Engaging Our Audiences: ROI vs ROE

Reading Idealware's latest newsletter, which I use as a resource to keep myself informed on technology in the nonprofit sector (check out their product reviews for great tips on free and low cost solutions for nonprofits), I came across a great article submitted by Community Organizer 2.0 about Return On Engagement, or what Brandon Murphy originally noted as the true value of social media in a case study published just a few days ago.

Murphy posits that many of the digital media experiences we create--be they apps, videos, blogs, and so on--create dead end experiences for many of the users whose interest we want to convert into action may not be accurately measured by the standard ROI metric. Instead, he suggests, we should examine return on investment as returns on interaction and influence--ultimately, creating a greater return on engagement. Implied in this new approach is that is through engaging our audiences, and empowering them to share and engage their networks in a ripple effect, we can more accurately measure how effective our efforts can be.

Now, if we take this concept and look at it through the lens of a nonprofit organization, the question becomes: "How can we increase a return on engagement for both our community supporters and the communities we directly serve?"

Murphy and Debra Askanase both bring up concepts familiar to everyone in our community: advocacy and ownership. Whether we realize it or not, the efforts and support of the talented staff, volunteers, contributors, and community members who get involved with our nonprofits have embodied the advocacy mission by taking ownership in our organizations.

In looking at the tangible deliverables we're often tasked with, i.e. the creation of a new capital campaign, launching of a mobile community app, etc., it becomes more important to look beyond the fulfillment of that goal as an objective in an of itself. The process of feedback and collaboration in turn produce goals that are "owned" by the very audiences they seek to serve. It is in this Return on Engagement, then, that we find true value in the work we do.

Announcing YNPN's National Voice Survey

Make Your Voice Heard. Improve Our Sector. Take YNPN’s National Voice Survey Today!

Over the past several years, a great deal of literature has been released noting significant leadership challenges for the nonprofit sector. With each issue revealed has come a compelling set of recommendations for how the sector can meet these challenges head on. As a movement of now over 20,000 nonprofit professionals nationwide, YNPN is uniquely positioned to put these recommendations to the test.

Make sure our voice includes your perspective. Find 20 minutes to take YNPN’s 2011 National Voice Survey today! Click here to start it now!

Is offering more competitive compensation a priority for retaining talent? Is your nonprofit engaging in succession planning? Is prioritizing diversity having a positive impact on your organization? The valuable feedback and experiences you and your peers will share by completing YNPN’s survey can help influence how our the nonprofit sector addresses its leadership challenges over the next decade.

We look forward to sharing our results with you later this year!

Member Benefit Spotlight: Online Networking

As a current or prospective member of YNPN San Diego do you know all the benefits of being part of our community? Whether you are a new member or have been around since our chapter's genesis, here are some highlights of the YNPN San Diego member benefits. If you know someone who is not a member, but would enjoy being a member, please feel free to forward them this blog post.

YNPN San Diego is open to ALL nonprofit professionals of every age including staff, board members, and volunteers. We believe it is important to strengthen the sector my creating a network for nonprofit individuals and their organizations. The YNPN San Diego mission is focused on developing and supporting the next generation of nonprofit leaders, but this happens in concert with members of every generation. We believe that multi-generational conversations lead to richer understanding and growth of the sector in San Diego.

At this time, joining the YNPN San Diego network is FREE, but we do ask that all of our members complete a membership form to help us serve the community the best way we can. Click here for the membership form. You can also help to keep services free and low cost by making a donation today through our Facebook Cause!

Online Networking
The backbone and perhaps the biggest program at YNPN San Diego is our online networking. There are a number of ways that YNPN San Diego provides information on the nonprofit sector and next gen issues to the San Diego community. Some of these online networking tools are open to all individuals and for others it requires membership. Here is a breakdown for our online networking resources, how you can access them, share information, and more...

Listserv
The YNPN San Diego listserv is our most popular online networking tool and the starting to point for most YNPN chapters around the country. The listserv is simply an email distribution list that includes over 650 subscribers and is growing every day! The listserv postings go out every morning at 8:00 a.m. To learn more about how to post to the listserv, see our recent blog post.

What can I post the listserv? We frequently get this question about YNPN San Diego in addition to being asked to post to the listserv for individuals. It is very important that if you have something to share you post it yourself. Sharing information about nonprofit events, nonprofit news, resources, and opportunities such as board and staff openings are all great examples of what you can post to the listserv. You can learn more about what we ask members not to post and our guidelines on our website through our online sharing policy.

