Wanted: nonprofit leaders
Charities seek to deliver results – and fill top jobs.
from the August 13, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
Now on 70 campuses across the US, the program has recently averaged "300 to 400 students a year," says Stephen Bauer, head of AH's Initiative for Nonprofit Careers. "But in the scope of jobs needed, it's a drop in the bucket." The goal is to have the program in every state and major metropolitan area.
To deal with broader workforce issues, AH formed a nonprofit sector workforce coalition. Sixty groups are working together on a campaign to promote nonprofit careers and reduce recruitment and retention barriers faced by professionals of color.
Other organizations have begun helping charities and the talent they need find one another. For instance, Idealist.org, a website of Action Without Borders, posts job opportunities in nonprofits in 180 countries. The Chronicle of Philanthropy offers a "regeneration" section on its website about nonprofits seeking talent in the older population.
And Bridgespan has created an initiative – Bridgestar – specifically to help organizations build leadership teams and aid individuals in bridging into nonprofit careers (www.bridgestar.org).
The 'encore society'
According to Mr. Freedman, a few foundations are making "a significant investment in preparing the nonprofit sector to recruit people in the second half of life." But he says what's needed is a transformation in societal perceptions and policies away from the "golden years" of retirement to what people today really want – an "encore society."
"Right now, if you're 60 years old, it's still much easier to sell a lawn mower at Home Depot or coffee at Starbucks" than it is to play a meaningful role in public schools or nonprofits, he says. In his book, Freedman proposes a range of innovations to enable society to take full advantage of the resources of a vital "encore" population.
With the growing nonprofit sector in the throes of change, many see some consolidation ahead. (Millas just went through the merger last month of Points of Light Foundation and the Hands On Network.) They are also optimistic about significant opportunities and abundant talent – if the two can just be brought together.
"This is a thriving, vibrant, entrepreneurial part of our economy – and a lot of people have a lot of passion," Wolff says.
The test will come in how creatively the sector of 1.4 million organizations responds to the leadership challenge.
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