There is an unprecedented engagement of all the necessary players dancing around the concepts from very high levels. Corporations are utilizing modest levels of internal mentoring and corporate social responsibility as a means to attract, engage and retain women employees – but often not broad enough to capitalize on the talent they have at stake.  Many governments are seeking collaborative ways to solve global issues (and some even lifting the veil of ignorance and arrogance) yet we see them slow to actually integrate cost effective measures to change their lack of women’s empowerment and economic growth.  They have yet to recognize that the sooner they jump on the band wagon the sooner their GDP will rise.  NGO’s are leveraging feet on the ground and some of the often underutilized and overlooked individuals are acting on “individual social responsibility” but without the leveraging of skills and new technology to support their efforts. High level leadership to solve global issues of parity and equity is the common thread but as we watch for changing tides we see more talk about the possibilities and little about actions.  Changing tides?

The fifty-seventh session of the Commission on the Status of Women took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York March 4-15, 2013.  Governments adopted an historic agreement on the Status of Women to prevent and end violence against women and girls. This is yet another agreement which displays intention but not action.  These same conversations have been taking place in a number of similar venues for the last 20 years – yet time and time again we see no movement.

The continuum of gender based violence, spans from domestic and intimate-partner violence, to political violence, and violence in the public space with impacts women’s lives, their families and society as a whole.  Gender based violence has not decreased since this conversation started.   The economic impact of gender based violence, especially for families in poverty continues to be devastating.  In order to gain prosperity in any economy, gender based violence must not just be addressed, it must be condemned and punished.

Globally, gender-based violence kills and disables more women between the ages of 15-44 than does cancer.

In an exclusive essay, Warren Buffet explains why women are key to America’s prosperity.  In his words:

“Start with the fact that our country’s progress since 1776 has been mind-blowing, like nothing the world has ever seen. Our secret sauce has been a political and economic system that unleashes human potential to an extraordinary degree. As a result Americans today enjoy an abundance of goods and services that no one could have dreamed of just a few centuries ago.

But that’s not the half of it — or, rather, it’s just about the half of it. America has forged this success while utilizing, in large part, only half of the country’s talent. For most of our history, women — whatever their abilities — have been relegated to the sidelines. Only in recent years have we begun to correct that problem.”

“The closer that America comes to fully employing the talents of all its citizens, the greater its output of goods and services will be. We’ve seen what can be accomplished when we use 50% of our human capacity. If you visualize what 100% can do, you’ll join me as an unbridled optimist about America’s future.”

Buffett challenged male executives to think about how women can boost productivity.

This would create not a changing wave to watch but a tidal wave we can ride.  Some corporations are leveraging corporate social responsibility through the support of women owned SME’s (small and medium enterprises) in their supply chain.  This is a huge step in the right direction as it will create jobs, and build social, economic and political stability in their families and communities. An example of one of these companies we have had the opportunity to see, first hand, the efforts of The Gap’s process as well as Starbucks efforts to help smaller coffee growers – often women’s enterprises or efforts.

USAID’s new Women’s Leadership in Small and Medium Enterprises program is aimed at scaling up micro to medium business ownership.  The program’s goal is to decrease the gender gap in business ownership—for example, in South Asia only 3% of small and medium businesses are women-owned.  Multiple studies and research indicate dramatic reductions in gender based violence (GBV) when there is a decrease in the gender gap in business ownership. In a 2008 UNDP study the actual GDP income can be impacted by as much as 7.5% and household income reduced by 4.5% based on

The Women’s Empowerment Principles – Equality Means Business is a joint initiative of UN Women and the UN Global Compact. The Principles outline seven steps for business on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. The Principles highlight that empowering women to participate fully in economic life across all sectors and throughout all levels of economic activity is essential to build strong economies; establish more stable and just societies; achieve internationally agreed goals for development, sustainability, and human rights; improve quality of life for women, men, families and communities; and propel business’ operations and goals.

It is estimated by The Institute for Business and Finance Research in a 2010 published article that there are well over one million women with MBAs who desire to give back and share their skills to enhance social, economic and political security.

By leveraging technology and talent we can create a tidal wave empowering women and growing jobs which will bring about dramatic growth of economies as well as political, social and economic stability.

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Cultivating potential nonprofit employees and leaders is critical to the future of individual nonprofits and the social sector as a whole. Talent is an organization’s number one access to capital. Funders, clients and the community must be confident in the organization’s capabilities in order for it to thrive. Additionally, hiring the best and the brightest yields results through innovation, social enterprise and vibrancy. Talented employees are in many ways more important than money to keep nonprofits running; they are the driving force behind thoughtful and sustainable social change.