LinkedIn Group
The YNPN San Diego LinkedIn group has nearly 400 members and is an excellent tool for sharing news links, asking questions, and posting resources for the nonprofit community as well. You can connect with the YNPN San Diego community through the LinkedIn Group and search for the YNPN San Diego profile. The YNPN San Diego profile is linked to our Twitter account so you will see more information we share by connecting through our profile today. The LinkedIn Group is open to all nonprofit professionals and does not require membership although we prefer you to be a member of YNPN San Diego as well.

Facebook Page & Cause
Becoming a Facebook Page fan is another great way to get news about YNPN San Diego and local, regional, and national resources in the nonprofit world. We often post our free programs through our Facebook Fan Page as well. Our fan base on Facebook is growing to 300 and we often link our Twitter and Facebook Fan Page posts. We share not only the news you will find on LinkedIn and the listserv, but also partner announcements. If you are interested in pursuing a partnership with YNPN San Diego, please check out our website.

We also have a Facebook Cause where you can make donations to YNPN San Diego. Financial support of YNPN San Diego is critical to keep our membership services affordable and to keep from imposing membership dues. One fun idea is to sponsor a young nonprofit professional with a recurring donation of $15 per month. Make a donation today and keep YNPN San Diego rockin'!

Twitter
YNPN San Diego has nearly 1500 followers on Twitter and that's where you will find the most and quickest resources related to YNPN San Diego, our partners, and in the nonprofit and San Diego networks. Access to information related to next gen philanthropy to social media, to nonprofit events and conferences. We try to post anywhere between 5 - 10 times per day. We would love to have you retweet our information if you are following us - it's a great way to support YNPN San Diego.

E-Newsletter
Each month around the 15th we send out a newsletter sharing YNPN San Diego news, partner resources, blog highlights and more. The e-newsletter is a great way to see a round up for information from the YNPN San Diego community if you do not want to be involved in the day-to-day communications. The e-newsletter is open to anyone in the San Diego nonprofit community.

Our Blog
Of course, our blog is a great way to get news, highlights, and more about YNPN San Diego. We often have guest bloggers sharing donor, board member, and other spotlights. We want you to know about the YNPN San Diego work we do and the best way is to tell our story. The blog is open to all and is another great way to engage in dialogue. Subscribe via email to get the blog posts as they come out and share your thoughts on our posts. The more feedback we can get from you the more we can tailor or work to serve our membership.

Want more information about our online networking tools? You can visit the YNPN San Diego website for more details. We have a whole Communications Committee to manage our online networking; to learn more about them click here. What do you like or what would you change about YNPN San Diego communications? We want your feedback... share your ideas and comments here!

Meet Our New Board Members!!!

Welcome to the new members of the YNPN San Diego Advisory Board! Below you will learn a little bit more about these dynamic individuals who are a part if YNPN San Diego's leadership team...

Laura Purdom

Laura Purdom currently works at St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center (SMSC), a day program for Adults with Developmental Disabilities. As the assistant to the Executive Director she is involved in all aspects of the organization, including operations management, event planning, marketing, board coordination, safety, assisting in the grant process and strategic planning. Prior to working at SMSC, Laura worked in the “corporate world” in a variety of fields, but most recently title and escrow services for new housing developments. During that time she was an Ambassador for the San Diego Building Industry Association.

Laura has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. She is a graduate of the 2010 East County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program and currently serves on their Marking and Recruiting Committee. When she has time, Laura enjoys volunteering at various organizations, cooking and reading a good book.

Danielle Reyes-Acosta

Danielle Reyes-Acosta is co-founder of a Carlsbad-based interactive design firm, where she interfaces with designers and developers to help non-profit, government, and corporate clients form sustainable brand identities. She also consults with Metric Systems Corporation, a Vista-based telecommunications company, assisting in their development of an international export sales campaign. In both capacities, she has been responsible for procuring and facilitating projects that encompass campaign management, web development, identity formation, and interactive application design.
Danielle has a B.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Global Studies, where she focused largely on international human rights issues. A longtime veteran of non-profit work, she served as Fundraising Chair of the International Convention on Human Rights to hold Santa Barbara’s inaugural Human Rights Day Festival in 2006. Studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain in 2004-2005, Danielle also worked with Amnesty International at a time when the Darfur conflict inspired heightened international outcry. While at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), she continued her studies in Spanish (Castellano), Catalan, and French, and traveled throughout Spain and France to hone her skills.

A Southern California native, Danielle enjoys surfing, snowboarding, being outdoors, and giving back to her community. In addition to serving on YNPN’s Advisory Board, Danielle is YNPNSD’s Communications Committee Co-Chair, and also volunteers for the Member Relations and Fundraising Committees.

