HOTLINE

Answering Readers' Questions about Deciphering Job Ads, Courting Minority Donors, and More

The Chronicle's Philanthropy Careers asked its readers to submit questions about job hunting, recruitment, 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 see jobs with consulting companies posted all the time. They typically ask for more than seven years of varied experience in fund raising, but I'm sure there are other factors they take into account. What are they really looking for?

A. When you see something like "more than seven years of experience required" in a job posting, the company is telling applicants that what they're really looking for is someone with significant experience, says Mary N. Wong, president of HRizen Solutions, a human-resources consulting company in Houston that works with nonprofit clients. In the case of a fund-raising position, "they're asking for an experienced person who has communicated with people at the top levels of corporations, or with high-net-worth individuals," she says. "They're not looking for someone who is just trying it out, or who has been a volunteer, but someone who has been in charge of actual fund raising." Even if you have seven years' experience -- but in junior-level positions -- you might not have what the company is looking for, says Ms. Wong.

The question of whether the seven-year requirement is set in stone depends to a large degree on the organization. In general, you can assume that if you have five years of very-senior-level experience, you're not going to get automatically turned away. But, Ms. Wong says, some organizations are quite particular about filling their requirements to the letter. It is impossible to know if you're dealing with that kind of a prospective employer until you apply.

The important thing to remember is that for most organizations, a job listing is a wish list -- that's why they often make mention of "the ideal candidate." In reality, many people land jobs without having absolutely every credential their employers requested. When you're trying to decide whether to apply for a certain job, Ms. Wong suggests that you review your résumé and make a list of your qualifications.

"If you find that you can't meet more than half of the requirements, you're probably not going to be a very strong candidate," she says. But if you find you match up with most of the criteria for a job, don't worry about perfection -- send in that résumé.

Q. I'm looking for information regarding the solicitation of Asian-American donor prospects. I know that in Asia, the culture of giving is not the same as it is in the United States, and I would like to explore more effective means of soliciting these donors. Can you suggest any resources?

A. You're absolutely right, there are cultural differences in giving to consider when you're working in with Asian- American donor prospects, says Janice Gow Pettey, chief executive officer of the Sacramento Regional Foundation and the author of Cultivating Diversity in Fundraising (AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series, 2001, $29.95).

The trouble is, "Asian-American" is actually a blanket term that encompasses many different cultures (Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, and Korean are among the largest groups), and these cultures have distinct attitudes toward giving that could shape your fund-raising strategy, says Ms. Pettey. For example, "within the Filipino population there is a strong preference for doing fund raising around social events, so special events would be an area of interest," she says. But, that would not necessarily be the case among Chinese immigrants, she says: "In that community, giving is a matter of exercising one's moral responsibility to support those in need, and group participation is not as desirable." Generational differences also play a role in Asian-American giving patterns, she says. "The longer a person has been in this country, the more apt they are to be interested in tax deductions as a kind of exchange for making a charitable contribution," she says. "First-generation donors see it more as a reciprocity and mutual interest, and one does not donate for the tax credit."

Your first step should be to learn more about the ethnic background of the Asian-Americans in your area. Your best bet for this is to visit the U.S. Census Bureau, which has a free service called American FactFinder. Here, you can learn detailed demographic information about your state, city, town, or ZIP code, and you can even narrow down your search to individual neighborhoods.

Once you know who lives in your area, you can turn to the research on fund raising among minorities. Ms. Pettey's book is a good place to start, but also check out Opening Doors: Pathways to Diverse Donors, by Diana S. Newman (Jossey-Bass, 2002, $28), and Philanthropy in Communities of Color, edited by Bradford Smith, Sylvia Shue, Jennifer Lisa Vest, and Joseph Villarreal (Indiana University Press, 1999, $29.95).

Q. I've been a human-resources professional for 10 years, focusing mostly on staffing and recruiting, and I'm ready to make a career change. I'm interested in working for a charity as a community liaison. What guidance can you give me?

A. Career changers with human-resources experience can expect to find many opportunities in the nonprofit world, especially in the community-liaison area, says Patricia Daniel, community-activity coordinator at Northside Hospital Foundation, in Atlanta. Your experience in staffing and recruiting could easily be applied to your new position, she says. Community-liaison jobs are best suited for people who have outgoing personalities, aren't put off by rejection they may face when asking for support from the public, and are adept at brainstorming alternative solutions when they face an obstacle, says Ms. Daniels -- all skills that you probably have under your belt as a human-resources professional.

To get started, make some contacts with community groups and local government agencies, says Ms. Daniels. "Such networking will lead to relationships that will benefit your work at the organization."

Most charities, just like other employers, try to determine what kind of impact a job candidate could have on their overall goals, says Adam Coyne, communications director at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, in Santa Monica, Calif.

"In a for-profit company, that justification is obvious: How does this person benefit the bottom line? At a nonprofit organization, it may be, How does this person help us further the goals and mission of the organization?" Mr. Coyne says. You'll want to be able to make it clear how your skills can aid the charity, he says. And, he adds, don't forget the emotional component: "People don't choose to work at a charity solely for money. Don't be afraid to share why you believe in the mission of the organization and are committed to helping it make a difference."

Q. I am about to complete my first year working in a nonprofit, historical-research organization. I am keenly interested in nonprofit work and am considering master's of public administration programs, but don't yet know specifically which nonprofit field I'll focus on. Should I work toward an MPA while gaining work experience and worry about narrowing my interest later? And how do MPA programs compare against each other?

A. You should definitely narrow your interests before you apply to graduate school, says Kristen J. McCormack, director of the public and nonprofit management program at Boston University. It's important to really know what you plan to do with your degree, and why you want that degree before you start to fill out those applications. That's because you'll usually be asked to write an essay, if not go through an interview during your application process, and "admissions officers will see it if you don't know exactly why you want to do the program," she says. "I see them write it on applications all the time: 'This person is really smart, has great skills, but it's not clear why they want the program,'" she says. Such uncertainty on the part of a prospective student, she says, will likely result in him or her not being accepted.

To home in on your true interests in the nonprofit world, Ms. McCormack suggests a few strategies. She encourages you to tap your available networks of contacts. "Get in touch with your alumni network from your undergraduate school, or with a professional group, and do informational interviews in a variety of nonprofit sectors," she suggests. By spending time with people who are working in the field, you'll quickly get a sense of where your true interests lie -- and whether an MPA will really be helpful to you in your chosen career path. She also recommends that you take a look at The Harvard Business School Guide to Careers in the Nonprofit Sector, by Stephanie Lowell (Harvard Business School Press, 2000, $22.95).

As for your question about how MPA programs compare with one another, U.S. News & World Report ranks graduate programs of all stripes, public-affairs programs among them. The magazine states that it ranks the programs based on "all factors bearing on excellence, such as curriculum, record of scholarship, and quality of faculty and graduates." You can see the top five schools free online. (They are, in descending order: Harvard, Syracuse University, Indiana University at Bloomington, Princeton University, and the University of California at Berkeley.) The site also ranks MPA programs with nonprofit specialties -- in descending order, the top five are Harvard, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, New York University, the Johns Hopkins University, and Seton Hall University. For a fee of $9.95, you can get online access to all of the magazine's school-ranking data. While you're visiting the magazine's site, you might want to check out the article "Does Grad School Make Sense for You?" You can also find online an overall list of graduate programs in nonprofit management.

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