3 Job Seeking Tips For College Grads

College graduation is one of those times where you will feel mixed emotions. On one hand, you are excited because your four (or more) years of hard work have finally led to this day. On the other hand, you will probably feel some anxiety because you are entering the "real world" and its somewhat troublesome job market.

It is very normal for college grads, or those close to graduation, to feel an overwhelming sense of fear when it comes time for them to start looking for work. There are a lot of decisions to be made in terms of career path, and the stories of the shaky job market remain fresh in their mind.

The bad news is there isn't anything you can do to completely take the frustration out of the job search. You are likely not going to get accepted to the first job you apply for, and chances are you will hit some other roadblocks on the way. Here's the good news: There are things you can do as a college graduate to make the process more bearable:

• There's a good chance that you probably have a profile on Facebook and there's a slightly greater chance you have a presence on LinkedIn and Twitter, as well. You probably think you know everything there is to know about these social networking tools, but you might not know that employers -- fairly or unfairly -- will judge you based on the content you present. Take the time to clean up your profile to get rid of any embarrassing or inappropriate photos or posts.
• Let's get one thing straight: Your education, no matter how prestige, will not be enough to land you a quality nonprofit job. Before your graduation, try to get an internship or a volunteer opportunity to enhance your experience and make your resume more attractive.
• Here's a straightforward tip: Be honest. Employers have plenty of ways to determine whether you are telling them the truth, so think twice before you exaggerate any of your accomplishments.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Major Donor Gifts Manager

Major gifts are the lifeblood of any nonprofit organization so it stands to reason that acquiring them is the goal of all fundraisers. If you think you have what it takes to cultivate these important donors, you will be interested in our latest featured nonprofit job.

Odell, Simms, and Lynch in Tysons Corner, Va., is looking to hire a Major Donor Gifts Manager to work with a wide spectrum of national and local nonprofits to fundraise on their behalf for capital campaigns, programs, and general operating expenses. The chosen candidate will work closely with other members of the Fundraising and Sponsorship (F&S) team to service multiple clients.

Other responsibilities include:

• Cultivate and solicit high net worth individuals, foundations, leadership at Fortune 500 companies, and c-suite executives.
• Develop and manage creative fundraising strategy collaboratively with nonprofit clients.
• Write and edit customized letters, proposals, fact sheets, presentations, and additional marketing materials.
• Collaborate with nonprofit clients, development and support staff, and board of directors.

Odell, Simms, and Lynch requires that applicants have at least seven years of fundraising experience plus a Bachelor's Degree in a related field. A proven track record of raising six, seven, and eight figure gifts from corporations, foundations and/or individuals is also desired, as is experience using Microsoft Office products.

Interested in this position? Visit the NPT Jobs Career Center for more information, including application instructions.

The First Day Checklist For Nonprofits

You probably think you are the only one who is nervous on the first day of a new job. In reality, nonprofit managers are probably just as anxious as you when the big day finally arrives.

Organizations have to go through a good deal of preparation if the first day of a new hire is to go as smoothly as possible. In their book “The Big Book of HR,” Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem urged managers to be immediately available to the new hire. That means they should put off any planned days-offs or meetings so they can be there should the new employee encounter any difficulties. If an emergency comes up at the last moment, the manager should appoint someone to assist in his stead.

Mitchell and Gamlem also laid out nine checklist items to look over before the new employee arrives. All of these questions should be answered in the affirmative for the first day to be successful:

• Does security know the new hire is starting?
• Does the employee know when and where to report on Day One?
• Is the work area ready with computer, phone, supplies, and welcoming items?
• Do your staff members know when the new hire is arriving?
• Do you have a plan for the first day and beyond?
• Does your schedule include time for the new hire?
• Does the new hire have a copy of the person’s job description?
• Does the new hire have a copy of the organization’s strategic plan and mission statement?
• Does the new hire know what to do in case of an emergency in the workplace?

Featured Nonprofit Job Available: Chief Executive Officer

Attention all aspiring nonprofit executives: A new featured job has just been posted to the NPT Jobs Career Center. Interested? Read on for more details.