Natacha Tullier

Natacha Tullier currently works for the Girl Scouts San Diego-Imperial Council in Balboa Park. As Fund Development Assistant, she oversees the Council’s donor database, generates donor acknowledgements, financial reports, and performs prospect analysis. She also takes part in the production of the Council’s largest fundraising events, including San Diego’s Cool Women and Urban Campout. Prior to coming to the Girl Scouts, Natacha worked at the San Diego Museum of Art as Membership Assistant, soon after discovering her passion for nonprofits through an internship at the San Diego Museum of Man in 2007.

Originally from France, Natacha has tutored students in both French and English, in addition to providing freelance translation services. She is currently enrolled in the Spanish for Communication series at UCSD Extension, and hopes to become trilingual. She holds a BA in Communication and a minor in International Studies from UC San Diego.

Using the YNPNSD Listserv

At YNPN San Diego we frequently receive questions about the listserv - how to post, asking us to post for organizations or individuals, requests to join, etc. Here we would like to share some general information about using the YNPN San Diego listserv to help our members understand it better.

What is the listserv? The listserv is simply an email distribution list with nearly 650 members from San Diego nonprofits! The listserv is open only to YNPN San Diego members meaning that you need to fill out a form on our website to become a member for free. The listserv is one of our greatest member-only benefits. You can post news by emailing ynpnsd@lists.ynpn.org. Do not reply to a listserv digest; this will only send your message to the administrators of the listserv.

When can I see my post on the listserv? The listserv postings are sent out every day at 8:00 a.m. Therefore, if you send something to the listserv 8:30 a.m., it will be posted to the next day's digest at 8:00 a.m. This is an important detail to keep in mind for when you post - sending something to the listserv on weekday is probably going to get more traffic and attention that it would during a weekend. Currently, the majority of listserv members receive the daily digest of postings, but you can change your subscription type at any time by following the listserv instructions on our website.

Can YNPN San Diego post to the listserv for me? We can, but it is best that you post directly to the listserv rather than YNPN San Diego posting for you. The reason for this is that if there are questions about your posting (event, service, question, etc.) people will be more likely to respond directly to you. YNPN San Diego will not be able to answer the questions about your post as well as you can. We encourage all members to post to the listserv directly by emailing ynpnsd@lists.ynpn.org.

What can I share on the listserv? You can share questions, resources, organizational events, and more! Anything related to nonprofits is welcome. We do not accept partisan postings or anything endorsing specific candidates. Also, any inappropriate language or content is not permitted. You can see a full list of our listserv and social media guidelines on our website. Don't forget that you are also welcome to post information to our LinkedIn Group and Facebook Page - we welcome knowledge sharing!

I've requested to join the listserv, but cannot post - why? If you cannot post to the listserv it means one of two things: 1) you have not completed a membership form and, therefore, have not been added to the listserv or 2) you completed a membership form but did not ask to be added to the listserv. You will need to become a member of YNPN San Diego to post information to the listserv. Remember, that membership is open to San Diego nonprofit professionals (staff, board, consultants, volunteers) of ALL AGES!

Please remember that YNPN San Diego is a volunteer-led organization. We update the listserv weekly, so be sure to plan ahead when you sign up to become a member and want to post to the listserv.

For more details about the YNPN San Diego's listserv and online communications including our online communications policy, visit our website.

YNPNSD Final '10 Meet and Greet: Fall Book Swap Night

Announcing this year’s final Young Nonprofit Professionals Network San Diego (YNPNSD) Meet and Greet! Mark your calendars as we celebrate the coming of fall and the opportunity to network with San Diego nonprofit professionals.

This Meet and Greet will be taking place on Thursday, October 21st on the private outdoor deck of the fabulous Starlite located on India Street. As we welcome back all new and returning professionals, enjoy Starlite’s exclusive happy hour including food specials and discounted drinks, such as the renowned Starlite Mule, $3 beers, and $3 well drinks until 7:00pm.

• When: October 21st, 2010 6:00-8:00pm
• Where: Starlite, 3175 India St, San Diego, CA 92103
• Cost: FREE
• RSVP HERE!
  

YNPNSD will also be hosting a “book swap” throughout the event as a fun way to share valuable resources with each other. Just bring a book focused on nonprofit issues that you’d be willing to part with, and make an exchange for one that you’d like to check out! As always, all YNPNSD members and non-members are welcome whether or not you bring a book, so please spread the word to all your friends and join us! The fun starts at 6:00pm so arrive early for the best parking.

This will be a great opportunity to meet and mingle with other nonprofit professionals in the San Diego community.

YNPN San Diego services are free to the San Diego nonprofit community. Please consider making a donation of any size at our event. To learn more about our mission, programs, and opportunities, visit www.ynpnsandiego.org.

We hope to see you there!

*Starlite is 21+ venue

UCSD Extension's Fundraising and Development Program

UCSD Extension offers a comprehensive program in Fundraising & Development. Students have the option to complete the entire professional certificate program, or only enroll in those classes of interest to them.

