All that glitters isn’t gold: Why working at a nonprofit might just be a really smart thing to do By Supriya Balsekar

Editor’s Note: We carry on with our “What to Expect” issue.  Today, Supriya Balsekar tells us what it’s like to work at an innovative youth development nonprofit…and how it’s the perfect preparation for business school.

I was very much on the Women in Business fast-track. I worked in finance for two summers during college, and my senior fall, I applied and was accepted to business school. In the months prior to my graduation from college, however, to everyone’s surprise and some people’s horror, I deferred business school for two years and signed up to work at a nonprofit in the Bronx. From my interactions during my summer internships in the finance industry, I found that so many young, ambitious souls, myself included, had been socialized into believing that an elite financial firm was simply the next checkbox beneath an Ivy League college. Instead, I called my MBA admissions office to confirm that I could really do anything I wanted before starting the program. When the lady said to me, “Yes, you can do pretty much anything except watch Oprah for two years,” I signed on the dotted line for a two-year contract with CitySquash. 

CitySquash is an after-school youth enrichment program that enables at-risk youth from the Bronx to fulfill their academic, athletic and personal potential. Our year-round, intensive programming combines squash, tutoring, mentoring, community service, travel, culture, nutrition, independent school placement, employment training and college prep. As an after-school program activity or “hook,” squash is uniquely effective. Historically played at prep schools and elite colleges, squash maintains close ties to strong educational institutions today. As such, the experience of playing squash exposes our students to higher education and a culture that greatly values academic achievement. Moreover, winning scholarships to prep schools and colleges with the help of squash is not a far-fetched goal for our students, as squash remains a relatively small sport in America. And the results are stunning - of the 40 students in CitySquash’s first four middle school classes, 23 have won scholarships to selective parochial, independent day and boarding high schools.  Collectively, these students will receive $2.3 million in financial aid awards over the course of their high school careers. 

I have been at CitySquash for three months now, working on management, development and strategic planning. I am truly happy and truly enjoy the work that I do, and I believe this opportunity will prepare me for business school and life in a way that most glamorous jobs would not hold a candle to. I was given multiple responsibilities including overseeing our land-acquisition project, planning and running the capital campaign to raise the funds to build that facility, and implementing and coordinating our transition to new and improved fundraising software, and redesigning our website from scratch. In addition to such projects, I was given the opportunity to coach squash and tutor our students. Spending time with the students is particularly valuable as it has given me a glimpse into their world, their values, their hopes and their fears. In many ways, the most important responsibility I was given all summer was serving as a role model to our students.

This experience has provided me with much professional growth and personal discovery. While my peers have found themselves stuck at the bottom of the totem pole, yearning to add value and flex their intellectual muscles, I have found myself playing a pivotal role in ushering the organization from childhood into maturity, and gained many of the hard-skills required to start and run a business. At one point during the summer, while evaluating the organization’s financial health and readiness for the new challenges posed by the economy, it really hit me – that I held a significant stake in the organization and that I, at 23-years of age, was actually going to affect our business practices and our students. I also quickly came to realize that our staff of eight twenty-somethings served as a beacon of light in the community. “CitySquash is a miracle in the middle of the Bronx,” one parent described on my first day, “Thank you for coming to us.” In that moment, I felt powerful beyond belief. I am confident that when I start at business school, I will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and perspective to the table. For young people like myself, working at a social service organization might not only be a good thing to do, but a very smart thing to do.

FLiP’s back in New York: Free Networking Happy Hour October 7th!

With the help of our generous event sponsors - Leodas Search Group, Johns Hopkins University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital - we took FLiP on tour for the summer.  We hosted events in both Washington, DC and Boston, and are sure to be back in those cities, as well as venture to others, in the future!

Travelling has been exciting, but it’s time to get reacquainted with New York FLiPs and meet new members of the FLiP community.  Join us on Tuesday, October 7th on the 2nd floor of Turtle Bay (987 Second Avenue, between 52nd & 53rd Streets) from 6-8PM.   

