HOTLINE
The Chronicle's Philanthropy Careers asks its readers to submit questions about job hunting, recruiting, and management challenges in the nonprofit world. In our monthly advice column, we respond to some of your inquiries with tips about resources and wisdom from experts in the field.
Q. I teach composition and creative writing at the university level, and have also worked in professional sales. I'd like to get into professional grant-proposal writing, and have written some on a volunteer basis. How do I go about establishing myself in that field, including finding clients?
A. Probably the easiest way to jump-start a career as a proposal writer is to do what you're already doing: using your volunteer work to build on-the-job experience and clients while you still have full-time employment to fall back on, says Lisa Olivas-Cook, who became an independent fund-raising consultant four years ago.
"Before you can market yourself as a grants professional, you need to develop credibility and a track record," says Ms. Olivas-Cook, who previously had been development director at Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona, a youth-services group in Phoenix. "Once you're ready to start looking for paying jobs, it won't matter to clients if you were compensated for your past work or not. The most important thing will be that you have references and work experience."
For newcomers, building a network is crucial, she adds. Start by getting involved with professional groups, such as the American Association of Grant Professionals or your local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
When Ms. Olivas-Cook started her business, she sent out letters to everyone she knew at her local chapter, advertising her consulting services. "Because people knew me," she says, "they just started calling."
You should also tap the wealth of grant-proposal-writing expertise that already exists at your university, suggests Grant La Rouche, director of development at Ashoka, an international nonprofit organization in Arlington, Va., that provides fellowships to creators of public-service projects. Take someone from the fund-raising department to lunch and talk shop, or speak with other faculty members who have written research-grant proposals.
Also, he says, make an effort to learn as much as possible about the grant-making process by attending training sessions, workshops, and conferences, such as those offered by the Foundation Center and by studying books such as Andy Robinson's Grassroots Grants: An Activist's Guide to Grantseeking, 2nd Edition (Jossey-Bass, $29, 2004).
To find new clients, Mr. La Rouche suggests you drop by charities whose mission you support and for whom you think you would have an interest in working. Get a feel for the work done there and attend some of their events.
"If you're passionate about a mission, it helps not only in your writing but in the comfort level that nonprofit staff members will have with you," he says. "When all is said and done, the biggest obstacle you face is the perception of being an outsider doing the work that could be done internally."
For more resources and information on becoming a grant-proposal writer, check out this previous edition of Hotline, which also discussed this topic. You may also want to read this previous Chronicle article about independent fund-raising consultants.
Q. I'm currently a freshman in college who is looking toward a career in nonprofit organizations, but I don't know where to start. I really like to organize and file, make lists and schedules, etc. Is there a specific major I should consider? Or is that something I could do as a volunteer?
A. No specific major is required for a nonprofit career, says Deborah Jones, director of career services at Centre College, in Danville, Ky. However, take some time to think about not only your skills but also your interests. Are you passionate about the environment? Helping the homeless? Working with disabled children? Take electives from academic programs outside your major, such as psychology or human development, that you think might help strengthen your background in the areas of the nonprofit world that most engage you.
And if you can, Ms. Jones suggests studying abroad.
"Studying in another culture is a great way to learn to understand the issues others face," she says. "You may return home with an entirely different perspective about what you'd like to do with your life."
To focus your goals, consider taking a self-assessment test to help you understand your strengths and skills. Some, like the Self-Directed Search, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or the Strong Interest Inventory, are available to take through many college career centers. "Although such tests will not tell you exactly what you should do, they can give you ideas about how your interests fit in the world of work," says Ms. Jones.
Taking a class that requires you to work at a nonprofit organization, completing an internship, or, better yet, simply volunteering at several charities during your college years can also help you sample the field and build experience. "But don't just volunteer for a few days and then move on," Ms. Jones advises. "Do your best to make a contribution to each of them."
She also suggests talking to the people who work at those organizations: Ask them about their jobs, what they like about them, what they don't, and how they got into the field. Those conversations, she says, are likely to elicit some useful advice about how to proceed with developing your career.
Internships can, and often do, lead to full-time paid jobs, attests Jill Lewis, who graduated from Texas A&M University, in College Station, three years ago. In 2000, Ms. Lewis did an eight-week internship at Buckner Children's Home, a charity in Dallas. As an intern, Ms. Lewis worked with Buckner's fund-raising staff to help open four buildings to be used to care for abused and neglected children. "I learned firsthand about donor relations, special-event planning, and volunteer management -- all in one summer," she says.
The experience was a turning point for Ms. Lewis, who says that she had been planning to find a job in the corporate world after graduation.
"I had volunteered for charities since I was in junior high school, but I had never made the connection that these organizations had a business side to them as well until my internship experience," she says. "For the first time, I realized that one could have a great career in the nonprofit sector, and I have never looked back."
Indeed, Buckner's Children's Home offered her a job as its volunteer and special activities coordinator upon graduation. She now serves as the organization's development officer.
If nonprofit work does turn out to be your chosen path, you can take a customized curriculum at some colleges and universities: More than 80 campuses offer the American Humanics certificate program for undergraduates, which prepares students to go into nonprofit work after graduation, with a focus on youth-development and human-services charities.
Q. How do I go about starting a nonprofit organization?
A. This is a huge question, and one that Philanthropy Careers has attempted to answer in the past. For advice and resources, see this article and its accompanying sidebar from 2002.
Daniela Mendelsohn two years ago founded ArtWorks: The Naomi Cohain Foundation in Englewood, N.J., which supports exhibitions featuring the artwork of children who suffer from life-threatening and chronic conditions. She says the first step is to develop a mission statement. Surprisingly, some founders skip this simple step -- and regret it. Without a mission statement, you can find yourself losing your focus fast, says Ms. Mendelsohn. She suggests answering these important questions in as much detail as possible: Who are you trying to help? What kind of services do you want to provide? What are your short- and long-term goals? Find out whether similar charities exist and determine what your organization can add.
Among her other suggestions:
Build a network. When you're just starting out, talk about your organization with everyone you meet; you never know what opportunities and contacts may develop from a single conversation. And you can learn a lot, Ms. Mendelsohn notes. "I have made it a point to continuously meet with people in all different fields: nonprofit, medical, arts, fund raising, event planning, public relations, you name it," she says. "These people have years of experience, so I really listen to their advice and use them as a learning tool. Even if you walk away from an hour meeting with just one new idea or perspective, that is a lot."
Stay organized. When you are running a nonprofit organization, you will inevitably be dealing with a lot of data, especially contact information -- from donors to board members to volunteers. You need to keep all your data very organized and in one central location so you can get what you need anytime, says Ms. Mendelsohn. "I was very dependent on Excel as my database program when I first started, but it can only take you so far," she says. "So, I just recently bought a database program specifically geared to helping maintain all my lists."
Don't get discouraged. When she started, Ms. Mendelsohn says, she thought that anyone she approached about her cause would be compassionate and would want to help. But, as she encountered the occasional naysayer, she realized that it wasn't so easy. "You can't let those people discourage you from going forward," she says. "You need to always remember why you started the organization and see all the good coming out of it."
Got a question about job hunting, recruiting, or managing in the nonprofit world? Send it to us at hotline@philanthropy.com.