HOTLINE

Answering Readers' Questions about the Best Times for Fund Raising, the Limits of Graduate Education, and More

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

Q. I've heard that some months are better than others for fund-raising efforts. Which ones?

A. November and December are the most wonderful time of the year for many fund raisers, for two reasons: because the holiday season inspires a wave of warm and altruistic feelings, and because many people rush to make tax-deductible contributions before December 31. "We always have best results in November and December," says Mary Ellen Long, chief development officer at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, in Indiana. "We ask in November and the gifts roll in in December -- early in the month as people are feeling philanthropic, later in the month as they want to give more for tax deductions," she says.

Glenn McKinney, director of development at the Bowery Mission, a rehabilitation program for homeless people in New York, echoes Ms. Long's observation that donors who give later in the season are often prodded by tax incentives, but says that that donors are also often inspired by the holiday season. "I see people respond in even greater numbers during November because of Thanksgiving," he says. "It's quite encouraging to see that donors are more motivated by the desire to feed hungry people than by receiving a tax break."

The tax cycle may also help to provide an impetus to give, says Ms. Long. May is another busy season, she says, because it comes on the heels of the mid-April filing deadline: "People are more aware of what they paid and how they could have been more giving to their favorite charities instead of paying taxes."

Then again, the summer months can be good for many charities -- many groups' fiscal years end during the summer. June is an "active month," reports Andrew Hamingson, director of development at the Manhattan Theatre Club, a nonprofit theater group in New York. "The end of the fiscal year creates a deadline," he says, "and we use it to create urgency with our donors."

And don't rule out late winter, early spring, or autumn, say charity fund raisers. For example, Royce Herron, development director at the Robey Theatre Company, a theater in Sherman Oaks, Calif., that focuses on works by black playwrights, says her group pegs a major mail appeal to prospective donors to coincide with Black History Month in February.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a national support group that has its headquarters in Washington, promotes tribute giving around Mother's Day and Father's Day, says Craig P. Ziskin, the group's deputy director of development. It focuses much of its fund-raising energies, though, in the late summer and early fall: "Back-to-school time is when we promote funding for our programs to train educators about how to create a school environment that is safe from harassment and bullying," he says.

The bottom line is that while November and December are particularly good months because of the holidays and tax incentives, the truth is that there really aren't inherently bad months for raising money, says Loretta Holland, owner of Prospect Consulting, in Austin, Tex., which assists its nonprofit clients with fund raising. "In grantsmanship, the work is always there if you plan well, and that's the way you want it to be with your other fund raising," she says. "If your fund-raising activity is spotty, then your organization's cash flow will be, too."

Q. I recently completed a master of public-administration degree. I pursued this degree to learn more about the nonprofit field, but it has hindered my job search: Recently a potential employer refused to interview me because I was, I was told, too educated and lacked enough "real world" experience. (My work experience has been concurrent with my time in school.) Can you offer me any advice on overcoming this obstacle with employers?

A. It's understandable that you feel as though your master's degree is hindering your job search, but it would be more accurate to say that your lack of nonprofit work experience is your primary challenge. A graduate degree, such as an M.P.A., is very valuable to have in the nonprofit world, say David B. Waters, executive director at Community Servings, a charity in Boston that delivers meals to people ill with AIDS, their families, and the people who take care of AIDS patients. (Indeed, a quick search through any nonprofit job listing reveals that your master's degree will serve you in good stead down the road -- many high-level positions in charities require, or at least strongly prefer, candidates with master's degrees.) But, he adds "a graduate degree can't always teach you good judgment, common sense, or how to react in a stressful situation. Only the 'school of hard knocks' can teach you that." To bolster your résumé, he suggests that you try volunteer work, internships, and unpaid consulting assignments while you're searching for a job.

In the meantime, when you go on job interviews, emphasize the work experience that you do have, as well as your excitement about the position you're hoping to land. "Demonstrated enthusiasm and passion for the individual mission of the agency can often sway a potential employer to overlook some lack of 'real world' experience," says Mr. Waters.

Talk about the origins of your interest in charities, or a particular charitable mission, says Peggy Klaus, the author of Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It (Warner Books, 2003, $24.95). "Convey to the potential employer why you chose this particular field and what inspired you -- was it a great summer internship, a mentor, a class that gave you your passion? And also convey what skills you have that translate to this new arena." Ms. Klaus suggests.

