Hotline

Landing a first fund-raising job

The pros and cons of registering a charity

Where to find training in philanthropy

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 have been attempting to land a fund-raising position for the last year — but so far, no luck beyond a couple of interviews. I am 27, possess a bachelor's degree in business administration, and am willing to take an entry-level spot. I have no direct experience in development, but have been performing volunteer work recently and have added that to my résumé. Any tips for getting a foot in the door?

A. Employers are never looking to hire someone with zero experience in their field, and nonprofit development directors are no exception. Even when applying for an entry-level position, you must show an employer that you have some interest and basic knowledge of how it all works.

You say that you have recently started volunteering, which is a great way to gain experience and prove your interest to employers, but only if those volunteering efforts are related to fund raising. If not, it's time to change that.

Identify a charity for which you have a passion, and offer your services, says Tali Pressman, development and community relations director at Progressive Jewish Alliance, a social-advocacy organization in Los Angeles.

"Offer to do grant research or to draft the first copy of a pitch letter," she says. "Ask to sit in on meetings, shadow the fund raisers, learn the lingo, and watch how they do their work. Keep track of what you learn and the projects you work on so that you can include them on your résumé."

Ms. Pressman specifically suggests working with smaller organizations because they are likely to offer you more hands-on experience.

Another way to show employers that you are dedicated to a career in fund raising is to take a class, says Ms. Pressman. Many colleges and nonprofit resource centers offer fund-raising courses and seminars. Also, go to fund-raising events, lectures, and other cultural activities so you can introduce yourself to people who work in the field, adds Ms. Pressman.

"Tell everyone you meet that you are looking for work and what you want to do," she says. "You are bound to meet someone who knows someone who can help you out."

Another suggestion: Volunteer to work with one of the many local and state 2006 political campaigns.

"If you are interested in politics, are willing to work crazy hours, and want a crash course in fund raising, get involved with a race or two," says Ms. Pressman.

Make an effort to impress. "Everyone you work with should know you and your abilities, and be happy to make a phone call on your behalf to help you find a full-time position," she says.

But maybe, given your background, applying for entry-level positions is not the best way to reach your goals, suggests Jill Muchow Rode, development director at the Santa Barbara Zoo, in California.

"Even though a candidate with a bachelor's degree may tell me that they are willing to take an entry-level position to gain experience, I find it hard to believe that they would take a pay cut for a data-entry or assistant job just to get experience in development," says Ms. Rode. "My intuition tells me not to hire that individual, as I get the feeling they would soon be unhappy with the pay, the work, or some other aspect of the job, considering their previous experience and background."

Instead, she suggests, set your sights on opportunities that are more in line with your business-administration background, such as a job in event planning, public relations, or marketing for a charity, which may add more transferable skills to your résumé.

Another area in which to look for employment is within the business-development offices of charities, says Corinne Abbott, chief development officer at the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in Washington.

"There is a rapidly growing need among many nonprofits to develop revenue-generating programs," says Ms. Abbott. "You might find a great fit and can always transition to traditional philanthropic development once you've established yourself with the organization." (For more about the opportunities in this area of nonprofit work, see "Cultivating the Business Side of Charity," The Chronicle, March 18, 2004.)

Q. My friends and I are in the process of staging our second annual golf tournament to honor another friend who died of cancer. We donate the event's money to the American Cancer Society, and would like to eventually establish a scholarship in our deceased friend's name. As our plans grow, we'd like to establish a Web site to publicize our activities, but want to make sure we're going about this in the right way. Since our money is now being donated to a bigger charity, do we still need to register as a charity with the Internal Revenue Service? How do we do that? And can we get an ".org" Web address without being a registered charity?

A. The key issue isn't how much money the event takes in or whether you have a Web site, but the relationship of your event to the American Cancer Society, says Paulette Maehara, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, in Alexandria, Va.

