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Self to Systems: Leading for Race Equity ImpactWe’re excited to introduce our newly released… Self to Systems: Leading for Race Equity Impact This model is based on research ProInspire started five years ago and supports individuals and organizations in identifying how their practices can create and sustain racially equitable e…
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This #GivingTuesday- We’re Saying Thank You!Your unwavering support and investment in our mission and vision of ProInspire have helped us expand our capacity to activate leaders and accelerate racial equity. Last year on #GivingTuesday, you responded to our appeal for support and helped us raise $42,000 to improve our internal capac…
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Race Equity and Leadership: ProInspire Responds to the Generous Gift from MacKenzie ScottJune 15, 2021 “We are excited to share that ProInspire has received a one-time transformational gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This unrestricted gift is the largest in our organization’s history and opens up the possibilities for us to deepen investments in ProInspire’s infrastructu…
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Our Leadership Competency Model JourneyBy: Monisha Kapila As you may have read on this blog before, ProInspire is conducting research to develop a leadership model that centers equity. The model will define key competencies for social sector leaders, highlight how race equity is part of these competencies, and identify where bias can sho…
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A Summary of ProInspire’s 2019 Impact CallA Summary of ProInspire’s 2019 Impact Call February 5, 2019 Alumni, partners, program participants, donors, and other members of the ProInspire community joined CEO Monisha Kapila and staff members for our 2019 Impact Call on January 31st. The Impact Call offered a chance to learn more about …
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ProInspire named a 2018 Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofitsProInspire named a 2018 Top-Rated Nonprofit by GreatNonprofits January 9, 2019 Happy 2019! We are starting this year by sharing some exciting news from last month: for the fourth consecutive year, ProInspire was named a Top-Rated Nonprofitby Great Nonprofits, the leading provider of …
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How to talk about Migrant Family Separations at workThis past week, we have been overwhelmed seeing migrant families separated at the border and children sleeping in cages. While many people are thinking about what they can do as individuals, you should also consider how this issue impacts your colleagues at work. Here are three things to consider: C…
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Harmony for the Holidays: Advice on holding difficult conversationsBy Kristen Lucas and Andrew Plumley Stephen Colbert and SNL have joked about them; NPR has asked listeners to call-in about them. At home or in the workplace, we’ve all found ourselves in conversations where disagreement is sure to follow the introduction of certain topics. While conventional wisd…
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ProInspire Alum Launches New Initiative to Help Others Build a Career They LoveBy Erica Soultanian, 2016 ProInspire Fellow At this time last year, I had reached a low point in my life. I felt stuck in a job that I hated. I had been trying to get out for over a year, but a steady stream of rejection letters wasn’t getting me anywhere. My self-esteem was at an […]…
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How to talk about white supremacy at workThis weekend, the country was focused on Charlottesville, VA, as white supremacy was overtly on display with a white nationalist rally, counter-protests, and domestic terrorism. We are still processing these events — what they mean for us as individuals, for our work in the social sector, and for…
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Reflections from the 2016 Net Impact ConferenceBy Paul Collier, 2014 Bay Area ProInspire Fellow Earlier this month I attended my fourth Net Impact Conference, one of the country’s largest annual gatherings of professionals dedicated to making a social and environmental impact through business. This year’s conference was hosted in Philadelphi…
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Chronicle of Philanthropy Publishes Op-Ed on Racial Equity, Co-Authored by Monisha KapilaToday the Chronicle of Philanthropy published an op-ed by Monisha Kapila, ProInspire CEO, and Ericka Hines, ProInspire Advisor and Principal of Every Level Leadership. The op-ed, How Nonprofit Workers and Leaders Can Make a Difference as Racial Tensions Flare, was written in response to rising racia…
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From Ohio to Washington DC to……Botswana!By Mike Solarz, 2014 ProInspire Fellow After spending three years in a promising career in public accounting with a “Big Four” firm, I decided it was time to transition into a position that better aligned with my desire to promote social impact. The ProInspire Fellowship fit the bill for the nee…
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ProInspire’s Research Featured by National Center for Family PhilanthropyThe National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP), the only national nonprofit dedicated exclusively to families who give and those with whom they work, dedicated its latest monthly newsletter to the topic of fellowships. The newsletter’s feature story, Where there is community, there is fellowsh…
