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Unveiling the Thriving Leaders & Communities (TLC) Report: Recommendations from Nonprofit Leaders of ColorAugust 28, 2024 We are excited to announce the release of the Thriving Leaders & Communities (TLC): Recommendations from Nonprofit Leaders of Color report in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. At ProInspire, we believe in seeding, cultivating, and investing in the future we env…
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Nourishing body, mind, and soul: Lessons from my SabbaticalBy: Monisha Kapila This week I returned from a two-month sabbatical, my first long break since I started ProInspire in 2009. Earlier this year our Board approved a new policy through which all full-time employees are eligible for a sabbatical after five years with ProInspire. As the longest-serving …
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The Design Principles Guiding Our Competency Model DevelopmentBy Sandy Stonesifer, ProInspire’s Advisor for Leadership Development As ProInspire’s CEO Monisha Kapila shared in a blog post earlier this year, we are in the process of defining a competency model for social sector professionals. Our team spent the past few months reviewing existing literat…
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Rethinking LeadershipBy Daria Hall, ProInspire Alum and Vice President, Communications & External Relations for America’s Promise Alliance – “We’re all born into certain circumstances with particular physical traits, unique developmental experiences, geographical and historical contexts. But then…
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Reflections on the ProInspire retreat, election results, and the responsibility of the social sectorBy Sonovia Wint, 2016 ProInspire Fellow Last year’s election result was marked by an intensity of emotions from many groups of people. It brought tensions to the surface and highlighted existing divisions within our country. What I most noticed was the change in the way we responded to one anoth…
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Leading the Way: ProInspire launches development of a competency model for rising social sector professionalsBy Monisha Kapila I am excited to share that ProInspire has launched an initiative to define a competency model for rising social sector professionals, with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The result will be a framework that can serve as a guide for social sector professionals who want …
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Dear CEO: Successful Diversity Needs the Right State of MindTo conclude ProInspire’s work as curation partner for Independent Sector’s collection of diversity, equity, and inclusion resources, Ericka Hines and Monisha Kapila co-authored the following blog post about the importance of leadership mindsets to the advocacy and advancement of diver…
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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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Using Data and Storytelling to Communicate Impact: A Recap From the Philanthropy NEXT ConferenceBy Martha Searby, ProInspire’s Communications Director Last week I attended the Philanthropy NEXT conference in Washington, DC. This inaugural event, organized by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, brought together professionals from both sides of the giving equation for meaningful dialogue about …
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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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Why Results Should Drive the Work: My Introduction to Results Based FacilitationBy Dionne Galloway, ProInspire’s Director of Leadership Development Programs Imagine a world where every conversation has a result — from a short check-in with your boss to a quarterly board meeting with a packed agenda. While this may seem like a farfetched and unattainable idea, the An…
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Monisha Kapila’s Op-Ed on Equity and Inclusion Published by Chronicle of PhilanthropyThe Chronicle of Philanthropy recently featured an op-ed authored by Monisha Kapila, ProInspire Founder and CEO. What Nonprofits Can Learn From #OscarsSoWhite examines the similarities between the entertainment industry and the nonprofit sector when it comes to diversity, and recommends steps nonpr…
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The Importance of Creating a Digitally Balanced Workplace Culture: Lessons from an HBR webinarWe are immersed in a digital world. It impacts how we learn, how we play, and how we work. While our omni-connectedness certainly has its advantages (think: enhanced communication and collaboration, greater flexibility, time-saving efficiencies), it also has deleterious effects on our physica…
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New Research Reveals the Trends and Takeaways of a More Competitive Nonprofit Job MarketA recently published article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy points to a robust nonprofit job market in the DC and NYC regions and highlights the challenges of attracting and retaining top talent in a more competitive marketplace. Based on research by PNP Staffing Group (formerly Professionals for …
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Does Your Nonprofit Deserve to Exist?By Nicolas Takamine, 2009 ProInspire Fellow Editor’s Note: This is part two in a series of blog posts by Nicolas Takamine (2009 ProInspire Fellow), inspired by ProInspire’s request for engagement in its strategy process in ProInspire Strategy Update 1: Start With Your Result. [Read Part 1 he…
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Sector Switching: Navigating the Transition from the Private Sector to the Social Impact SectorBy John Troy, Founder of WorkMonger Over the last 6 years, I’ve worked with hundreds of people looking to switch from the private sector to an organization where social impact, not profit, is the primary bottom line. I too switched from the private sector to a non-profit, and as a non-profit di…
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Managing Up: Nonprofit CEOs Share Leadership Advice With ProInspire’s Management FellowsBy Kate Perry, ProInspire Intern Last month, ProInspire’s 2015 Spring Management Fellows had their final workshop. The workshop included a CEO panel with leaders of three nonprofits based in the DC region: Ellie Hollander, President and CEO, Meals on Wheels America Janaye Ingram, National Ex…
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State of the Washington DC Region – Highlights from Nonprofit Roundtable’s Annual MeetingBy Neelam Barot, ProInspire Intern On Wednesday June 24th, the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington held its Annual Meeting, including a cross-sector dialogue about the state of the region, at George Mason University’s Arlington campus. ProInspire’s CEO, Monisha Kapila, was elected to the …
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ProInspire at Forté MBA Women’s Leadership ConferenceProInspire is participating in the Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference on June 19-20 at Georgetown University. ProInspire CEO, Monisha Kapila, is speaking about how to navigate the nonprofit and government job market. 2011 ProInspire Fellow, Nikita Mitchell is speaking on a panel about how to…