"You could create a separate charity, but given the number of charities already in existence and the work this would entail, I'm not sure this is your best option," she says. "At the same time, running an independent event creates a whole separate set of challenges, including tax deductibility of contributions, expenses, and restricted gifts."

Therefore, Ms. Maehara advises that you continue to work through your local chapter of the American Cancer Society. The organization offers help to outside fund-raising events like yours through its Team ACS program. Using this online tool can help you create a personal fund-raising page for your golf tournament, and even send customized e-mail messages to friends and family members, inviting them to support your event.

"Why get bogged down in creating another organization or other administrative details?" says Ms. Maehara. "Instead, look for ways to maximize your time spent on growing the event, reaching out to potential supporters and all the things that will help raise more money in your friend's memory."

Indeed, so long as you continue to donate your event's proceeds to a recognized charity, such as the American Cancer Society, there is no need to create your own organization, says Ellen B. Covner, a lawyer in Wynnewood, Pa., who specializes in nonprofit fund-raising and management issues.

However, given that your ultimate goal is to establish a scholarship in honor of your friend, there may be some benefit in creating a separate nonprofit entity.

"In order to qualify as a charitable activity, a scholarship must be given to a person who meets the stated criteria, not to a named individual," says Ms. Covner.

By creating a charity, she points out, you could then decide who wins the scholarship. On the other hand, if you decide not to form a charity and instead set up the scholarship at the American Cancer Society, or at another charity, you will probably have to give up some of that decision-making power.

"The charitable organization would accept your donation as a restricted gift to be used for a scholarship on whatever terms you set forth," says Ms. Covner. "If the organization practices good donor stewardship, you may have a role in the selection of the scholarship recipient, but you would not be able to be the only one making the decision."

Another reason you might consider registering as a nonprofit organization is if you want to establish your own ".org" Web site and seek additional sources of money to support your plans, says Ms. Covner. "If you are not recognized by your state and the IRS as a charity, then you are not a '.org.'"

The Foundation Center's Web site offers several resources to help guide you through the process of establishing a nonprofit organization, should you choose that route.

First, read through the Foundation Center's frequently asked questions section. Then, visit the IRS's Web site, which provides detailed information about registering your organization as a charity. Be sure to read the comprehensive "Tax Exempt Status for Your Organization."

You will also need to register with your state's Bureau of Charitable Organizations, which is usually housed in the Department of State office.

Regulations and filing requirements vary, so contact your state's attorney general's office to get up to speed on the rules. Check out the National Association of State Charity Officials for a list of state charity offices.

Q. Is there a list of schools in the United States that offer continuing education, short courses, or executive programs in different facets of philanthropy?

A. Unfortunately, there is not yet one "master list" that compiles all educational courses in every field of philanthropy. However, the following resources should provide all the information you need:

The most comprehensive list of educational offerings was created by Roseanne M. Mirabella, an associate professor of political science at Seton Hall University.

There you will find contact information and Web links to 255 colleges and universities that offer courses in nonprofit management. The site breaks up listings both alphabetically and by state, as well as into categories such as graduate and undergraduate degree programs, noncredit courses, continuing-education courses, and online education.

For courses specifically aimed at managers of volunteers, Energize Inc., a training and consulting firm in Philadelphia that focuses on volunteerism, offers a comprehensive list of programs around the country.

For instruction in grant seeking and proposal writing, check out the Foundation Center, whose Web site lists several free classes and fee-based seminars by city. The site also lists the center's online course offerings.

And for more fund-raising assistance, you may want to consider the short courses and certificate programs offered around the country by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University's Fund Raising School.

For one-day seminars and workshops, go to The Chronicle's Events page, where you can search by location, type of event, subject, and date to find out what is coming up in your region.

Remember, too, that many professional associations, such as the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the National Committee on Planned Giving, frequently sponsor educational events, so contact local chapters in your area to find out what's on their calendars.

To read more about trends in nonprofit-management education, see The Chronicle's special report on the topic, "Gaining Success by Degrees" (January 8, 2004).