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Building a GradNation: How America’s Promise is Creating ImpactBy: Angela Richardson, 2014 Proinspire Fellow When I started my fellowship at America’s Promise, I came at a very exciting time in the GradNation campaign. The GradNation program at America’s Promise strives to achieve a 90 percent high school graduation rate across the nation. For the first…
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New Research Highlights Role of Fellowships in Social Impact SectorReport by ProInspire reveals strengths and opportunities of the growing field. A newly released report by ProInspire represents the first effort to map the fellowship landscape, develop a more robust understanding of fellowships as a talent strategy, and identify ways the sector can harness fellowsh…
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Building a Movement- Lessons from Shot@LifeBy Yewande Akinleye, 2014 ProInspire Fellow According to Merriam Webster the term “movement” means the act or process of moving people or things from one place or position to another. According to the very same source, to “build” means to increase the amount of (something). If we were to c…
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Five Lessons on Social EntrepreneurshipBy Christine Lynch, 2014 ProInspire Fellow In the social sector, social entrepreneurship is a buzz word that has gained in popularity. According to Ashoka, social entrepreneurs are individuals with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. They are ambitious and persiste…
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Creating Pathways to Economic EqualityEditor’s Note: This is part of a series of posts about the Opportunity Summit By Tracy Williams, 2014 ProInspire Fellow I had the distinct privilege of attending the 2015 Opportunity Nation Summit in Washington, DC and it was one of the most inspirational and transformative events I have ever expe…
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Cross Sector Collaboration is Crucial to the Opportunity CrisisEditor’s Note: This is part of a series of posts about the Opportunity Summit By Angela Richardson, 2014 ProInspire Fellow “WE GOT THIS!” was the mantra heard throughout the Opportunity Summit on February 26th. The constant reminder of “we got this” stood out like a sore thumb to me, espec…
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Think you need superpowers to change the world?By Yewande Akinleye, 2014 ProInspire Fellow I’d like to share a secret with you…yes you. I don’t often expose myself like this, but right now I feel as though I can confide in you. Quite frankly, I can’t keep this to myself and I hope that you will be inspired once you know my secret. [&hell…
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Working for the Greater Good: Lessons from the Opportunity SummitEditor’s Note: This is part of a series of posts about the Opportunity Summit By Elle Carne, 2013 Management Fellow Last week I attended Opportunity Nation’s Opportunity Summit with colleagues from different ProInspire fellowships. I left feeling rejuvenated about the work I do to support yo…
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Creating #OpportunityMoments for OthersHow You Can Be Part of the Movement to Close the Opportunity Divide Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of posts by ProInspire fellows and alumni who attended the National Opportunity Summit in Washington, DC By Ivellisse Morales, 2014 ProInspire Fellow Chances are, that if you’re r…
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Chronicle of Philanthropy Names ProInspire a Nonprofit Group to Watch in 2015FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Martha Searby, Communications ([email protected]) January 16, 2015 Chronicle of Philanthropy Names ProInspire a Nonprofit Group to Watch in 2015 ProInspire included in list of seven organizations worth watching The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a top news source for …
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Discovering an Inspiring Model for Nonprofit LeadershipBlogs,By Dave Newberry, 2012 ProInspire Fellow Last year when I was selected to join the ProInspire Fellowship program, I accepted a leadership role working directly with Achievement Prep founder Shantelle Wright. Going into the fellowship I was excited to work with a nationally celebrated figure in the c…
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ProInspire Alumni Make Business School a Tool for Social Impact (Part Two of Two)The ProInspire Fellowship attracts a certain kind of person. Young professionals join the Fellowship because they share a belief that the discipline of business, while largely developed in the context of the private sector, can be used to create social value rather than private wealth. ProInspire al…
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ProInspire Alumni Make Business School a Tool for Social Impact (Part One of Two)The ProInspire Fellowship attracts a certain kind of person. Young professionals join the Fellowship because they share a belief that the discipline of business, while largely developed in the context of the private sector, can be used to create social value rather than private wealth. ProInspire al…
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Finding a Job Where You Can Make a DifferenceBy Founder and CEO Monisha Kapila As the New Year approaches, many people start to reflect on their lives and their careers. If you are one of the millions of people who want to do work that is mission driven, you may be interested in a job in the "social sector." The social sector include…
