Posted in NewsNotes Archive
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Issue 65 |
NEWSNOTES is a monthly email newsletter published by NEW. It covers resources available at NEW in Ann Arbor and Detroit as well as items of interest to the nonprofit community in southeastern Michigan. NEWSNOTES is proud to celebrate its sixth year of publication, with delivery to over 1,000 subscribers every month! We welcome your This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it !
NEW would like to recognize the generous support of its Community Partners: The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, the DTE Energy Foundation, The James A. & Faith Knight Foundation, Borders, The Lloyd and Mabel Johnson Foundation, Online Technologies Corporation, Pfizer Global Research and Development, The Power Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
IN THIS ISSUE
| LEAD STORY |
| FEATURED ITEMS |
| REGULAR FEATURES |
| NEWSNOTES Resource of the Month |
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McKinsey & Company's Self-Assessment Grid Identify strengths and weaknesses of your organization. Learn more about this resource through ResourceConnect®. |
LEAD STORY
Transferable Skills Open New Talent Pools to Nonprofits
by Commongood Careers*
Many career counselors advise nonprofit job seekers — especially sector switchers and recent graduates — to identify and market their transferable skills. Do organizations really consider these candidates without feeling as if they are taking too great a risk? How open-minded are nonprofits when it comes to looking at candidates that offer skills and experiences gained in other sectors or environments?
In a sector of close to 2 million organizations, the answer is: it depends. Organizations that consider themselves entrepreneurial are generally open to hiring talent from other sectors or nontraditional backgrounds. For many organizations, candidates with transferable skills are welcomed in some job functions, such as operations, management, and finance, but not in others, such as fundraising and program management.
Cultivating a broadly skilled talent pool is key to developing the next generation of nonprofit talent. In the current climate of explosive organizational growth and the pending retirement of "baby boomer" leaders, there will be a huge need for new talent in every functional area in the very near future. These issues require us to start thinking creatively about what a qualified and skilled nonprofit professional looks like, and to be willing to embrace the potential impact of hiring people with transferable skills.
The Softer Side of Skills
In the nonprofit sector, soft skills play a big role in hiring decisions. For example, in a recent inquiry conducted by Commongood Careers, a group of 20 nonprofit hiring managers ranked cultural fit and personality traits above more traditional hiring considerations of experience, skills, and education.
Knowing the soft skills that are most important to your organization allows you to consider candidates based on their personal qualities and abilities, in addition to the positions they have held or where they have worked in the past. Although desired soft skills vary between organizations, we've found that there are some personal qualities that span many nonprofits, including:
- Being entrepreneurial
- Being a self-starter
- Having a positive attitude
- Being resourceful
- Working collaboratively
- Being creative, particularly in a resource-constrained environment
To evaluate the presence of these or other transferable soft skills in potential hires, follow two rules of thumb: stay open-minded and do your homework. Begin by thinking broadly about a candidate's past experience in work, school, and civic life. Research the companies listed on candidates' resumes to understand their past work environments; many desirable soft skills are developed when working in start-up, fast-growing, or highly creative work environments. When speaking with candidates, ask for specific examples of times they were called upon to use a certain soft skill. Demonstrated past success is the best predictor of strong performance in a new role or organization.
In addition to evaluating a candidate's transferable soft skills, probe on personal qualities that demonstrate a mission-fit with your organization. Not all candidates are going to come to you with extensive work or volunteer experience in your specific field, but that does not mean they do not possess the personal qualities required to connect with and embrace your organization's mission. Share as much information as you can — including brochures, videos, or other collateral — with strong candidates in order to give them a sense of the importance of your organization's mission. With openness and candor on your part, candidates will understand the importance of your organization's mission and will be able to demonstrate their personal connection to it.
Are Hard Skills Really Transferable?
Please see the original article to read how sales and marketing, writing and research, consulting and IT skills transfer from the for-profit to the nonprofit world.
When it comes down to it, a candidate's past success using a specific set of skills and competencies is the best indicator of how he or she will perform in a new role. Whether a hire is new to a job function or to the sector, remember that this person's ability to call upon his or her soft and hard skills in a new role is what most ensures success. By considering candidates with a variety of transferable skills, you will diversify your staff and increase the impact of your organization.
*This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers.
FEATURED ITEMS
New Detroit's Multicultural Leadership Series
New Detroit is now taking applications for their 2008 Multicultural Leadership program. The goal is for participants to develop a greater understanding of the distinctive and subtle differences between racial and ethnic groups and to learn how to enhance communication. The program highlights the history, culture and socioeconomics of the following communities of color: African American, Arab, Asian, Chaldean, Latino and Native American. Tuition of $500 covers a day-long orientation plus five eight-hour sessions beginning in March and ending with graduation next September. Find more information, complete schedule, and application at New Detroit's website. The deadline for registration is February 22.
Open House at NEW's New Office in Detroit
NEW (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work, Inc.) is pleased to announce an open house on Tuesday, November 27 from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. to celebrate the opening of our office at Hannan House in Detroit (4750 Woodward Ave). This office grew out of a partnership between NEW and the Luella Hannan Memorial Foundation, which owns Hannan House.