In addition to the great networking opportunities the event will offer, we have invited Kathleen McGovern Kearns, Senior Vice President, Development & External Affairs for Continuum Health Partners, the parent company of Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Long Island College Hospital and The New York Eye & Ear Infirmary.  Check out her bio on the Continuum site.

Registration isn’t required, but we’d like to get an idea of who’s coming, so please click here (http://www.onphilanthropy.com/FLiPRSVP)

 to register for the event or RSVP to our Facebook group.  Questions?  Email me, Lyndsay Reville, at lreville@changingourworld.com.

Hope to see you on the 7th!

People of ServiceNation

Although Thursday night’s Presidential Forum was tough to top, Day 2 of the ServiceNation Summit at the Hilton in New York City was jam-packed with some of the biggest names in politics, service, education and entertainment.

The morning session of the “service pep-rally” featured New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who in his remarks called upon the nation to “enlarge the spirit of service in America.”  He highlighted and recognized many of the initiatives that the City of New York is undertaking, specifically GreenNYC, and recognized the work of young New Yorker Avery Houston, who created Green Light NY which works with kids and after school groups to make New York City Schools more energy efficient. 

President Bush also spoke via video conference thanking all those in attendance for the great work they have already accomplished on behalf of our nation.  He also spoke of his confidence in our country’s ability to rise to the calling for increased service saying, “The true source of our nation’s strength is the love, compassion and decency of the American people.”

First Lady Laura Bush then took the stage and celebrated the increasing levels of service by all Americans and noted two emerging trends: a greater commitment to serve by the aging and a stronger interest and desire to volunteer by the young.

With all the well-known dignitaries taking the stage, it was nice to have some moments where ordinary Americans took the stage to tell their service stories.  One of those stories came from Leon McClain, a man who after being a victim of gun violence in the streets of Philadelphia decided to turn his life around and chose a path of service to help him make that change.  He served for two years as part of City Year, in inner-city Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

To conclude the morning program, Senator Orrin Hatch and Caroline Kennedy took the stage to announce the Serve America Act, co-sponsored by Senator Hatch and Senator Ted Kennedy.  The legislation will expand volunteer opportunities for Americans of all ages, and create the Education Corps, the Healthy Futures Corps, the Clean Energy Service Corps, the Opportunity Corps, and the Reserve Corps, among other initiatives.

Other speakers in the morning and lunch sessions included: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen USN, Alicia Keys, Usher Raymond, Laurie Tisch, Alan Khazei and Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead.

Six panels were offered in the first breakout session.  The panel on education included Alma Powell of America’s Promise Alliance, Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach for America, Michael Brown, founder of City Year, and Joel Klein, Chancellor of New York City Public Schools.  This esteemed panel discussed the current state of education in our country and what real solutions are available to fix the problems.  All agreed that awareness surrounding the problems of subpar education and dropout rates needs to be heightened so that all Americans can stop making it a problem for “those people” to deal with and make it a problem that all people must address.  They also discussed the need for improved recruitment and retention of quality teachers.  The audience included a number of people, myself included, who were alums of service programs such as AmeriCorps, City Year & Teach for America, as well as young people recognized by ServiceNation for their excellence in community service including Miss Central Virginia Madison VanDuyne.  After the panel, I was able to meet and introduce FLiP to Caroline Kennedy, Mike Brown, Wendy Kopp as well as young leaders VanDuyne and Marisol Conde-Hernandez.

During the afternoon sessions I was able to meet with Chris Myers Asch, Executive Director of the United States Public Service Academy.  I briefly met Senators Chris Dodd and Hillary Clinton as well as actress Glenn Close.

The closing ceremony for the ServiceNation was a star-studded event.  After an excitement-filled day of dialogue and discourse, the 500-plus participants in the summit gathered for the much-anticipated closing ceremony which included the Declaration of Service, which was introduced and signed by over 100 young people in positions of civic and social leadership.  Lloyd Blankfien of Goldman Sachs spoke to the audience about his hope for corporations to better integrate their social engagement platforms into their corporate cultures and operaitons.  He discussed some of Goldman’s initiatives including 10,000 Women.  10,000 women works to expand the entrepreneurial talent and managerial pool in developing and emerging economies - especially among women - and is one of the most important means to reducing inequality and ensuring more shared economic growth.