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Four Ways to Create the Perfect International Volunteer ExperienceBy Monisha Kapila, Founder and CEO of ProInspire We're on Day 3 of our 5 Days of Giving series on the blog with the goal of helping each and every one of you with your goals to change the world, in both big and small ways. In 2001 I went to India to work for […]…
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The Politics of ImpactBy 2012 Fellow, Jay Subramaniam My first job out of college was serving as a finance intern on then-Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley’s campaign for Governor of Maryland during the midterm elections of 2006. Later that summer, with O’Malley favored to his race, my f…
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The Power of We: Big Lessons from a Small TownBy 2012 Fellow, Gillian Perron Blog Action Day brings together bloggers from different countries, interests and languages to blog about one important global topic on the same day. This year the theme is "The Power of We" in celebration of people working together to make a positive dif…
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Can you have stability and passion?This post was written by Kathryn Gray, 2011 ProInspire Fellow, for the Social Citizens blog. If you had asked me two years ago where I would hope to be on February 27th 2012, I would have never imagined the career and personal satisfaction I have today. Originally from Southern California, when aske…
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Tiffany Goh (2010 Fellow) on the perfect marriage of business and passion for social impactBy Tiffany Goh, 2010 ProInspire Fellow As ProInspire kicks into gear to recruit the next class of fellows, I’m reminded of where I was when I applied myself two years ago. I applied to ProInspire eager to pursue a career that focused on my passion for social impact and international economic devel…
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Chavez Schools: A Public Charter Success StoryWritten by 2011 Fellow, Camiel Irving This post is part of a series on our hiring partners which highlights the work they are doing in the community. Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy is one of the oldest Charter Management Organizations (CMOs) is The District of Columbia. The sy…
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Nikita Mitchell (2011 Fellow) writes a guest post for SocialEarthProInspire: Addressing the Nonprofit Leadership Deficit by Utilizing Business Talent by Nikita Mitchell Over the last several years interest in working in the social sector has soared. President Obama has brought considerable attention to the importance of volunteerism and civic engagement sin…
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Congratulations to Lisa Hall, Calvert Foundation CEOOn Monday I was honored to celebrate the appointment of Lisa Hall as President and CEO of Calvert Foundation. Lisa is on ProInspire’s Advisory Board and has been a great mentor to me. Calvert Foundation’s mission is to maximize the flow of capital to disadvantaged communities in order to cre…
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From Microsoft to Grassroots Business FundThis post was written by Inspire Fellow Tony Cappaert for the Next Billion blog. NextBillion.net is a website and blog bringing together the community of business leaders, social entrepreneurs, NGOs, policy makers and academics who want to explore the connection between development and enterprise. T…
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Day in the Life of an Inspire Fellows Alum: Nick TakamineAfter a year as an Inspire Fellow with FHI, an international development NGO working in global health and related areas, Nick joined FHI as a Strategy & Analysis Officer. In this role, he is leading the development of a performance metrics framework for the Business Planning & Strategy…
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The Same GameThe answer: This type of entity is organized and operated to make a profit. The question: What is a business? A $200-level Jeopardy! clue, perhaps. But is it that obvious of a response? In some ways, yes; in others, no. The clue, it seems, is responsive to perspective. Within a society that communic…
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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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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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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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Why you should go to happy hours and other networking eventsYesterday I attended a happy hour hosted by the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network and Greater DC Cares. I almost did not go because I had too much work to do and I was not in the mood for mingling with people I do not know. I am glad I went because it was a reminder […]…
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Put yourself in the other person’s shoesYesterday I attended a Compass DC event about megacommunities. Reggie Van Lee, author of Megacommunities: How Leaders of Government, Business and Nonprofits Can Tackle Today’s Global Challenges Together spoke about the tri-sector approach to problem solving. Megacommunities was a new concept f…