February 2009

INTRODUCTION FEATURE: Finding the Best People: Strategies for Effective IT Hiring FEATURE: Nonprofit Layoffs and Furloughs: Do Them Right FEATURE: The Nonprofit Job Search Just Got Tougher PLEA: Help Us Fund 57 Scholarships to the 2009 NTC HOW TO: Put Technology To Use THINGS WE LIKE

IT Staff? Wasn't that a +3 weapon in Dungeons & Dragons? If you like what you read, support us by becoming a member.

FINDING THE BEST PEOPLE: STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE IT HIRING

Cassie Scarano, Commongood Careers

Hiring for any role, regardless of the function or organizational level, is a challenge and an opportunity. With increased competition for talent, demand for higher salaries, and specific required skills, hiring for technology staff within nonprofit organizations is particularly challenging.

There are, however, specific strategies and tools that will position you for success in the hiring process.

NONPROFIT LAYOFFS AND FURLOUGHS: DO THEM RIGHT

Jan Masaoka and Pamela Fyfe, Blue Avocado

In this economy, it's no longer shameful to lay people off (or to be laid off), but it's still seen as a sign of vulnerability. Because layoffs are driven by financial need, they usually do reflect financial stress in the organization's income or balance sheet. But the decision to lay people off may actually reflect strength in the organization's ability to make decisions proactively, to respond to changing conditions, and to take strong management steps when necessary.

How people are laid off makes a big difference in how the departing staff feel and how the remaining staff can move forward in a positive way. Each group has to assess what works best on their own particular boat, but here are some things to think about:

THE NONPROFIT JOB SEARCH JUST GOT TOUGHER

Meg Busse, Idealist.org

Unemployment is at its highest level in anywhere from five to 26 years. Our current economic situation is making nonprofits even more risk averse than they usually are.

So, based on the current situation, what can you do right now to make sure you're in the right place at the right time when that next great job comes along?

Lots.

HELP US FUND 57 SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE 2009 NTC

The best part of the Nonprofit Technology Conference is the community we create -- and the more nptechies who can attend, the better. As you may know, we're raising money to fund up to 57 scholarships to this year's conference. Convio will match your contribution, dollar-for-dollar, but only until February 28th. We're 3/4 of the way to our $10,000 goal. By giving just $10, you can help us get there.

Of course, we wouldn't ask you to do something like this for nothing. By donating, you earn yourself a vote on how Holly Ross, NTEN's Executive Director, should embarrass herself at the NTC. When we reach $10,000, she will:

• Make her own "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" video. Thousands of people already have. Holly will join them. But she won't wear a leotard. (Hey, she has standards!)
• Eat a bacon explosion. It's the pork-phenomenon that's swept the internet. She'll eat a whole one. [Ed. note: Please don't vote to kill our ED.]
• Or play her college marching band trombone. In Union Square. In broad daylight. A bunch of her college buddies have already vowed to turn up to mock her. Should be a good time!

She's even made a video previewing her potential public loss of dignity, such is her devotion to the cause. You should check it out. It's pretty hilarious.

HOW TO: PUT TECHNOLOGY TO USE

Your guide to the resources that will help you put technology to work for your cause.

Find an NPTech Job

An investment banker recently incensed the nonprofit community by asking the New York Times, "If you just take your base home, the question becomes, why not just work at a nonprofit from 8 to 4 instead of a bank where you’re expected to work weekends and every night till 10 or 11?" Setting aside the whole greed-as-motivation issue that got us into this mess in the first place, it's a bad assumption because it's becoming harder and harder to land a job at a nonprofit.

So, what should you do? TechSoup's guide to the Nonprofit Job Search is a good place to start. And lifehacker has an entertaining guide on switching careers. You might also want to check out some advice from EchoDitto's Joshua Wachs. Bottom line: typos in your cover letter = no job for you.

Once you've got a handle on the search process, peruse the listings on Idealist.org, OpportunityKnocks, or NTEN's aggregated job board, which focuses on NPTech. You may also want to set up Google Alerts with keywords focusing on your areas of interest.

If all else fails, be like Jimmy and lower your standards: our NTC intern has offered to stuff tote bags for a modest amount of money, unlimited soda, and control of the stereo.

Hire the Right People

On the flip side of the job search, you as an employer want to make sure Jimmy's actually going to stuff totes, and not just sip Obama Cola while listening to his recently purchased Jonas Brothers album.

This is more art than science, but you may want to consider "behavior-based interviewing". The HR Council for the Voluntary and Non-profit Sector has a guide to "Getting the Right People" nearly as comprehensive as its name, while Bridgestar manages to fit its advice into one (very long) page.

It can be instructive to consult the past, as well. In 1997, Fast Company profiled Netscape: "Barksdale's company focuses relentlessly on acquiring talent. Netscape has distributed more product (at last count, 60 million copies of its Web browser) and generated more revenue than any software startup in history. Which means it has to keep adding people at a ferocious pace." We all know how that turned out. So, don't be like Netscape.

It's also helpful to know how other organizations are handling their IT staffing needs. That's why we put out our IT Staffing Report. This year's survey closes February 28th, so please, take it today.

Keep Your Best People

First, the good news: employee turnover is lower at nonprofits than at for-profits. But, just because you're doing good in the world doesn't mean that mission attachment overrides the desire for higher pay.

Yes, filthy lucre tops most lists of staff complaints. But you can get around that with some creative thinking about benefits. Commongood Careers also has a great report on meeting the needs of nonprofit employees and jobseekers (PDF).

Apparently, meeting the needs of Generation Y staffers requires special attention. They're young, they have energy, but they're feisty. There's even a blog devoted to the topic.

THINGS WE LIKE

A monthly roundup of our favorite nonprofit tech resources. Read more posts on our blog.

1. The U.S. government's giving a big boost to RSS. We can only hope that, one day, Joe Biden will use Twitter to let people know where he's having lunch, like Shaq does.
2. Recovery.org looks as if it may serve as a great model for the use of data by nonprofits, too.
3. In fact, we're all about data visualization this month. Check out Project Descry for inspiration. Or use Wordle to create a nifty cloud of text of, say, a Terms of Service agreement.
4. Speaking of Internet flare-ups, somebody claiming to be an Obama strategist said nonprofit e-mail newsletters are "a waste of time". That kinda hurts our feelings. Cue righteous indignation and outrage!
5. To prove nonprofit newsletters are worthwhile, here's your monthly dose of cute: kittens riding a Roomba! Feel your stress melt away. You're welcome.
6. And, back to the real world: M+R has a good case study on fundraising in a depressed economy (PDF).
7. Rebranding. MPower is now Orange Leap. We like oranges. And we like jumping. So, we like the new name.
8. The Pizzigati Prize. Are you geeky enough to win $10,000?
9. A British neuroscientist warns that social networking sites may be "infantilising the mid-21st century mind". Sounds like somebody's upset her friend requests are being refused.
10. Did your organization make a video in 2008? Is it about something other than chickens? Submit it to the 2009 Nonprofit Video Awards.
11. Playing TinyURL roulette. You've seen the links: http://tinyurl.com/34kldn. But have you tried changing one of the characters to see where it might take you? Sometimes, it's nowhere, but sometimes, the results are, well, you tell us: http://tinyurl.com/34zldn.

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