Fall 2010 courses of interest for fundraising/nonprofit work:
The Fall quarter begins the week of September 20th.
Click course titles to view descriptions, fees & start/end dates.

Overview of Fundraising & Development Processes
Overview of Nonprofit Organizations
Conducting Capital Campaigns
Leading & Managing the Development Function
Annual Giving
Pursuing Major Gifts
Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations
Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations

Elements of Marketing (Online or In-Class)
Marketing via New Media (Online)
Public Relations Tools & Tactics
Event Management I

For more information please contact:

Lisa Farnan
Business & Professional Programs
lgantz@ucsd.edu
(858) 882-8039
extension.ucsd.edu

Sunday Coffee Hour with YNPN San Diego

What are hiring managers really looking at on my resume? Should I be updating my resume even when I'm not job searching? Does my cover letter even matter? What should I expect in an interview? What skills do I need to succeed in the nonprofit sector? Are there job boards that specialize in nonprofit jobs?

Join your fellow YNPN San Diego members for some informal “coffee banter” and networking while getting support and/or... sharing your personal experiences on scoring your dream job in the nonprofit sector.

We will have a couple experts around to answer questions about the nonprofit sector, building a resume or interviewing techniques. As a take away for attending we will provide a list of additional resources to help you navigate through the nonprofit sector!

Bring your resume. Share resources. Enjoy some coffee or tea! Stop by for a short while or come for the whole time.

Where: Filter, 4096 30th St, San Diego, CA
When: September 26 · 1:00pm - 4:00pm

RSVP here!

Donor Spotlight: Kimmi Long by Danielle Reyes-Acosta

Danielle: What attracted you to YNPN San Diego and our last program?

Kimmi: The thing that attracted me to YNPN San Diego is that there is nothing like it in our entire county! What keeps me coming back are opportunities to grow and learn like the workshops and the amazing networking opportunities that YNPN San Diego makes possible.

Danielle: What prompted you to give to YNPN San Diego for the first time?

Kimmi: As soon as I attended an event, I saw the immense value in both experience I would gain and people I would meet through YNPN San Diego and I donated what I could on the spot.

Danielle: How are you involved with the San Diego nonprofit community?

Kimmi: I have worked with a variety of nonprofits throughout San Diego County, many focused on helping homeless youth and then the peripheral groups working to help raise money for the core organizations. I've been a founder and Executive Director (ED) of an nonprofit organization (NPO) here in San Diego, a grant writer, a public relations liaison, a volunteer at over 50 fundraising and program events during the past eight years, as well as worn many other hats to help out whenever I could. The list of NPOs I've helped out with include, but aren't limited to: YNPN San Diego (of course!), Surfrider Foundation San Diego, Stone Brewing annual fundraiser (five years), Ivey Ranch Riding program for kids with autism and other challenges, Second Chance, StandUp for Kids, The Monarch School and San Diego Youth Services.

Danielle: What was the most creative development workshop in which you have ever participated?

Kimmi: Danielle, I'm horrified to admit that I have not yet participated in one of the workshops! I have been to many of the networking events and then with my commitment to Member Relations Committee over the past two years, I haven't yet had time to also do a workshop!

Danielle: How did you initially become involved in YNPN San Diego, and how do you see its programs as playing a role in the development of other young professionals?

Kimmi: I was looking all over for a support system and set of resources as I began the journey as founder and ED (and everything else) for the NPO I was starting eight years ago (The Grom Project.) There was nothing to be found...until several years later I came across Emily Davis who was starting YNPN San Diego. I've been a devout member ever since! The YNPN San Diego programs that exist and ones that are in the making are all about connecting young nonprofit professionals not only with each other, but also with seasoned nonprofit leaders in our community. That is incredible on both counts and really helps the younger generation not only learn and grow, but feel really comfortable with the idea of true collaboration and cooperation. I believe such collaboration on projects, events and even with grant opportunities will truly help build an incredibly strong San Diego nonprofit community.

Nominate YNPN San Diego!

YNPN San Diego needs your help! We are asking our members to take a few minutes to nominate us for the award, Most Innovative Use of Social Media, through the Stay Classy Awards. Share with Stay Classy how the online network and community YNPN San Diego provides helps you and makes a difference. The winner of this category will receive a $10,000 donation! YNPN San Diego could certainly use this to keep our services going.

While YNPN San Diego is run primarily by volunteers, we need funding to keep services and programming available for our membership. A lot goes into maintaining our online communications. Nominating us for a Stay Classy Award is a great way to support our efforts without spending a dime... although we would love that too!

All you need to do is complete a simple, short online form and let them know why YNPN San Diego should be nominated. Thanks in advance for taking the time to support your network of emerging nonprofit leaders!