But for the moment, as the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports, there is not such much an immediate “leadership deficit, but rather a leadership DEVELOPMENT deficit.” At Pathfinder Solutions, our extensive research shows that only a small fraction of potential nonprofit employees, including young people and mid-career transitioners, perceive a nonprofit job, let alone a career, as a realistic option. In all seriousness, far more people can name the judges on American idol than can name three nonprofits in their home town.

If the nonprofit sector is going to effectively serve the needs of our communities today and in the future, grantmakers and grantees must stop putting their heads in the sand and do more to build multi-year and multi-pronged talent development strategies that look at everything from recruitment and onboarding, to career advancement and staff retention, to succession planning and transition management. Nor can talent development rest solely on the shoulders of grant-makers and grantees. Educators, counselors, parents and role models must come together to support young people who want to pursue viable career paths that make a difference in the world. Young people want to serve their communities, and they need the encouragement and investments to follow their hearts.

In an interview we conducted with Desmond Tutu, he shared sage words about this internal passion to serve: “As I look into the eyes of people who serve, I see into their hearts. They may not be the same eyes. Some are dark, some light, some old, some fresh—but they share a devotion to a cause that is dear to them. They may not share the same cause. They may dedicate themselves to the earth, humanity, or the arts—but I see the same passion in their hearts, and fulfillment in their lives.” Let’s join together to ensure that young people with these special hearts receive the investments they need to successfully find work that matters.

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Reviewers Are Human, Too

Knowing your audience is essential to the effective writing of any funding proposal. But very few people do it. For that reason, every effort you make to think about what you are writing from the point of view of those who will be reading it is going to put you ahead of the competition.

How do you do that? Well, you need to look at the funding application (or the crowd-source document or the business proposal) as if you were one of the individuals who will be deciding whether or not it will be approved. Learn what you can about them, and put yourself in their shoes before you start to write your proposal.

The first thing it is important to remember about these individuals is that they are human beings. You may think it is unnecessary of me to point this out, but in the case of grant proposals especially, many applicants envision funding agencies as if they were machines with a set of hoops that the applying organizations must jump through . . .  or else. These applicants believe that their organization needs to mesh with the agency’s criteria perfectly – and if it does, they’re set. And if it doesn’t, they’re doomed. They worry that if their organization hasn’t previously received money from the agency, or if it doesn’t have an office in New York City, or if there isn’t a lawyer on its board of directors, the machine is going to chew them up and spit them out.

That is not what happens. You do have to get the technical parts of your application right, but once you are past the checklist stage, there is some flexibility. Your application is going to be read by people we are (we hope!) intelligent, accomplished and fair. They will be people with an interest in your organization’s field of endeavor – perhaps not in its actual specific subject area (more about that in a later post), but definitely at least with knowledge and interest in your general domain. They want to see good things happen in your group’s area of initiative.

They are also deeply committed to making sure the grant money they are involved in distributing goes out to the most deserving groups. It is not their job to keep the money for the agency–it is their job to spend it. They often know better than anyone that if all the funds do not get spent, the government or foundation that provides the funding is likely to cut back on the money that is available to them in the future. They are committed to making sure that the money gets well spent.

You can often find out specific information about the people who sit on review panels by looking at the funding program’s web page. Sometimes they post lists of criteria the reviewers will be using, and sometimes they also post the actual names of previous reviewers, so you can learn about the kinds of people who are serving in this capacity.

So those are three things to remember about the reviewers when you are writing your proposal: 1) they are human; 2) they care about your work; and 3) they want to give out the grant money to deserving candidates with strong projects that will advance the mandate of the funding agency.

In short, they are on your side.

© Mary W. Walters

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But, what is big data? Big data, in technical terms, is differentiated from traditional data collection in that traditional relational databases can’t handle big data. Big data is high volume, high velocity and high capacity, with the potential to provide valuable information to corporate managers, policy makers, marketing professionals, health care providers and many others. The increase in types and volume of data available from tweet streams, emails, web crawlers, sensor data, web logs, videos, and other sources, creates a rich environment for data mining. This increase in the amount of data available has spurned some major investments in big data solutions from the auto industry, health care players, and new non-profits have also been created to harness big data for the greater social good.

The American auto industry has embraced big data, with General Motors and Ford making investments in big data. The data collected from car sensors can be used for a variety of different purposes, from tracking quality issues with auto parts, to monitoring safety issues.  General Motors uses data from its OnStar system to provide data to drivers who want to lower insurance premiums, or track their driving efficiency. Ford has taken steps to use big data to drive decision-making, and has opened a Ford Silicon Valley Lab to leverage the expertise of tech companies in the area.

