Blog: Lifting Up Careers in Nonprofits
One of the things I love most about our annual Nonprofit Leadership Summit is how it exemplifies the strengths of our sector. It brings together leaders from every corner of our state who are addressing a wide array of missions and are united in efforts to make our state a place where all can thrive. The Summit provides a forum where we come together, learn from one another and envision new ways of working. That’s exactly what happened during our Community Conversation, which focused on how we can we work together lift up the value of nonprofit careers. The ideas generated were both tactical and expansive. Here are some of the themes raised:
Change the narrative about work in the sector – the nonprofit sector offers flexible and gratifying careers. Can we improve our storytelling to promote that more effectively?
Elevate the importance of operational funding to funders and donors – we cannot deliver programs without paying our staff competitive wages.
Advocacy – continue work with policymakers to help them understand the challenges nonprofits face, including work underway to improve government contracts to support the full costs of services.
Career development opportunities for early career nonprofit professionals, including mentoring, training and investing in career paths.
Workplace practices – share practices that support employees and prevent burn-out including flex-time, remote options, inclusive policies and more.
Outreach activities – engage youth in the nonprofit sector, partner with colleges, universities and others that are involved in workforce development to highlight nonprofit career opportunities.
Address systemic issues – the high cost of health care, lack of affordable housing and childcare impact all employers and their ability to support the workforce.
Collaboration – increase collaboration and community to better leverage resources and funding.
As you reflect upon this list, I encourage you to consider actions you can take within your own organization. The Center’s team is in the process of assessing how we can best support these efforts. We’ve already heard from several people who have volunteered to dig deeper into some of these ideas. We look forward to continuing this work together.
Kathleen