Fall Meet and Greet with New Leaders Council on September 16th!

Please join YNPN San Diego for a special summer Meet and Greet with the New Leaders Council on September 16th at Bamboo Lounge! We will have guest speakers including Alberto Cortes, Executive Director of Mama’s Kitchen and our very own Megan Lim, Development Director at the San Diego Public Library Foundation.

The theme of this Meet and Greet is the importance of developing local leadership in San Diego’s civic and service communities. Bamboo Lounge has some great food, drinks, and a patio and should be a perfect venue for mixing and mingling with young professionals working throughout San Diego’s nonprofit and civic communities.

• When: September 16, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. (Short talk to begin promptly at 6:45 p.m., followed by more mixing and mingling!)
• Where: Bamboo Lounge, 1475 University Avenue, 92103
• Cost: Free to attend! (Cash Bar).
• What: We'll hear from local nonprofit leaders on the importance of developing local leadership in San Diego's civic and service communities.

Register today!

YNPNSD Recruiting Board Members!

Calling all talented young nonprofit leaders! If you are looking for an amazing opportunity to build and maximize your skills within the San Diego nonprofit community, consider joining the YNPN San Diego Advisory Board! 

With more than 600 members, the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego is growing quickly.

We continue to seek the expertise and commitment of our members to guide our organization through its next phase of development. 

Board membership is an unparalleled opportunity to be part of a welcoming and interesting group of colleagues at the regional and national level, and develop one’s own leadership in and knowledge of the nonprofit sector. Use your talent and develop new leadership skills as part of the YNPN San Diego Advisory Board.

Applicants should be YNPN San Diego members and currently engaged as a professional or volunteer in the nonprofit sector and should display: 


• Commitment to YNPN San Diego’s mission of strengthening the next generation of nonprofit leaders by making nonprofit careers more viable for young people;
  
• Outstanding leadership skills. We are particularly looking for those with skills in: accounting, resource development and fundraising and database management; and
  
• Willingness to act as an ambassador for YNPN San Diego’s in the nonprofit community and the ability to meet the responsibilities outlined here.
  

The deadline for applications and resumes is August 27th. You can find the application and process on our website. The Board Development Committee will review applications and follow up with interviews. Prospective candidates will be invited to a YNPN San Diego Board meeting to get an inside look into how YNPN San Diego operates. If you have any questions, email us at ynpnsandiego@gmail.com.

Have a job to share?

At YNPN San Diego we want to remind all of our members that sharing job openings through the YNPN San Diego network is a great way to bring interest to your organization along with lots of great candidates! You can use the YNPN San Diego network in many ways:

1. Post the YNPNSD listserv (nearly 600 individuals) by emailing the job posting to ynpnsd@lists.ynpn.org.
2. Post to our LinkedIn job board
3. Post the link on our Facebook Page

There are also plenty of resources locally and nationally where you can look for a job and post jobs. You'll find a nice list of these links on our website under the Career Resources page. Some of our favorite spots to look for and post jobs include:

• NPWorks.org (job board by Nonprofit Management Solutions)
• Idealist.org (national)
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (members only)

If you're looking for a job nothing beats networking and building personal relationships within the community - if people know you personally you have a better chance of getting that job you want. Of course, gaining experience where you might have gaps in skills always helps too! YNPN San Diego is always looking for board and committee members who are looking to develop their skills while helping to contribute to our organization - be part of the movement!

Has a job posting led with YNPN San Diego led to your finding a job or filling a position? Share the news hear and let us know!

A First Hand Look at the Self Care Workshop

Growing up with both parents working, I've experienced first hand the work / life balance and the decisions and choices people make to create this balance. When I first entered the work force (in Corporate America) I thought I understood the theory behind this balance - meaning I would dedicate time to work and then time to myself separately, creating a balanced life. However, when I transitioned to the nonprofit sector and discovered the passion I could have for work, that work / life balance theory wasn't as clear to me anymore.

What happens when you love what you do and the line between work and life isn't clearly defined? Working for Volunteer San Diego and living out the mission of meaningful service outside of work hours made me start rethinking the theory. When talking to my fellow young nonprofit professional peers, they were experiencing this too: the blur of balance. How can something balance when there aren't defined things to balance?

When the idea to partner with the Red Lotus Society for the Self Care YNPNSD Professional Development Workshop came up, I got really excited! Then I met Dave Macek (Executive Director of Red Lotus Society and Facilitator of upcoming Self Care Workshop) for the first time and the ideas between him and our Professional Development Committee just started flowing. It was obvious this was a hot topic and bringing our peers together to share and create a holistic approach to self care was guaranteed to be a workshop I would not want to miss.