The key, she says, is to prepare your pitch ahead of time. For example, Ms. Klaus, who works as a communication coach in Berkeley, Calif., recently helped a client who had just completed a master's of business administration and had applied for a fund-raising job at a large charity that worked with children.

"She knew this was not going to be an easy sell because her only nonprofit experience had been two summers as a counselor at a camp for emotionally disturbed kids," says Ms. Klaus. She advised her client to prepare short, enthusiastic stories about her strengths and accomplishments in working with children. "She told several stories about how she helped her campers problem-solve through her creativity and persistence," Ms. Klaus says. "She mentioned an award she received at graduation for her thesis on marketing for nonprofits in a recession and related her ideas to how she would apply them in her new job." Her client landed the job.

For help preparing your own persuasive stories, try Ms. Klaus's "Take-12" questionnaire, which should help you organize your thoughts.

For more information about the value of advanced degrees in a nonprofit career, see this previous Philanthropy Careers article about master's of business administration degrees, and this Special Report on the growing number of nonprofit-management degrees.

Q. How can I find training in event, gala, and meeting planning?

A. First stop: Check out your local colleges and universities. Many offer degrees in event and meeting planning, often as a concentration within a travel-management program, says Joanna Lanzirotti, senior meeting and events planner at the Enterprise Foundation, in Columbia, Md., which supports low-cost housing, child care, and job opportunities to low-income people. In fact, even if your local institutions of higher education don't have appropriate programs, several universities offer meeting-planning courses online. George Washington University, for example, offers event-management courses. The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, offers courses in hospitality management.

Training opportunities to be found within professional organizations, such as Meeting Professionals International or the Professional Convention Management Association, which offer conferences and more online course work, as well as various certificate programs and industry publications.

But while education is definitely helpful, the best training in event planning is gained through experience, says Ms. Lanzirotti. "I've been at five different nonprofit organizations in my career, and each one is a little bit different," she says. Learning about the ins and outs of different venues, union rules and regulations, and all the other details that go into planning a successful event are things that you are most likely to learn on the job.

In fact, if you want the best training in event planning, serve as a volunteer on the planning committee of a high- profile gala event in your area, advises Steve Gruber, director of development at the Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities, in Raleigh, N.C. "Get on to that committee, go to every single meeting," he says.

Only a small percentage of volunteers on such events are able or willing to really work their hearts out, Mr. Gruber says. But if you dedicate yourself, you'll get a close look at what really goes into planning an event -- and can pick the brains of those planners who seem to know the most about the work at hand. Just don't do this during the event's crunch time, he adds. Also, keep an eye out for the people who work for companies that provide services at charitable events -- these individuals may also be fonts of useful information.

Q. I work as a database administrator for a charity. In our employee handbook, it states that the group will pay salaries similar to other charities in our area, as determined by published salary surveys. I suspect I'm making less than my peers, but I can't seem to find any salary surveys in my area that specifically list my job. How can I get the information I seek?

A. Many Web sites offer salary information, and it can be vexing if your job title doesn't match up exactly with what you find online. Large, national salary-survey Web sites are the most likely to offer you the most detailed information. Try Salary.com, as well as The Wall Street Journal's Career Journal, Wageweb, Salary Expert, and College Recruiter.com. For more options, you could check out TechSoup's Career Corner page, which offers many links to salary surveys. (TechSoup is an organization that provides information on technology to nonprofit groups.)

Once on a salary comparison site, your best bet is to try a keyword search. Be sure to carefully read the job descriptions to make sure that you have a match. For example, on Salary.com's site, "database administrator" is not a standard category on its drop-down menu, but if you do a keyword search, the job title "database administrator" does pop up. You can adjust salaries by geographic region, and learn what all database administrators in your area earn, on average. If you're willing to spend $49.95, the Web site will adjust the salary by nonprofit status, the number of employees at your charity, the number of people who report to you, and so on.

In addition, check out Guidestar's annual survey for detailed information on nonprofit positions. You might also find that a salary survey is being conducted in your region. Check in with your state or regional nonprofit association to find out. You'll find a list of such umbrella groups here.

Got a question about job hunting, recruiting, or managing in the nonprofit world? Send it to us at hotline@philanthropy.com.