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24,000 Job Openings In The Nonprofit Sector

August 13, 2009

The economy may be constricting budgets but the need for nonprofit leadership is still growing. As per a recent survey, 28 percent of nonprofit organizations planned to make senior management hires, amounting to nearly 24,000 vacancies in 2009, according to The Bridgespan Group.

Respondents also reported that actual senior job openings in 2008 were 43 percent more than the leadership gap Bridgespan forecasted in 2006 in its “The Nonprofit Sector’s Leadership Deficit” survey.

But just because there is a need for leadership doesn’t mean you should automatically prep yourself for a leadership position, according to Laura Fredricks, fundraising consultant and author of “The Ask: How to Ask Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose.”

Fredricks recommended those wanting to land a leadership role do some serious soul searching before taking the dive at Fundraising Day in New York, sponsored by the Association for Fundraising Professionals of Greater New York.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself before taking the plunge:

  • Can you do your boss’s job? Take your ego out of this question. Could you complete every aspect of your boss’s job? Think about the time requirements, skills involved and management tasks needed to handle a team.
  • How would you handle a crisis? Keep Murphy’s Law in mind. If you avoid confrontation like it’s the plague, you might what to rethink a leadership position. Whether the crisis is internal or external, a leader needs a cool head to make a quick and decisive decision.
  • What is on your reading list? Keep track of what top leaders, nonprofit and for-profit, are saying about leadership tactics. Fredricks recommended reading a new management book every six weeks. It will keep your perspective fresh and hopefully you can learn from people already immersed in leadership positions.
  • What leadership qualities do you already have? Fredricks encouraged maintaining confidence without getting arrogant. Think about the micro and macro -- how will this small decision affect the organization as a whole?

SOURCE: www.nptimes.com