At our upcoming workshop, we will engage in a unique dialogue on the importance of self care; break through any obstacles preventing you to creating a healthier and happier YOU; and identify small steps to take you in that direction while sharing resources and tips of successful self care practices.

I'm looking forward to sharing ideas with you all and continuing to build on my own personal self care and live a life I love in work, play, family, friends and more.

Many thanks to Jaci Feinstein for her contribution to this blog post!

Changing of the Guard

There are some exciting leadership changes happening here at YNPN San Diego. With the summer months upon us, YNPN San Diego is bringing in a new wave of next gen leaders to run our amazing organization. Some of these folks will be familiar to you, yet but be sure to reach out to them and learn more about them and all they do.

After two years, the executive committee at YNPN San Diego is changing hands. We couldn’t have made it anywhere without Megan Lim, Jeremiah Sacksteder, and Caitlyn McTaggart. They dedicated countless hours of time, talent, and treasure making YNPN San Diego possible in the community and growing it to the size it is now!

We are proud to welcome Jaci Feinstein (co-chair), Mariel Berry (co-chair), Joe Buehrle (Secretary), and Cynthia Skogerboe (Treasurer) into these new leadership positions. The transition process has been tremendously smooth due to the foresight and planning efforts of Jaci Feinstein and the Board Development Committee. For the past three months we have overlapped incoming and outgoing executive committee members to facilitate organizational learning and maintain organizational history. It is one of the best processes I have ever seen!

As many of you may already know, this will be my last month on the board of YNPN San Diego. I am stepping down as Chair of YNPNSD and will be replaced by Mariel and Jaci on July 1. It has been an amazing two years with the organization and two and half years in San Diego, but now I am going to return to the majestic mountains of Colorado – my home for 12 years before coming to San Diego.

None of what I have done or been involved with in San Diego would have ever been possible without YNPN San Diego, the incredible board leaders, and our members. I’m constantly amazed at the phenomenal committees and volunteers that keep YNPN San Diego running. We collaborate and partner with organizations that further our mission in the community and serve our members. We have grown to 600 members! All of our programs and membership development has been completely volunteer-run!

It is my hope that the next chapter of YNPN San Diego brings nothing but success and growth. I know that the incoming and existing leadership at YNPN San Diego will strengthen the community and prepare San Diego for embracing leaders at every age. I’m proud of all the success we have had thus far and for becoming a model for other YNPN chapters and organizations locally and nationally. Kudos to everyone who has made this possible!

Please welcome the next executive committee by leaving a note here on our blog or posting something to our Facebook page. We would love to hear from you and get any feedback you have for the next year to come!

Finally, please consider making a donation to YNPN San Diego of any size. Keep the organization moving forward and serving this community in such a meaningful way. Your contributions will personally warm my heart and let me know the impact I and this amazing team continues to make! Read more on how to donate by visiting our website.

Notes from Career Building Workshop

Last week, YNPN San Diego was joined by Laura Gassner Otting from Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group at USD to talk about career advice in the nonprofit sector. Below you will find some great nuggets of information for you to use and share. Many thanks to Laura for her incredible time and dedication to the topic!

Starting the search for your career means being fearless. Share your dreams and fears. Ask yourself where you want to be in the next ten years. Here are some specific steps that Laura recommends:

Get a Full Toolbox

Focus on things you can do right now:

• Recognize if you are at the right place at the right time
• Fake it till you make it
• Recognize your interests and skill set
• Strategic reflection – don’t just take any job
• Use your platform to pivot
• How to translate your skill set
• Put yourself where you want to be
• Dream big!
• What’s holding you back – recognize trigger points

Recognize the Eight Motivating Factors:

• Skill acquisition/Development
• Money
• New challenges
• Colleagues and community
• Mission/Cause
• Scope of impact
• Leadership skills
• Geography

Address in your cover letter any gaps in your experience or resume. If you can’t cover your gaps then get the experience. If you don’t have the academic experience you can build that experience in other places.


Get on a Board
Boards will provide you with scaffolding for your experience. It should be a mutually beneficial experience. Know what you are bringing to the table before you join; know the expectations. Join boards that are strategic for you. Build your skill set, grow your network, and develop a platform. If you offer certain skills ask for others in return. Boards consist of givers, influencers, and doers. Boards often look for young, charismatic leaders. Consider joining a committee of an org’s board before joining a board.

Get Mentored
For-profits have management tracks, etc. Young people move around a lot and there isn’t enough money to invest in individuals so seek out mentorship opportunities. Look outside of what you do or analogous to what you do. Find different mentors for different purposes. Be interesting. Force yourself to think like a businessperson. What do you want to make? What is your strategic plan for 5 years? Mentors can be excited about your whole life and who you are not just your profession. Find people who are doing what you want to do and ask them for other people that you should talk to.

