a nonprofit staffer, you don’t understand the concept of inadequate manpower. Dedicating time to social media is important, but every second that is dedicated to a site like that is being taken away from cultivating major donors, writing grants, and working on annual galas. Nonprofit staffers have to pick and choose what they spend their time on, and simply because something is good does not make it worth it.

I am very appreciative for all that these groups and individuals are working for. Like I said, they have the best of intentions. I just wish they would get more input from nonprofit staffers in their product development – or any at all.

-N.C.

Time to Celebrate!

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What a wonderful Sunday morning surprise. Not only had my good friend Jerry subscribed by email to my blog, I was mentioned in Rosetta Thurman’s wonderful blog, Blogging for Branding, here! Rosetta is the reason I started this blog. I first came across Rosetta in the online world through her blog, aptly named Rosetta Thurman. The blog’s theme is what attracted me: Empowering a New Generation of Leaders. If you know me, you know what a leadership nerd I am. 🙂 When I saw her on the docket for speakers for the San Diego Young Nonprofit Professionals (YNPN) group in November, I knew I had to go! In the presentation, she referred to the book she just published with Trista Harris, How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar, so I ordered it. I read the book cover to cover and loved everything it had to offer – practical tips to further your nonprofit career and make yourself well-rounded and marketable. Who doesn’t want to learn about that? It will definitely be a book I will continue to read to remind myself of good practices. The book had a pretty good emphasis on writing a blog, which I first was unsure about, but thought about it… I have plenty of opinions and nuggets of advice to offer… if it will help brand my name for potential employers and connections, why not? After I saw Rosetta’s challenge on Blogging for Branding of 5 Blog Topics to Build Your Personal Brand, I knew that the time had come… I needed to start writing. Which brings us to today!

I still have lots of work to do to get the word out about my blog, and use many of the techniques that Rosetta suggests, but I feel like I’m off to a good start. I have officially been blogged about by my nonprofit idol. And that’s a reason to celebrate!

-N.C.

Be Indispensable in 2011

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With today’s shaky economy so many of us are worried about job security. Doing your job is simply not good enough anymore. Here are some tips to continue to be viewed as valuable to your employer.

  • Become an expert in your job functions. Note that I didn’t say to become an expert in everything here. You were hired to do a job – do it, and do it well! If one of your job functions is to manage the website, instead of sticking to the usual updates, do some research about your website’s traffic and how you can improve a viewer’s experience. Don’t bog your supervisor down with a million ideas, but put together some recommendations and lay out an expected timeline for implementation . The easier you make things for your supervisor, the more indispensable you’ll become.
  • Always be easy to work with. It’s good to speak your mind and contribute your opinions to a discussion, but always do so with tact and respect. Remember that everyone you are working with is working for the same thing – your nonprofit’s mission. Don’t let personal feelings or vendettas enter into the workplace, especially while working one-on-one with a colleague. Unfortunately, many people are difficult to work with. If you’re not, you will be respected by all of your colleagues – and you never know who’s cozy with the boss.
  • Get friendly with the competition. There is an unspoken line between nonprofit staffers and board members – cross it! Board members are people, too! And they make important decisions about salaries and staffing. In any correspondence with a board member, treat them as you would any donor, with the utmost respect and courtesy. If you’re asked to get checks signed by a board member, take the opportunity during the visit to make small talk, take a look around the building, and be pleasant. Chances are that board member will remember your positive attitude the next time there’s a staffing discussion.
  • Be a Jack (or Jane) of all Trades. Even in a small nonprofit, a job description is usually pretty specific. There are most likely at least 12 things not listed in your job description that you will be asked to do in the first four months. Instead of pouting through it, be open minded and learn different skills. Suddenly you will become the one everyone asks for help with their Outlook, advice on mailings, in replacing the copier toner, in fixing the office toilet (true story!)… don’t get bogged down in these requests but be able to give a helping hand when your workload allows.

Unfortunately, even if you follow these guidelines closely, there will still be people who might have criticisms of you and the way you work. There’s a simple way to address this – be confident! If you are confident in yourself and the job you are carrying out, that will come through in your working style with your colleagues. Managers love nothing more than to believe their employees have everything under control. And if you do, you truly will be indispensable!

-N.C.

Five Things I Wish I Knew About Being a Development Coordinator Five Years Ago

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If you’re wondering what being a Development Coordinator is all about, here are five aspects of the job that jumped out at me as lessons I’ve learned in five years of working in the field. None of them would have deterred me from being where I am today, but I wish I knew about them before!

1. There’s always work to be done.

There will always be more money to raise, more donors to call, more data to clean up. The work of a Development staffer (and most nonprofit staffers, for that matter) is never done. You need to start your days at work knowing you’ll do the best you can to tackle some of the high priority projects, and be satisfied with what got done at the end of the day. Don’t get bogged down in the big picture of having a huge fundraising goal – break your tasks into manageable chunks and you will go far!

2. You’ll always be part of the supporting cast.

If you love the spotlight, become Program Manager. Development staffers, especially support staff to the Director of Development, are almost always in the background. We’re the ones setting up the registration table, answering questions about auction items, or processing payments – not the ones discussing our passion for the cause or smiling in photos with a big check. When people want to learn about the activities of the organization, they want to hear it from those working directly with the clients, not from administrators (which Development staffers are considered).

3. You will always be known as someone’s assistant.

It might be the Director of Development or it might be the CEO, but as support staff for a Development department, outsiders won’t understand what you do. A Program Assistant will have specific duties that outsiders understand, like managing volunteers, but a Development Coordinator, even if she manages the website, e-newsletter, and does all data entry, she will still be asked about the guest list for the gala. Be secure in the fact that outsiders might not understand that there is plenty of work to be done for more than one person – I’m sure your boss is aware!

4. You’ll be asked to answer phones, fix computers, and deliver checks to be signed.

For some reason the Development department becomes the do-everything-no-one-else-wants-to-do department. At the heart of a Development Coordinator’s role is to improve capacity for an organization… on the surface, that might look like simply to raise money, but it’s really so much more. It means that you’re suddenly the organization’s IT department and you’re asked to hold an Outlook training for the staff because you manage the website, so you must know about computers! Note: Many nonprofit staffers feel they do much more than their job description, so this should be no surprise for anyone!

5. Someone worked very hard on that piece of mail you’re glancing at.

After working a short time in Development you’ll realize that what is commonly referred to as “junk mail” was actually drafted multiple times, reviewed by several people, mail merged, printed, stuffed, sealed, and hand delivered to the bulk mail center at the post office. Being a Development Coordinator has opened my eyes to how much effort is put into a lot of things, including direct mail. It definitely helps me appreciate the little things! Just remember that not everyone has your same experience, so not everyone will treat your mail, or anything else, the same way.

It’s not that being a Development Coordinator is all hard work and no fun. Being support in a Development team is great – you get to get your hands dirty in various projects and talk to donors, the biggest advocates of your cause. Just remember the above five things as you work away and remember that you’re contributing to your organization’s mission, every day. We all should be so lucky.

-N.C.