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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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What is Nonprofit Strategy All About?By Nicolas Takamine, 2009 ProInspire Fellow Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 in a series of blog posts by Nicolas Takamine (ProInspire Fellow, ’09), inspired by ProInspire’s request for engagement in its strategy process in ProInspire Strategy Update 1: Start With Your Result. The term “…
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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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Nonprofit Boards 101: Understanding the rudder of the shipBy Simone Laroche, 2014 ProInspire Fellow In December, the 2014 DC Fellows had our monthly training focused on Boards & Governance. Prior to this session, I had little knowledge of nonprofit boards. Initially, the topic seemed a bit daunting, but Susan Sanow of Blue Avocado and the ProInspire Bo…
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ProInspire CEO Interview on The Traveling Cup PodcastProInspire CEO Monisha Kapila was interviewed by Mark Guay on The Traveling Cup podcast. The Traveling Cup is where coffee-loving changemakers hang out to create a better tomorrow. Listen to the podcast and share your comments with @monishakapila and @proinspire. http://www.thetravelingcup.com/p…
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ProInspire CEO Featured in Huffington Post: The Case for Professional Development in the Nonprofit SectorAsk any executive to reflect on her career, and surely she will mention The One — the managr who inspired a meaningful and successful career through effective leadership. Some individuals approach the manager role with natural ease. Yet, good managers aren’t just born; they become. How? …
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My First Year as a Business Professional in the Nonprofit SectorBy Gillian Perron Dear Candidate: Thank you for your interest in our organization. While your qualifications were impressive, this was a highly competitive process, and we are not able to extend you an offer at this time…” During the eight months it took to transition from my first career in t…
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Building a Nonprofit Talent Pipeline: An Interview with Monisha KapilaFor this month's Social Innovation Interview Series Nell Edgington, President of Social Velocity, interviewed our Founder and CEO Monisha Kapila. Nell: One of the things ProInspire does is train business professionals about how things are different in the nonprofit sector. Can you, a…
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Insights from the White House Forum on Cross-Sector LeadershipBy Monisha Kapila, CEO of ProInspire Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in the White House Forum on Cross-Sector Leadership. Hosted by the White House and the InterSector Project, the Forum brought together leading organizations from nonprofit, government, and corporations to di…
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My First 90 Days at Good360By 2012 Fellow Gillian Perron Just before my graduation from the University of Vermont, I had a meeting with my favorite professor. That conversation remains a vivid memory, specifically her advice on beginning a new career. She told me that life is full of transitions—some more poignant than …
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My First 90 Days at GlobalGivingBy 2012 Fellow Nick Hamlin My transition into the non-profit world represented a major workplace shift. I came from a technical role in a global organization with thousands of employees. Our day-to-day work, while engaging, was dictated primarily by the deals signed by our sales team. Now, I work in…
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My First 90 Days at the National Human Services AssemblyBy 2012 Fellow Bridget McCabe Prior to ProInspire, I worked in advertising as a media buyer in New York City. About two months before the Fellowship, I had switched agencies and was still in the process of understanding the idiosyncrasies of my new role. When I was offered the Membership & Commu…
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Lessons on Leadership in the Nonprofit SectorNonprofits have a bad rep when it comes to professional development and career growth. It’s a source of frustration for many young professionals in the sector. Having experienced their own challenges throughout their careers, Trista Harris and Rosetta Thurman published Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways …
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Addressing the Nonprofit Leadership Deficit by Utilizing Business TalentOver 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 since the beginning of his presidency. Fellowships and post-graduate programs have steadily gained popularity ove…
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Tips on Working at a Small NonprofitSimilar to for-profit organizations, there are substantial benefits and drawbacks to working at a small nonprofit organization rather than a larger one. For example, it may be confusing and overwhelming to work at a large organization where you might feel lost in the sea of other colleagues serving …
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On Asset Building For Nonprofitsby 2009 Fellow Rashan Jibowu Despite my short tenure as a nonprofit professional, I have significantly increased my appreciation for the great work that nonprofit organizations perform every day. But, I also feel compelled to ask: Are nonprofit business models generally sustainable? Many people corr…
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Sector Switchers: Five challenges to prepare for in your new nonprofit jobI wrote today’s post for Nonprofit Career Month. In August, ProInspire launched the Inspire Fellows program for young business professionals transitioning into the nonprofit sector. As part of our orientation, we led a discussion on challenges faced by sector switchers. While many sector switc…
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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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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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Serve America Act signed into law!Yesterday marked a milestone in the service movement, with President Obama signing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act into law. We have seen the huge interest in our pilot Inspire Fellows program and are excited that this legislation will create more opportunities for service. Some of the key c…
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Can philanthrocapitalism solve the world’s problems?Last week I attended a discussion called Philanthrocapitalism: Savior or Emperor? at the Hudson Institute. This lively debate featured two thought leaders with contradictory points of view:Matthew Bishop of the Economist, and author of Philanthrocapitalism: How the Rich Can Save the World and Michae…
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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…