Please join us to meet NEW's staff and learn more about our services for Metro Detroit nonprofits. Brief speeches being at 6 p.m. Space is limited; please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (313-887-7788) by November 26.
BoardConnect® Offerings: Strengthen Your Board!
NEW's BoardConnect® program recruits and trains potential nonprofit board members and then helps match these individuals to participating nonprofit organizations. Upcoming trainings:
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Serving on a Nonprofit Board, for community members interested in board service.
- Wednesday, December 5, 4 p.m.-7 p.m., NEW Center, Ann Arbor
- Tuesday, January 15, 3 p.m.-6 p.m., Community House, Birmingham
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Building Your Board, for nonprofits interested in recruiting new board members.
- Tuesday, December 11, 9 a.m.-noon, Hannan House, Detroit
- Thursday, January 24, 1 p.m.-4 p.m., NEW Center, Ann Arbor
BoardConnect® offers:
- Advanced workshops, including Leading Your Board Beyond the Basics, for board chairs and executive directors wanting to learn how to strengthen their partnership and lead their organization through visioning and strategic planning. Keep reading NEWSNOTES to get notification of upcoming class schedules.
- On-site trainings. BoardConnect® will come to your organization with a customized training called Achieving Excellence as a Nonprofit Board.
- The Board Room, an online collection of customizable documents on board recruitment, orientation, management, assessment and responsibilities, available for just $25 a year's subscription.
- Employer-sponsored trainings. Businesses and associations encourage their employees and members to give back to the community by volunteering on a nonprofit board. Trainers go on-site to teach Serving on a Nonprofit Board.
Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ® (734-998-0160 x 230) for more information on any of these valuable services.
New IRS Filing Requirements
This message came through the “Talk” forum from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. In the words of Allen R. Bromberger, Perlman & Perlman, LLP, New York, NY:
Starting January 1, 2008, all public charities, regardless of size, are required to file with IRS. For organizations that do not currently file a "regular" Form 990 because their annual revenues are normally less than $25,000, there is a new, simple, online form (Form 990-N) that must be filed. The new form asks a few basic questions about the organization, such as name, mailing address, website address, EIN, name and address of an officer, fiscal year, size of budget, and whether or not the organization is still active. Unfortunately, the form is not
available yet, because IRS is still finalizing the online system.
The form must be filed 4.5 months after the close of the organization's fiscal year. Failure to file the form for three consecutive years will result in termination of the organization's tax exemption. That status may be reinstated, but to do so the organization has to reapply for exemption (and pay a hefty "user fee") and provide a good reason why it did not file earlier.
For more information, visit the IRS web site.
Nonprofit Buzz: Employment in the Nonprofit Sector
On Thursday, November 29, 9 a.m. host of the Buzz, Diana Kern, Director of Board Programs at NEW, and MetroChick Radio host Lisa Marie will discuss nonprofit employment issues. A representative of the Michigan Nonprofit Association and Gary Dembs of the Nonprofit Personnel Network will share their insights on job hunting, transitioning careers and developing leaders. Tune in to MetroChick Radio http://www.metrochickradio.com/ on your computer!
Community Legal Resources Recognition Event
Tuesday, December 4, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Odd Fellows' Hall, 8701 West Vernor, Detroit
Join Community Legal Resources (CLR) for cocktails, hor d’oeuvres and live entertainment as they recognize the great work of their volunteer attorneys and the nonprofit organizations they serve. This year's event, held at Odd Fellows' Hall in Southwest Detroit, showcases the impact of community development in local neighborhoods. The historic renovation of the Hall was made possible in part by the involvement of CLR attorneys working with Southwest Detroit Business Association, the nonprofit developers of the project. The Odd Fellows' Hall also houses several other CLR clients including: Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, Living Arts and the organizations involved with Compas. Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (313-962-3171 x 234).
Don't Miss Your Chance!
The Michigan Nonprofit Compensation and Benefit Survey provides comparable compensation and benefit information for 501(c)(3) organizations like yours. If you haven't yet completed the survey, there is still time to participate and receive a free copy of the report. Your investment of time now will be paid back with valuable information to guide your organization's strategic human resource decisions.
To make sure your organization is included, just go to the Survey website, click on “I do not have an authorization code” and complete the survey by December 15.
Questions? Please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at Grand Valley State University (616-331-7593).
Reminders
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Search the Foundation Directory Online to find potential grantmakers. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (734-998-0160 x 218) to set up an appointment to use the database in either the Ann Arbor or Detroit office.
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Use the ResourceConnect® Training Calendar to find workshops to develop your skills.
REGULAR FEATURES
Nonprofit Times Weekly. The most recent Tip of the Week “Boards . . . Getting Good at Finding Funds,” defines the role of the development committee. Subscribe to this and three other e-zines, as well as the free hard-copy magazine.
Events Calendar
Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau calendar of events. E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to request a password to submit an event.
