Staffing & Human Resources

Who Makes the Best Nonprofit Manager?
May 20, 2016 at 10:20 am

On my high school baseball team, I typically played third base and caught. In an important sectional tournament, I was assigned to play first base. It was the only time I played that position all year. I was excited to play the position and knew I would play it well because I could adapt quickly to changes in scenarios. I apply that same confidence to my nonprofit work...

What Development Directors Should Say in an Interview
May 20, 2016 at 9:53 am

There are just three components to hiring a great development director: Get a good candidate pool. Ask the right questions. Recognize the right answers. For the moment, I’m going to assume you know how to get a good candidate pool. I addressed the second item, asking the right questions, in my earlier post, "Great Interview…

Millions of Salaried Employees Eligible for Overtime Starting in December
May 19, 2016 at 11:00 am

The Department of Labor overtime rules have changed, making millions of American salaried workers now eligible for overtime, Vice President Joe Biden announced Tuesday. Starting Dec. 1, the salary threshold for overtime eligibility will double from $23,660 to $47,476 annually (or $455 to $913 weekly). Bonuses and incentive payments may count toward up to 10 percent of the salary threshold...

Woman Alleges Getty Foundation Internship Only Open to Non-White Applicants
May 3, 2016 at 10:09 am

A woman filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Getty Foundation alleging she was denied an undergraduate internship with the institution because she is white. In the lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Samantha Niemann accused Getty of violating her civil rights, racial discrimination and harassment, as well as retaliation. She seeks unspecified compensatory and…

Emulate Your Aspirational Organizations
April 27, 2016 at 11:54 am

"Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you'd like to act," Bob Dylan said. Frequently I hear mentors providing valuable coaching, challenging their mentees to dress, perform and behave like they had the job they aspire to have...

3 Companies on Corporate Giving's Cutting Edge
April 26, 2016 at 11:27 am

Matching gifts, foundation grants, volunteer programs—there are plenty of ways for corporations to give. But a handful of companies are pushing the bounds of corporate giving, experimenting with new initiatives and pushing philanthropy as an organizational philosophy...

The Cult of 'Free': Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That
April 26, 2016 at 10:42 am

Is there some deep, dark secret lurking in the trenches of nonprofit fundraising, one that is nearly as bleak as the abysmal donor retention rates, one that holds organizations back from realizing their true potential? Yes. The bizarre lengths nonprofit organizations will go to in their endless pursuits of “free” is a bone-deep problem that afflicts organizations of all sizes...

Fundraising Career Advice: What I Wish I Knew Then
April 22, 2016 at 9:24 am

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” When you were in first grade, I bet you didn’t say, “I want to be a fundraiser!” Me? I wanted to be Matlock. For so many of us, a fundraising career is something we fell into, or, perhaps, is a “second act” after our first career…

18 Ingredients for Successful Fundraising
April 21, 2016 at 9:37 am

I’m celebrating my 15-year anniversary as a fundraiser! In a blog post five years ago, I wrote about the best strategic ingredients for a successful fundraising program. Let’s try that again and see if I want to change my perspective now I’ve grown older. Fundraisers are gold. Quality fundraising staff makes all the difference. Without…

Best Practices for Hiring People With Disabilities at Your Nonprofit
April 13, 2016 at 12:06 pm

Title I of the Americans with 
Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended prohibits employment discrimination by all employers—
including local government employers—with 15 or more employees. The following sections—the application, the interview and landing the job—will provide you with information about the details of Title I and how it may apply to hiring practices at your organization or agency...