We all know how important it is to give back to those in need. Now the opportunities to do so for a career are growing.

Charities Offering More Jobs, Better Pay in 2010

By: Dan Macsai, FastCompany
Published March 11, 2010

Apart from good karma–especially given the recent tragedies in Haiti and Chile–working for a charity will also offer good career prospects in 2010. According recent findings from Professionals for Nonprofits, most plan to hire new employees this year, and the overwhelming majority will raise staff salaries (or hold them steady).

Fittingly, fundraisers and financiers are the most in-demand. The data, which came from more than 1,200 organizations in New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., reveals that pay for fundraising jobs rose by 10% last year, while pay for senior-level finance jobs rose 7%. (Both numbers are expected to increase.) At charities with more than $50 million in yearly donations, the latter positions pay anywhere from $160,000 to $200,000.

Read the rest of this article:  http://www.fastcompany.com/1579261/charities-offering-more-jobs-better-pay-in-2010

Tomorrow is one of those days each year that push me to ponder a multitude of happenings in my life. Much like hitting my 30th birthday last year, this year holds some new milestones, reasons to celebrate and challenges all of their own.

You see, not only is it my 31st birthday tomorrow, but it also marks 8 weeks since my move to Minneapolis from the place I called home for the last 11 years. As I begin the celebrations tomorrow I also give pause for the many friends back in Fargo that are beginning what is quickly becoming a yearly fight to hold back flood waters. I’m wishing you all a great deal of strength, patience and courage as you face this yearly foe. Remember the waters will rise, the community will come together and as it does every year, the Red will calm and grace the region with its multitudes of blessings.  Here’s also hoping that the political powers that be can move swiftly towards a solution that will eliminate this problem permanently.

A thank you to the community of Fargo, North Dakota. It was there in one of the most unusual of places that this individual’s wildest dreams came to fruition and the foundation of a life yet fully realized created. You provided me with a phenomenal college education at Concordia. Your commitment and fortitude to education excellence has brought forth some of the most capable graduates in the region. Partnered with tremendous collaborations with business and government these graduates will change the world in ways they cannot even imagine yet.

To big companies with a strong Fargo presence, thank you for the opportunity to learn, grow and be challenged preparing me to become the marketing communications and business professional I am today.

Furthermore, thank you for the opportunity to drive a successful corporate career into one of private enterprise, where a community rallied around a small group of mid twenty-somethings to create a media company that would forever change the way Fargo/Moorhead viewed itself.

Finally, to friends and supporters – your faith and ability to see the grander vision is always and will be forever appreciated. The journey and path, although not always easy, produced results that we can all be proud of. A wake still flows both with celebration and challenge and only time will tell how the full story will end. I know deep down that the ties and memories that bind us together will show its grace as the future progresses.

A new home emerges now with challenges, friends and opportunities uniquely its own. The last 8 weeks have been remarkable and memorable. As many can attest, the process of moving to a new city and laying a new level to the house of life can be daunting. However it is the memories and experience I have gained to date that I know will propel me further on this road. I know I have the tools, knowledge and support to go out and accomplish whatever it is I set my sights on.  What will that be? Only time will tell.

Starting anew can be one of the greatest adventures life brings to us. A chance to reinvent, grow and learn. Today I focus on two things, giving back to the community that brought me this far, and investing in the community that I now choose to call home. I’m becoming connected and involved, feeling as though I’m once again home.

The big question for those that know me well I’m sure is what will I be doing next. Honestly its a question that even I don’t know the answer to yet. Since coming to Minneapolis I continue my consulting work, my work with the American Diabetes Association and have started work with a few other non-profits helping to formulate strategies to attract greater giving and organizational efficiency. I do continue to keep my eyes peeled for new opportunities that seem to emerge every day. I desire a return to life in the corporate sector, however also look forward to dabbling in new ventures that can further transform the world around us.

So as tomorrow rolls around, I mark a few more milestones in life and celebrate the potential that only the future fully knows.

I’ve had quite a bit of exposure with non-profit organizations over the years.  From volunteering to serving on the board of directors. These organizations have also varied in focus with strengths in community service, arts and health issues. One thing I’ve observed over the years in the uncanny ability for a non-profit organization to focus on two things, 1) Raising money and 2) Spending money.

Now, I know, these are the primary functions and purposes of non-profit organizations.  However, in one of the toughest economies in the last 80 years, how will these organizations continue to raise the money needed to provide vital and enriching services to their communities? It’s really quite simple.

Today’s donors are ever increasingly sophisticated in their donor approach. They now see their donations not as a gift, but rather an investment in a cause they passionately believe in. As donors continue to see non-profits in this way, non-profits are pushed ever more to create sustainable and efficient business models that will appeal to an ever decreasing base of funding.

So how does a non-profit do this?  Here are some quick steps that are vital to this approach.

1. Create that strategic business plan. – I know, this is that big binder you created about 10 years ago at a weekend retreat and you just regret pulling it down and revisiting it.  The reality is this is your number one tool for bringing on “investors”.  They want to see what their funding can do and how far it will reach.
2. Develop an organizational growth map. – What’s an organizational growth map? This is a term that I pulled together when working at FrostFire Media.  Yes, I’m proposing yet another business practice to apply towards your everyday non-profit world, but it really is effective.  An organizational growth map is a document that tracks not only the current organizational chart, but also seeks to identify future team needs that align and match with your strategic plan. This document serves two purposes, it shows donors where their additional funding will go and gives your team members within your organization a vision of where they can fit in as the organization grows and prospers.
3. Policies and Procedures. – Surprisingly many think that policies and procedures will slow down progress and the goals of the organization. Not really the case. I’ve witnessed so many organizations flounder because of a lack of policies and procedures. How do you handle that new big donor, what about naming rights, who approves expenditures and how are budgets tracked.  These are all items that flow into a policies and procedures document which will be requested often times by donors to ensure that you have your ducks in a row.

It might seem like very basic practices, but keeping your eye on these 3 main areas will help set your non-profit apart from the others in the battle for funding that will undoubtedly continue in the coming years.

If your interested in assistance in developing some of these areas for your organization, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here to help you achieve your mission and goals.

Keep the passion alive and the communities thriving.

Christopher