Get Noticed
Decide that you are the expert. We all have a pulpit to work from with social media so use it. Think about your personal/professional brand. Use social media to make “Frolleagues = friend-colleagues”. Is your goal to be a “thought leader”? Use social media to get to your goals, position yourself professionally.

Get Head-hunted
If there is a search that is right for you and them, call the search firm. Don’t worry about being annoying, be persistent. Be prepared with your elevator speech for their voicemail. Explain why you are right for the position. Look for people who do searches in your field. Pass along information to the network that is relevant – mention that you are looking for a job. Do something for them and they will do something for you. Open up the conversation. Create a network and connection with people who are the hubs of information.

Leadership Skills that we look for: ( CompassPoint and the Meyer Foundation, 2006)

• Leadership and influence: How do you influence people without monetary rewards. It’s a tough place to work in the nonprofit work. So how do you keep people energized about it?
  
• Managing up, down, and sideways – we are made up of teams, not individuals trailblazers. Managing a board, the team, with stakeholders, with funders - do you know how to do this? Anyone within the sphere of influence.
• Delegating with kindness and accountability – how are you measuring results, making sure you are getting results, asking partners and staff to be accountable?
• Communications – know how to talk with all different kinds of people in the organization - everyone is motivated by different things
• People who can manage lots of balls in the air - can you multitask?
• Knowing how to get to you “yes” – how do you stalk a prospect? What to ask for and when you ask for it?
• Managing dotted line relationships as well – make nice with friends, enemies, etc. How do you figure out how to create collaborations? Need to start with trust.
• Delivering impressive results – need that actual numbers and results (scope, breadth, and depth). What wouldn’t have happened if you were there?
• Long term view – npos move slower in change and need to have a longer term view
• Have a distinct passion – passion will drive fundraising.
• Learn how to spin your skills and passion - be the spin doctor
  

AmEx NGen Leadership Award

From the Independent Sector:

Independent Sector is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the inaugural American Express NGen Leadership Award. This award will honor one under-40 nonprofit professional who has had a transformative impact on addressing society’s critical needs.

All nominees must be under-40, work for a U.S.-based nonprofit or non-governmental organization, and have had a transformative, measurable impact within his or her field, beyond just one organization. The winner of the American Express NGen Leadership Award will be announced in late August, and will be recognized during the IS Annual Conference in Atlanta, October 20-22. Nominations will be accepted through Monday, June 14. Self-nomination is not admissible for this award.

This award extends Independent Sector’s commitment to encouraging emerging leaders in the nonprofit and philanthropic community through the NGen: Moving Nonprofit Leaders from Next to Now program. We encourage all under-40 nonprofit professionals to join us for the NGen Program at the IS Annual Conference in Atlanta this October, which will offer expanded programming for emerging leaders, including targeted workshops, an advanced practice institute, speed networking, and other opportunities to interact with leaders of all ages. Registration for IS Annual Conference in Atlanta is now open.

We look forward to seeing you at the IS Annual Conference this year, and we hope you will nominate a young, transformative nonprofit professional for the inaugural American Express NGen Leadership Award.

YNPNSD Helps People Find Jobs

I have felt invincible at least twice in my life.

The first time, I was 8 years old and had jumped off the back of a friend’s moving bicycle. As I was rolling to a stop, I felt no pain, fear, embarrassment, and most importantly, no regret. I was even ready to do it again, if it wasn’t for the gash in my knee and forehead… as well as my mother’s inevitable scolding.

The second time was when I was 24 years old, and it was that nanosecond right before I was officially laid-off from a job I started a year prior.

Wait… what? I just graduated college… my student loan bills have already started coming in... I finally matured from ramen and Easy Mac for dinner (almost – they are pretty tasty). The moment it sunk in that I no longer had a job was when I felt my invincibility slip away. I felt no pain, fear, embarrassment nor regret, but the difference between this instance and that of 16 years ago was this time, I knew there weren’t enough band-aids to patch me up along with the other 10% of the country going through the same thing.

I really started reflecting about my career: should I stay in nonprofit, go back to school? I got my answer three weeks later when I was offered a job that paid very well, but turned it down because it didn’t feel right. Then, when I started getting rejections like, “You’re not qualified enough,” and, “You’re too qualified for this position,” I didn’t know what to think anymore. Am I in some kind of professional purgatory? Was I being punished for being picky?

Then, I saw it – a job posting through the YNPN listserv. After reading the description, I knew this is what I was looking for. So, in goes my application, but once again, out it comes with a red stamp on it, except, with a note from a fellow YNPN San Diego member who happened to be on the receiving end of my application. She referred me to Junior Achievement and two interviews, some squealing and celebrating, and 10 months later, I’m sitting here writing to you about how YNPN San Diego has helped me in my career.