The reach of big data goes beyond the auto industry and corporate America, with the potential to solve or at least improve some of the most pressing public policy issues, including tackling the unsustainable rising cost of health care. Mckinsey & Company recently released a report indicating that big data has the potential for up to $450 billion in savings in the health care industry. The McKinsey report cites the work being done by pharmaceutical companies in aggregating years of research and development data, the data exchanges across medical facilities, and the use of electronic medical records as pieces that will play a role in big data health care solutions for managing costs and improving care.

As big data investments are being made in the auto industry and by major health care players, there is also opportunity to use big data for the greater social good. Lucy Bernholz, in the Philanthropy and Social Economy Blueprint 2013 cites big data as one of the big trends in 2013 in the philanthropy community. According to Bernholz, it will be important for organizations to look for the relationships between non-profit/philanthropic data, and larger data sets from the public and private sectors. She goes on to say that the most successful organizations will be those that can figure out how to use big data.

Several non-profits are already tackling the issue of how to use big data for the greater social good. For example, InBloom, which started as the Shared Learning Collaborative, and was recently renamed, is using big data to tackle K-12 education and improve learning for all students. InBloom, which has Gates Foundation funding, is focused on making personalized learning options available for every student in the U.S. through data-driven solutions. DataKind, another non-profit with the mission of using big data to solve social problems, takes a slightly different approach from InBloom. DataKind, formerly known as Data Without Borders, brings together data scientists with high impact social organizations to assist the organizations with data issues. Another non-profit, the SumAll Foundation, which is a part of the cloud-analytics start-up, is dedicated to doing social good by analyzing data. Their goal is to provide better analytics to non-profits so non-profit organizations have the means to better gauge success and the impact of their work, expanding the reach of the work and improving effectiveness.

Although the reach of big data crosses many industries, and there is much excitement about the possibilities of how big data can be used, the use of big data comes with cautions as well. There are concerns about privacy and security, questions about governance, and how the data will be used.

As the role of big data continues to evolve, the opportunity to use big data in the philanthropy/non-profit community has the potential to change fundraising, increase effectiveness measures or return on investment, and ultimately have an impact on social problems. Just how much value big data will have on the non-profit philanthropy community is an open question, but it is clear that investments are being made in data solutions, and organizations need to consider how they might harness the potential of big data.

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Learn from the best

The Chronicle of Philanthropy is hosting a live discussion this Thursday May 16th, at Noon US Eastern time speaking to the non prfoti job market and specific stratgies that will support your efforts in landing your next role in fundraising. If you’re a candidate looking for advice the expert planelests will be readily availble to answer your questions. Full details.

Market yourself effectively

A strong personal brand can help you land your next dream role in cause and development sectors globally. Mojalink’s Moja.me pages will better support your efforts in marketing your personal brand to a niche audience. Our audience is in over 160 countries from top executives to entry-level staff.   In the coming weeks our team will be introducing a Moja.me Directory so you can search through member profiles.  Recruiters and HR staff, Mojalink members can make their resumes available to anyone or specifically those who post jobs.   Our directory is free and open to everyone!

Sign up now

Know when to make your move

Andrew Watt, president of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, says fundraisers need to think not just about getting a better-paying job but about the skills they need to build over the long term.

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The Real Purpose of a Resume

If you were asked to write about of a multitude of topics that interest you, I bet you would have no problem filling a page with content. Yet, when asked to write a resume, a topic you would know the most about, it seems so difficult. You’re not alone. If this describes you, what I’m about to share may help you feel a bit better. Among the thousands of resumes we review, fundraisers and marketing professionals who should know the most about storytelling and therefore produce the best resumes for example, often have the worst!

Why is this? How could someone whose job it is to compel others to donate or become involved in a particular mission fail at getting others interested in themselves? From our experience, part of why resume writing baffles even the best story tellers is our misunderstanding about the purpose of the resume itself. We fail to see how similar it is to the work we already do selling to people every day.

When asked about the purpose of a resume, more than 75% of people provide the wrong answer. Give it a shot yourself. Right now, on a piece of paper, write down a brief statement about what you think a resume should be…What is its purpose?

…cue the Final Jeopardy theme music….

OK. Put down your stylus and compare your answer with this:

Contrary to popular belief, a resume is NOT a detailed description of your work history, skills and personal work habits. It IS a marketing tool where you’ve made creative choices to gain the interest of nonprofits filling a particular position. Surprise number two . . . a resume does not get you a job . . . it gets you a phone call or email from a potential employer who MIGHT be interested in exploring your candidacy further.

How did you do?

Sadly, most people think a resume is a list of jobs held, duties performed and skills possessed. The days of a one-size-fits-all resume that you mass produce and mail/email are gone. Every resume you send needs to be carefully edited in a way that speaks directly to your audience…a nonprofit hiring manager. It’s a carefully crafted commercial that highlights the things the reader is seeking. It’s not a laundry list or autobiography but an infomercial with the nonprofit and specific position in mind.

