Hotline

Transferring government skills to nonprofit work

Accepting noncash gifts toward a challenge grant

Returning to the job market after a long sabbatical

By Rebecca Gardyn

The Chronicle's Philanthropy Careers section asks its readers to submit questions about job hunting, recruiting, and management challenges in the nonprofit world. In our bimonthly advice column, we respond to some of those inquiries with tips about resources and recommendations from experts.

Previous editions of Hotline are available at http://philanthropycareers.com. Send your questions about job hunting, recruiting, or managing in the nonprofit world to hotline@philanthropy.com.

Q. I've had an extensive career in state and local government, and am looking to move into nonprofit work, specifically with groups that have impact on the lives of people at a local or regional level. I have a lot of experience in program monitoring and planning, grant-proposal writing, and serving as a mentor. Can I transfer these skills, and what direction should I pursue?

A. Certainly your skills are transferable, and your government experience can be a very valuable foundation for success in the nonprofit field, says Neil G. Giuliano, the former four-term mayor of Tempe, Ariz., who in August was appointed president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which has offices in Los Angeles and New York.

"It is great that you have a desire to make a difference in the lives of others," he says, but because your skills are so broad, you'll need to first narrow your focus. "Do some thinking about which aspect of nonprofit work appeals to you most: program development, management, or fund raising."

Your experience in planning and monitoring programs would align especially well with a charity that is in the midst of putting in place new programs or a new strategic plan, says Mr. Giuliano. Also, your experience as a mentor could make you a candidate for a job directing volunteers or working at a charity that has a strong intern or fellowship program. Your grant-proposal writing experience is also very valuable, particularly to nonprofit organizations seeking to expand or diversify their sources of revenue, says Mr. Giuliano.

Once you've pinpointed the handful of charities for which you'd like to work, you still need to get your foot in the door, says Mark Boyd, president of Goodwill Industries of Southern New Jersey, in Maple Shade, who once served as the state's labor commissioner.

"The best strategy for making the transition from the public sector to the nonprofit sector is to make yourself available to as broad a group of potential employers as possible," he says. He suggests establishing yourself as a consultant to let potential employers "take a test drive" or volunteer your services to show charities your strengths and commitment.

In the interview phase, focus on how your previous job experiences suit you to the particular nonprofit slot being filled, urges Susan Wyant, executive director of Catalog for Giving of New York City, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for small grass-roots groups that provide support and education to young people from low-income families. A few years ago, she considered a candidate for a fund-raising job whose only previous employment had been working for a legislator.

"Her cover letter clearly presented how her skill set directly related to the needs described in our ad, and she came to the interview well prepared with specific examples demonstrating how her experience directly correlated to the requirements of the position," says Ms. Wyant. "Because she was successful in proactively making the case for her candidacy, she was also successful in securing the position."

Q. My college is in the midst of a capital campaign -- we've raised nearly two-thirds of our $15-million goal, with 18 months left to go. Our lead donor gave a $5-million challenge grant, which has been used to match subsequent donations, and we have almost exhausted that match. We are now talking with corporations about gifts, and many are technology companies whose main form of philanthropy is in-kind donations (computers, software, etc.). Our administration would like to count these in-kind contributions toward our campaign goal, and "match" them with cash from the challenge grant. The lead donor prefers that we match cash only, but will consider matching in-kind gifts, if it means the goal will be reached. Has anyone else faced a situation like this with in-kind donations in a capital campaign, and did they count them toward a matching grant?

A. The question of whether to "count" products and services in a capital campaign has become an increasingly common one among nonprofit organizations, says Del Martin, a fund-raising consultant in Atlanta who specializes in capital campaigns. To provide an answer to your particular scenario, however, Ms. Martin would like to know why you are raising the money in the first place: "For instance, if part of the campaign goal is to pay for computers and software, then naturally a donation of computers and software would serve the same purpose as cash." If this is the case, she says, you can make an argument to the donor for using those gifts toward the matching requirement.

However, if the goal of the campaign is to fund the construction costs for a building, or for growing an endowment, then in-kind gifts such as those you describe would not help.

"If you went ahead and matched the gifts in that case, the intent of the lead donor would be subverted, as he or she most likely wanted the gift to help encourage others to give to reach your needed goal," she says.

Other organizations have indeed faced similar situations as yours, says Ms. Martin. In fact, she is currently working with a museum that has made the decision to count donated products -- such as concrete, cables, and steel -- in its capital campaign for a new building, because such items will help decrease the amount of cash needed to make the ultimate goal.

"In my experience, only those organizations who decide to count in-kind gifts that are what I call 'project budget-relieving' end up in a good position at the end of the campaign," says Ms. Martin. "Organizations that decide to count in-kind gifts despite the fact that they do not meet the campaign's specific objectives, on the other hand, often find themselves short of the cash or pledges needed to fund a project. They end up with a dissatisfied and poorly stewarded challenge donor, and they sometimes end up with in-kind gifts that they have no use for."

The Midwest Palliative and Hospice CareCenter, in Glenview, Ill., found that soliciting donated products helped it do better in its nearly completed $17-million capital campaign than it would have otherwise, says Anne Rossiter, senior director of philanthropy at the organization.

The USG Corporation, a building-products company in Chicago, donated $21,000 worth of drywall, and Illinois Tool Works, in Glenview, donated two commercial refrigerators worth $5,000, in addition to $200,000 in cash. Because both corporations have separate budgets for cash and donations of products, Ms. Rossiter says, the companies were able to help to a greater extent than if the charity had just solicited cash. For example, she says, "our organization received higher quality refrigerators than our cash budget would have afforded."

Q. I am a female, 50-year-old, executive-level fund raiser who took time off to raise my two children. I have been back in the job market for nine months, have found a career coach, and am willing to relocate, but have a recurring problem: I get the interview, but not the job. This was not the problem when I was on the fast track, early in my career. Any advice?

A. You don't mention how many years you took off to raise your children, notes Barbara J. Roberts, dean of institutional advancement at Marymount College, in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. If it has been quite a while, the unfortunate reality is that you may simply have to accept a lower-than-executive-level post if you wish to re-enter the job market as a fund raiser, she says.

"While you have the professional credentials to re-enter the fund-raising field -- clearly the reason you are able to nab interviews -- you and I both know that best practices in our profession change over time," she says. "Have you attended workshops, seminars, and extension programs that have enabled you to stay abreast of developments in fund raising?"

If not, says Ms. Roberts, consider enrolling in a few classes to get yourself up to speed. This will signal to potential employers that you have remained committed to the fund-raising profession, even during your stint as a stay-at-home mom, she says.

Another obstacle in your job search may be your attitude, says Ms. Roberts. Over the years, she has met many people who aspire to return to work after some time away, and, she says, they generally have fallen into two camps: (a) those who indicate that they are flexible and can work both independently and as part of a team and, (b) those who strike what she calls the "I've been there done that" attitude, whose approach to collaboration she describes as, "I have years of experience doing that, so let me tell you how to fix such-and-such situation."

"I can tell you that I have had far greater success with the former than the latter," says Ms. Roberts. "A little humility goes a long way with me and other potential employers."

It is, of course, also possible that you have been a victim of age discrimination. If you suspect this may be the case, consult a previous Chronicle article on fighting age discrimination.