Today the power and decisions of an organization’s top leadership are more apparent than ever. Susan G. Komen has been stumbling since the ill-fated decision to end its partnership with Planned Parenthood.

Komen’s leadership responded quickly to the public’s and their supporters’ criticism by restoring their partnership days later, but the organization has not looked the same since.  Recently, Komen’s president Liz Thompson announced that she will be stepping down in September but she leaves the organization with its long-term health in jeopardy; in some cases fundraising is down 20 to 30%, and as numbers for fall fundraising events come in, that figure may grow.

Susan G. Komen’s misstep is a loss for the entire nonprofit sector. Last year Komen was one of the most respected and well-known nonprofit brands, and served as a model for many organizations to aspire toward. Even for students of public relations crises, few predicted that Komen’s actions would prove to be this difficult to overcome.  Like many others, I hope to see Susan G. Komen regain its form and come out of these events as a stronger organization, but the mistakes made earlier this year provide an excellent learning opportunity.

Although the dust is far from settled on this story, I have been struck by how another organization has handled a similar…

My term on the board of a national nonprofit professional association recently came to an end after more than 5 years—including a year as the chair of the board, and a year as immediate past board chair.

Per the by-laws, the immediate past board chair leads the nominations process for incoming board members. That process concluded in late spring and I have to admit that I learned some lessons along the way. I hope this blog post helps someone who may someday face the same issues that I faced.

Lesson #1. It might be obvious, but: get on it early.
Our by-laws stipulated the precise make-up of the nominations committee: a total of seven people. What was evident immediately is that coordinating the schedules of seven people plus an executive director—even for a phone call—is very difficult. This process will take longer than you think, regardless of how well organized you are.

Lesson #2. Talk with the full board about both the current and future composition of the board.
A month before the nominations process began, I asked the board chair for 20 minutes on a board agenda to discuss the board composition. In advance of that discussion, I sent an email to each member of the board asking them to answer 10 demographic questions, including their responsibilities (job titles can be…

Welcome to Research Friday! As part of a continuing series, we invite a nonprofit scholar, student, or professional to highlight current research reports or studies and discuss how they can inform and improve day-to-day nonprofit practice.

We often talk about nonprofit executive compensation in skeptical terms: how much is too much? While no one supports wasteful public spending or abuse of power, the cases that grab headlines and provoke legislation are actually far from the norm. At Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF), what we see far more often is staff turnover due to burnout and low pay. We routinely work with nonprofits that are struggling to determine if it’s financially possible to make a much-needed new hire, even on a part-time or contractor basis. This week’s installment of Research Friday will examine a range of new data from the field about our sector’s human resources—often, our most powerful but undervalued form of capital.

First up: The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s recent survey  of more than 900 young nonprofit professionals. With help from the…

Internships are a great way for organizations to find human capital to address urgent needs at very little cost. Nevertheless, most organizations have much larger objectives in mind with internship programs. Oftentimes, internship programs provide a great way to find future employees by test-driving the talent first.

Internships often result in job offers
Obviously, many interns are motivated to do an internship in hopes of having the experience evolve into a full-time job. Some studies indicate that nearly 70% of
interns are offered full-time jobs as a result of the internship, with over 80% of the interns accepting the employment offer. There are however, other reasons why people get involved in internships. Some of these reasons are listed below:

• They desire to gain more work experience and build their resume
• They are fulfilling graduation requirements
• They are exploring new career options in different industries

Finding interns

In the past, finding interns could be a tedious process. Organizations used to post ads in classifieds and work through employees using word of mouth. Although these methods are still employed and still work, in the internet age the process is incredibly easier and much more targeted through the use of websites. Listed below is just a sampling of internship…

Social media is useful for casual communication, but it can also be a tool for job seekers. By using social media to your advantage, you may even be able to land your dream job. Below are five strategies you can use to increase your chances of success.

If you are interested in working for a particular organization, follow that organization on Twitter, like it on Facebook and try to make a connection on LinkedIn. When you connect with the organization on multiple platforms, potential employers and members of the human resources department are more likely to notice you and remember your name. Monitoring the organization's social media profiles will also keep you up-to-date on any open positions within the organization.

Reaching out to an organization is a good start, but you should also try to connect with the organization's leaders. People in leadership positions may have the power to invite you to an interview, recommend you for a job or even hire you. Whenever possible, follow them on Twitter, become Facebook friends and make a connection on LinkedIn. Respond to their posts, monitor their profiles for signs of a job lead and do your best to build on-going, amicable…