The following is an illuminating article about how resume writing has changed and can help shift your mindset about a resume’s real purpose: Read article here.

Need more help transforming your resume into an irresistible infomercial? Our Resume Prep Guide can help.

How are you telling your employment story on paper in a way that gains the interest of your audience and secures phone calls or meetings?

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As we approach the launch of MojaLink’s collaborative network we’ll continue to rely on feedback from all of you.

Team MojaLink

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Not long ago, I was a panelist at a workshop presenting “The American Model – Factors Critical to Success in Fundraising and Development” to a group of 30 Dutch, Belgian, Spanish and German representatives from various institutions, including museums, research institutes and universities. They had all gathered in New York to hear from professionals sharing their expertise in fundraising: from what it takes to set yourself up as a not-for-profit, to developing a Board and the benefits – and pitfalls – of having one, to what to expect as ROI if your institution’s name does not resonate with the general population. Having for more than a decade represented such “brand-less” European institutions, I felt that I could honestly speak about the challenges they would encounter.

My panel colleagues were representatives of Oxford’s North American office and the American Friends of the Louvre, two institutions that are far from lacking brand-name recognition! As they ran through the tens of millions that they raise for their home institutions, I could see the glow of expectation for similar results from the participants. It’s all good and possible IF your home institution has a prestigious name with wide appeal and people want to be philanthropically associated with it; but, regrettably, for most of those coming to seek donations, this is not the case, no matter how admirable and deserving their home institution.

All is not bleak, however, even for the lesser renowned continental entities, as long as they heed certain DO’s and DON’Ts essential to run successful fundraising in the US, the most competitive philanthropic market in the world.
(1) DO commit, from the onset, to a long-range time frame
(2) DO develop a strategic plan for the local market – even if the one you have for your home institution has worked for you there, it will most likely not work here because no one knows who you are
(3) DO develop a VERY STRONG MESSAGE as to who you are / how you are different / what is the benefit of supporting you
(4) DO develop a BRANDING / AWARENESS strategy through social and conventional media
(5) DO develop a marketing strategy that will resonate locally
(6) DO invest in good and user friendly software to keep track of all your outreach activities (keeping an Excel spreadsheet, doesn’t cut it!)
(7) DO make a concerted effort to create partnerships and collaborations with public, private and academic institutions that will promote your presence and message throughout their networks
(8) DO not dismiss any opportunity of meeting people; this is known as FRIEND RAISING
(9) DO practice patience; diplomacy and psychology in approaching a prospect are your most valuable attributes
(10) DO, DO, DO always show gratitude for any size gift; you never know when a small gift will turn into a sizable one

The DON’Ts mostly pertain to the home institutions, since invariably there is a sense on their part that transatlantic micromanagement is in fact supportive; IT IS NOT. I am not suggesting that once an institution has established a local office, communication be cut off. However, and this seems to be the hardest issue to grasp by the home offices, an open mind, flexibility and trust in the locally established non-profit to run operations for their maximum benefit, will insure results across the board including visibility, brand-awareness and ultimately funding for the home institution’s projects and programs.

So, for those outside our borders who seek the philanthropic generosity of Americans, I advise looking beyond the $$$ they want to raise and consider first gaining a better understanding of what makes us respond philanthropically as well as to how we want to be approached. It could be the beginning of a beautiful, long-term partnership.

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People who are writing appeals for financial support often start out feeling one of two ways. Either they have too much confidence – they are utterly convinced that their group or project is worthy of support (and in extreme cases, they may even suspect that anyone who doesn’t want to give them money must be a little bit crazy). Or they feel too little confidence – they aren’t sure that their project or proposal will attract the attention it deserves, and they are worried that the other members of their group are going to be mad at them when the money doesn’t come in.

Feeling even a little bit too much, or too little, confidence can do serious damage to any written document – especially one that is intended to attract funding or investment. Here is the reason why: Writers who feel over- or under-confident are focusing on themselves instead of on their audiences.

Simply shifting your perspective can dramatically improve the impact of your writing: instead of thinking of yourself, you need to think about who you are writing to. If someone – or some agency or business or organization – is going to give you money, there must be a benefit for them as well as you. It may not be monetary – in the case of a non-profit project, likely it is not. But there is a benefit of some kind. You need to think about what that benefit is, and then you need to address it.

Put your head inside the head(s) of the person or people on the committee to whom you are making your pitch. Focus on the reasons why they might want to support your cause or project. Ask yourself, “What do these people need to know that will help them want to support our work?” If you follow this one tip, you will immediately make your proposal more effective.

Future installments of this blog will get into the specifics of how to make this tip work for you.

© Mary W. Walters

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