I did not spend months just sending out resumes and applications. I dove into YNPN San Diego and got my hands dirty with the Member Relations Committee as well as the Meet and Greet Committee. I manage the Facebook Fan Page as part of their social media strategy, an asset valuable to my job description here and now.

I learned I am still invincible, and things will get better if I just work at it. I just needed to jump on that bicycle again, unafraid and un-regretful that I waited for what I wanted instead of settling. Thanks, YNPN San Diego for being my metaphorical door opening while all those gently closed behind me.

Many thanks to Vietca Do for her generous contribution to the YNPN San Diego blog and all her work on committees!! To learn more about YNPN San Diego, visit our website and read all about our committees. If you are interested in writing for the YNPN San Diego blog, email us at sandiego@ynpn.org.

Guest Opinion: The Funding Challenge for YNPN San Diego

From Emily Davis' Next Gen Consulting Cafe. Emily is the Co-Founder and Board Chair for YNPN San Diego...

As many of you know, I am the co-founder and board chair for YNPN San Diego. It has been an enormously successful nonprofit association here in San Diego and clearly serves a great need and gaps in our community as we now have nearly 600 members! The organization is 100% volunteer run which is great, but we also need funds to keep up our programs, support and encourage our volunteers, find a permanent office, and potentially hire at least a part-time staff member.

We've moved through all the best practices to date - setting up a fiscal sponsorship with Volunteer San Diego rather than creating our own 501c3 (avoiding duplication and increasing collaboration); creating a fundraising committee to implement our fundraising strategies; and developing a fundraising plan before even implementing those strategies. It's been an awesome experience for all of our committee members and now the key is putting it to work.

There have been a couple extremely generous funders who have been willing to help this organization get up and running including the Leichtag Family Foundation by way of the Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and Sempra Energy who provided YNPN San Diego with its FIRST grant. Both have been enormously helpful in so many ways - we have been able to develop and provide new programs to our nearly 600 members and communicate the importance of a network to the San Diego community.

What I have been surprised at as a new-comer to San Diego is the lack of support from foundations in the area for an organization like ours which could be seen as a capacity-building or infrastructure organization. I've been told that there isn't enough funding for an organization like ours and yet I see stories for emergency funding for fire pits. Who is going to be the future of making sure those fire pits are operational? Who will run the programs? YNPN San Diego is the future of ensuring there is leadership to make sure the beautification of San Diego is intact, that human services organizations have staff and volunteers in the future, and that the sector as a whole continues with mindful and powerful leadership.

I am not one to complain without providing a solution...I think would be a GREAT solution is to have all the community foundations pool together a small amount of dollars to make a large impact on the San Diego nonprofit community and sustainability. If every community and/or private foundation contributed $2000 of unrestricted funds annually, it would allow YNPN San Diego to serve a greater part of the San Diego nonprofit community and provide support and resources to those individuals who run the programs that these foundations fund in their program areas.

YNPN San Diego finds itself at the point where enough individual donations and grant dollars aren't coming in enough to sustain the organization. The organization is looking to implement membership dues and while they are affordable dues for many members, it may limit who can participate in YNPNSD fully. To even implement membership dues, we need funding for a database, staff, support to make sure that we can implement and manage membership effectively. Who will rise to that occasion?

I'm eager to help design a sustainable and equitable way to support the current and future generation of leaders as well as the entire YNPN San Diego sector, but we can't do it alone. Every dollar counts and every funder (individual, corporate, or foundation) has a responsibility to maintain the strength of YNPN San Diego. YNPN San Diego has become a critical piece of the local nonprofit by developing staff, volunteers, and board members here in San Diego.

We know that YNPN San Diego makes an impact and has an important presence in the community - what will you do to help make sure that continues?

Notes from the National YNPN Conference

YNPN National held a conference in Denver during the month of April. Close to 20 YNPN chapters from around the nation were present with two of our very own Board Members: Mariel Berry and Jessica Rodgers. Members met to exchange ideas of programs, fundraising opportunities and long-term goals. Jessica and Mariel will be bringing these ideas back to the YNPN San Diego Board for discussion just before the Strategic Planning session that will take place for YNPN San Diego in May. Many new things are in the works. This next year is bound to be filled with exciting events and committees ready to meet the challenge. If you want to help gear up YNPN San Diego as it jumps into this year of growth, consider joining one of the committees. It's a great way to build your leadership skills and to climb your way onto the Board. Just think--this time next year, you could be meeting with members from YNPN Chapters across the nation and participating in fun-filled happy hours while munching on sweet and savory hor's dourves. For more info, keep an eye on our blog. Jessica will be posting a few pieces about the National Conference in the coming weeks.