Rick Stengel of TIME Magazine thanked those in attendance for their participation but called upon all present to dig deeper and give even more, explaining “We all have to do our part, it is our time!”

Sen. Hillary Clinton spoke to a very supportive crowd, telling them how the times of the day demand our service.  “We are all called to serve in a way that suits our talents, time and interest,” Clinton said, “and we must make sure that the American table of service is big enough for everyone to have a place.”

Those in attendance who were hoping to see as many stars and celebrities as possible got what they wanted (dead or alive) when rocker turned Arena Football team owner/philanthropist Jon Bon Jovi took the stage.  He challenged the nation to “reboot and update their idea of service,” explaining that you do not need to be famous or rich to make a difference.  He revealed his theory in the “Power of We,” which he explained is the simple strength that comes about when a few concerned neighbors or citizens come together to make a difference and impart some social change.  Bon Jovi shared the story of how he founded the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, which exists to combat issues that force families and individuals into economic despair. He shared his vision of making volunteerism “hip” and challenged us all to bring that same energy to our communities. 

The ServiceNation Summit ended as a grand success with the organization primed to take the excitement from the two-day summit and implement it into good works on September 27 for the Service Nation Day of Action.

What to Expect: Fundraising Consulting by Will Schneider

When I speak to college students about the possibility of a career in the philanthropic sector, their eyes generally light up when I mention my career in consulting. I know what they’re hearing. For some, it sounds like the perfect blended career; you get to work for the social good – and work in the for-profit sector at the same time. It’s all of the ability to sleep well at night that comes from working at a nonprofit or socially-conscious organization, except in addition to that warm and fuzzy feeling, you also get stock options. Right? Well… not so fast.

For this edition of our latest theme, “What to Expect,” we’re going to be exploring the truth about consulting. Our hope is that this “What to Expect” series will help you make better decisions about your career. As this theme progresses, posts will both include information about the nitty-gritty of day-to-day work, (i.e.  Elizabeth Miller’s post about meetings), as well as macro views, like my post today about life as a consultant. Without further ado, “What to Expect: Consulting.” 

Hi everyone. I’m Will. I’m a fundraising consultant.

Four years ago, when I had about two years of experience as a fundraiser under my belt, I left a job on the Major Gifts team (as a prospect researcher) at Carnegie Hall to work for Changing Our World, Inc. a national (now international) philanthropic consulting firm based in New York. The company advises individuals, foundations, corporations and nonprofits in the strategic raising or granting of funds; I work primarily with nonprofit clients in the Fundraising Division.

Raising money for Carnegie Hall is a fantastic experience; they know what they’re doing, and they do it very well. I was able to be a small part of the machine, and as such watch what was happening all around me.

I wanted to be a consultant largely because, well, largely because I like fundraising, and I felt I would have an opportunity to do more of it as a consultant for a variety of organizations than if I worked in-house for any one organization.  I assumed I would be raising money for dozens of clients over the years, applying the lessons learned from each client to the rest that followed. That’s what I expected.

What to Expect as a Fundraising Consultant – The Five Truths:

1) It’s like getting a new job every six months. I typically work with anywhere from one to four clients at a time. Engagements rarely last more than a year, and some are much shorter. The upshot is that the day-to-day experience of my job changes dramatically every six months or so. Some people like settling into a routine. In my opinions, these people would not like being consultants

Recap: Presidential Candidates Forum

“Never has our citizenship stepped up so effectively for change.  We must sustain those feelings and maintain the spirit of American triumph.”  Last night at Columbia University, Jay Winuk Vice President and Co-Founder of MyGoodDeed.org, described so effectively the feelings of our nation post-9/11 and their personal actions of service to help heal our country in the wake of that tragic day.  His sentiment was echoed throughout the evening in conversations with Presidential Candidates, Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, who came together for President Forum which served as the kickoff event for the ServiceNation Summit.

