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Blog Action Day – how can you get involved with climate change?Today is Blog Action Day, an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. This year’s Blog Action Day is focused on Climate Change. Given that this…
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ProInspire Launch Party was a big success!On Monday we hosted ProInspire’s Launch Party at Lima Restaurant and Lounge in Washington D.C. More than 70 people attended the event and there was alot of excitement about the Inspire Fellows program. Guests included Board members, hiring partners, supporters, and friends of ProInspire. We in…
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Grad school advice from ProInspire Fellows panelOn Friday we had our monthly Inspire Fellows Professional Development workshop. This was the first workshop since Fellows started working, so we focused on career development. The highlight of the workshop was a panel about the role of graduate school in nonprofit careers. The panel featured: –…
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Book event: Microfinance for Bankers and InvestorsYesterday I attended a book event with Elisabeth Rhyne about her new book, Microfinance for Bankers and Investors: Understanding the Opportunities and Challenges at the Bottom of the Pyramid. I used to work with Beth at ACCION International so I was excited to hear more about her latest publication.…
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Working at a for-profit social enterpriseLast week, Fortune magazine published a column providing career advice for people who want to “save the world at work.” The article highlighted new startups that aim to earn a profit while also making the world a better place. This concept is not new – the terms social enterprise, …
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“I’ve found my people”Yesterday I attended the Education Pioneers Metro DC Showcase. Education Pioneers is focused on building the field of leaders to close the talent gap and transform urban education. Their program places students from top graduate schools in summer internships at education organizations around the cou…
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Article: What Nonprofit Employers Want to Know About Job SeekersLast week the Chronicle of Philanthropy had a great article (see below) about how jobseekers can make their resumes stand out for nonprofit employers. A few things from the article stood out to me as areas where I have seen sector switchers struggle: 1. Applications for nonprofit jobs have gotten mu…
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Inspire Fellows pilot kicks-off!On Monday we kicked off the pilot Inspire Fellows program with a 2-day orientation! 5 Fellows from our pilot class participated and they are a very enthusiastic group. In this picture (from L to R): Nick Takamine, Monisha Kapila, Pratichi Shah, John Wilson, Matt Chou, Meg McCann, Rashan Jibowu, Kare…
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Bridgestar article: Cultural Fit in the Nonprofit SectorBridgestar recently spoke with Brian O’Connell about the role of cultural fit in the nonprofit sector. Brian is the author of Fifty Years in Public Causes: Stories From a Road Less Traveled, and co-founder and president emeritus of Independent Sector. Brian shared his perspectives about cultural f…
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IDEO’s Human-Centered Design ToolkitIDEO recently announced a free toolkit for applying Human-Centered Design to inspire new solutions to difficult challenges within communities of need. The toolkit was developed through partnership with International Development Enterprises (IDE), Heifer International, ICRW, and the Bill & Melin…
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How to capture the market of people who want to do service?Yesterday's Wall Street Journal featured a story on Jobless Professionals Yearn to Do Good. The article looks at the increase in applications from people with business and legal experience to service programs: – Applications to Teach for America are up 42%. Nearly one-quarter of this year&…
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Article: ‘Talent tsunami’ from downturn floods sectorInteresting article from the Financial Times. Discusses how the wave of business professionals trying to get into the nonprofit sector has not made talent management easier for organizations. Credit crunch: ‘Talent tsunami’ from downturn floods sector By Sarah Murray Published: May 27 2009 18:01…
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Interview with Rosetta Lai, AALeadYesterday I met with Rosetta Lai, the Executive Director of Asian American LEAD. AALEAD’s overarching goal is to increase the opportunities and ability of low-income Asian American children to move out of poverty and become successful, self-sufficient adults. Rosetta joined AALEAD after 20 yea…
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Check out Jobs for ChangeLast week Change.org launched Jobs for Change, which aims to spark a nationwide movement toward careers in the common good. They plan to build the largest database of nonprofit, government, and social enterprise jobs on the web. Change.org has hired a team of career advisors to provide daily advice …
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Action steps for a nonprofit job searchYesterday I led a session on Making a Career Transition into the Nonprofit Sector at LaidOffCampNY. It was a great discussion with 20 people who had different levels of experience (from early career to very experienced) and a variety of professional backgrounds (advertising, finance, IT, etc.). Here…
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Why Launch ProInspireIn early 2008, I heard Tom Tierney from the Bridgespan Group speak about the leadership deficit facing the nonprofit sector. He said: “The leadership deficit looms as the greatest challenge facing nonprofits over the next ten years.” In fact, his paper suggests that the nonprofit sector …