Both candidates agreed to suspend all campaigning for the day and turn their focuses on remembrance and service.  Appearing back-to-back, both took part in conversations surrounding national service and the steps they would take in their Presidential administrations to help develop a nation of service.  McCain and Obama both agreed that the federal government’s reaction to 9/11 was insufficient and citizens should have been asked to do more than just “go shopping”.  Both shared plans to expand the size of our military and the AmeriCorps.  The Senators also agreed that national service should not be compulsory, citing their belief in the American spirit that if citizens young and old are given the opportunities and arenas to serve that they will meet the challenge in record numbers.

McCain and Obama were mindful of not veering far from the safe rhetoric surrounding the service and volunteering world, but they did offer some personal insights on the topic. Senator McCain said that his administration would continue to give to faith-based organizations that provide vital philanthropic services to their communities, country and world.  He noted that it is not the government’s role to interfere with private citizens, but called for better cooperation between all levels of government and asked for the private sector to step up throw even greater support to the non-profit sector.  Obama mentioned that his service platform would provide college students with up to $4,000 a year for community service.  He, with Senator McCain, also called out Columbia, Obama’s alma mater, for not allowing ROTC officials on campus to meet with and recruit Columbia students.  He explained that during his travels throughout the country he found that Americans are looking for a president who will inspire them, and compel them to “hitch their wagons to something bigger to find true fulfillment.”

ServiceNation in Pictures

FLiP had the unique privilege of being among the bloggers invited to cover the ServiceNation Summit in NYC yesterday that extends into a full day conference today at the Hilton. The Summit, which brings together 600 leaders in every sector across the age spectrum, celebrates service to others and signals the rallying cry for more community service and volunteer activities as a collaborative effort from the public and private sectors. We know it's not FLiP's usual philanthropic flavor but last night, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain participated in the Summit's Presidential Candidate Forum, held at Columbia University. This marked the first time both appear together as Presidential candidates....well, sort of.

In the next few posts, you will read more about the Summit and its participants but we first wanted to share our experience of covering this historic event, so large in scale and involving such a variety of organizations in the best way-- through pictures.

A packed courtyard and steps at Columbia University as students waited to catch a glimpse of Senators Barak Obama and John McCain on a megascreen.

 

Back at the ranch, bloggers and print journalists sat side by side as protesters (a variety of them, actually) stood outside on Broadway and 116th Street

Don’t Miss FLiP’s Boston Debut!

What: Speed Networking
Where: Tommy Doyle’s Harvard Square (96 Winthrop Street, Cambridge)
When: Tuesday, September 16th 6:00-8:00PM
Price: $10 (includes appetizers)
Why: Network with your colleagues, meet other people in the field, find your next job, make some friends in the sector, have a drink with some cool people, etc.

There are still tickets available for next week’s Speed-Networking event in Boston. 

If you are in the Boston area, come join us at Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square as the Boston FLiP’s meet for the first time!  To RSVP, follow this link - http://www.onphilanthropy.com/speednetworking - and we'll see you there!

As we mentioned in the last post, the success of this event will make the case for more events in Boston, and other cities, in the future!

Questions? Email me, Lyndsay Reville, at lreville@changingourworld.com.

FLiP Meets: Bettina Seidman, founder of SEIDBET Associates, a career management consulting firm

At our FLiP events, we often meet young professionals who are interested in making a career change into the philanthropic sector or students looking to make their first step into a career involving social change. Among the most common questions asked is always, “How…?”

Beyond our own experiences regarding “landing” in our current positions (because let’s be honest here, we did not all anticipate working in the philanthropic sector), specifics on a plan or advice on how to position oneself to make that transition is not a topic we can easily speak about. Lucky for us, there are organizations that specialize in doing just that. FLiP sat down with Bettina Seidman, founder of the career management consulting firm, SEIDBET Associates, following her pro bono work as one of the “Ask The Experts” consultants at the recent Craigslist Foundation Non-Profit Boot Camp held in New York.

Thank you, Bettina, for your time and advice. FLiP readers, enjoy!

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP):  Please tell us about your background.

Bettina Seidman (BS): I have been a career management coach for over 15 years, following 20 years in human resources management in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors.  I have a BA in Psychology, an MBA in Industrial Psychology, and a Certificate in Labor Relations.

FLiP:  What is SEIDBET Associates? What are its services and who are its clients?

BS:  SEIDBET Associates is the company I founded in 1991.  I provide services to clients to help them identify the career or job they want and the techniques to attain those positions including assessment in the case of career change, as well as:
- Resume Development and Editing
- Job Search Techniques
- Strategic Interviewing
- Negotiation

In addition, SEIDBET services include performance coaching, executive coaching, outplacement counseling, and human resources consulting for small organizations.

FLiP:  Why career counseling?

BS: I left my job as a Human Resource Director in 1989, the result of downsizing.  After doing some human resources consulting work, I decided I wanted to change careers and started working in the outplacement industry where I was trained in career counseling.  I liked the work very much because I was able to use all the skills I had ever developed and, shortly thereafter, I started my own company.

FLiP:  Recently, you were one of the one-on-one coaches/experts at the Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp (held on Saturday, August 16th). How was your experience?

BS: This was the second year I participated as an Ask the Expert Coach at Craigslist Foundation Boot Camp.  I attended Boot Camp two years ago as a participant to learn about it - 2006 was the first year of Boot Camp in New York.  In my view, this was the best year of the three - there was more space for the Ask the Expert coaches and more individuals came for coaching.  There was also more space in the exhibition room for companies to display their products and services.  In addition, the first year Boot Camp was at NYU Stern, the second year at BAM in Brooklyn, and this year back at NYU, at the Skirball Building.  Manhattan is always the best venue because it is central.  I was able to provide pro bono coaching to a variety of people, including a manager working in nonprofit, several people who wanted to transition into nonprofit from the corporate sector, a couple of young people just finishing college, a man specializing in international relations, and a man who had started a nonprofit and was working on a new logo and mission statement, among other people.  My group ranged from age 20 through 58.

FLiP:  What kinds of questions were raised?

BS: Resume questions, niche identification questions, job search questions including questions about networking and development of two-minute pitches, and questions about interviewing, and questions about logo and mission statement.

FLiP:  Can you give us very top-line advice for professionals who are new to the sector (a majority of our FLiP audience) in terms of setting career goals and a personal business plan?

BS: It is important to be as clear as possible about what you want to do - talk to lots of people already in the niche you have identified and ask prepared questions.  Learn all you can about marketing techniques. It is important to have more than a specific skill set. If you want to start a nonprofit organization, you need to learn about running one.  If you are looking for a position in the nonprofit sector, you need to learn about developing a marketing-driven resume, the best job search techniques, and strategic interviewing and negotiation skills   

Ms. Seidman writes a free monthly newsletter called THE SEIDBET BRIEFING. You can also email her about career management coaching at SEIDBET@aol.com. 

Gen Y Demands More of Employers

Hey, FLiP!  Check out an article published this week on our parent site, onPhilanthropy.com, where Jordan Walker talks about the challenges facing the workforce as Generation Y takes it by storm.  We thought you’d find it interesting what companies are doing to recruit and retain young professionals.  Hint: this blog isn’t called “Future Leaders in Philanthropy” for nothing!

Free GMAT prep class – now ONLINE - only two days left to apply!

Manhattan GMAT's social venture scholar program is offering up to 25 individuals the opportunity to receive free admission to one of its 9-session Live Online GMAT prep courses (a $990 value). 

Last time that FLiP partnered with Manhattan GMAT, they were so impressed by the applications they received that they have asked us to do it again – and extended their deadline just for our FLiP readers!

The course, now held online and available to anyone in the country, is scheduled to begin on September 17th and, for you, there are only two days left to apply!  Log on to http://www.manhattangmat.com/svs.cfm by Thursday, September 4th for additional information, and to complete the online application.

Because the original deadline has passed, please be sure to mention FLiP when applying.

Best of luck!