The Community Homes for Adults, Inc. (CHAI) in Dallas, Tex., is looking to hire a Chief Executive Officer to provide leadership to the organization, ensure continued quality services for clients, raising needed funds, and overseeing all operations of the agency. The CEO must assure that the needs of those currently served by CHAI can continue to be met in the future and that CHAI can position itself to help others in the community.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the chosen candidate will also have the following responsibilities:

• Leading and developing a team of over 40 employees;
• Administration and support for the Board of Directors; 
• Assistance with strategic planning and implementation of strategic and operational plans;
• Work with clients and their family to promote solutions for a positive and safe environment to optimize quality of life;
• Financial Management including budget preparation and the timely and accurate reporting of financial information; and,
• Human Resource Management including the performance appraisal process; employee recruitment and retention.

The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years of senior leadership experience and a Bachelor’s Degree in a Human Service related field. A Master’s degree would be helpful. Experience with adults with cognitive disabilities a plus. 

For application instructions, please see the full job posting on our career center.

8 Sample Employee Interview Questions

What's the key to hiring the best employees for your nonprofit? There are many answers to that question, but one could arguably be asking probing questions during an employee interview; questions that can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no."

According to Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem in "The Big Book of HR," employers will have a better chance of receiving in-depth answers with these types of questions, which will help them make more informed decisions before hiring. The two authors listed eight sample questions that will give the interviewer a better idea of the behavioral characteristics of the interviewee:

• How would you describe your communication style?
• Tell me about a time when you had to make an unplanned presentation. How did you organize your thoughts? How did you feel about this?
• Describe a situation in which effective interpersonal communication skills contributed to your success.
• Give me an example of a time when you worked on a project with little supervision. How did you get started? Describe the results.
• How would your last employer describe your work habits and ethics?
• As a leader, what do you do when people on your team aren’t pulling their weight?
• What is one of the greatest leadership challenges you have ever faced? What did you do? What was the result?
• How do you handle situations with people who don’t agree with you?

The Nonprofit Job Seeker Wish List

Job seekers want to know a lot of things about the nonprofit for which they apply, including the salary they will earn and the work environment. While those two factors are pretty high on their wish list, there is another thing they need to know before applying: The organization's hiring policy.

Knowing how a nonprofit goes through its hiring policy allows candidates to have a better sense of when they should expect to hear back about their application.

In “Managing a Nonprofit Organization,” Thomas Wolf wrote that the clearer an organization's policy is, the less chance there is for misunderstandings. He recommended answering the following questions in a job description:

• How are employees hired and is there a formal process with public notice required?
• Are current employees given first preference for a job vacancy?
• Is there an affirmative action policy?
• Is hiring done solely on the basis of competency and qualifications?
• Is every prospective employee allowed to see a job description?
• Is there an official training period?
• Do temporary or permanent part-time employees enjoy the same rights and benefits as full-time employees?
• How often are salary ranges and job classifications reviewed and by whom?

Featured Nonprofit Job: Senior Manager Donor Relations

After posting a featured nonprofit job on our career center earlier in the week, the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) is back with another position for job seekers.

The organization is looking to hire a Senior Manager of Donor Relations to develop, manage, and implement all strategies for individual giving including annual campaigns, donor cultivation, donor solicitation, donor tracking, and alumnae relations.

Other responsibilities include:

• Manage annual revenue and expense budget for individual giving;
• Move individual donor prospects along the giving path with timely identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship;
• Maintain accuracy of donor database, update as needed, and edit duplicate records;
• Evaluate individual giving on a weekly basis and present accurate and detailed reports and strategic recommendations to ensure that annual goals are exceeded;
• Assist Development Director with strategic planning, funding forecast, and annual revenue budget;
• Arrange and attend alumnae and other donor events;
• Manage GSGLA alumnae social networking sites;
• Provide creative direction for individual giving marketing materials;
• Support the Director of Development as needed with corporate and foundation giving and special event sponsorships; and,
• Acknowledge donors in a timely and appropriate way with giving levels, in written and online materials, and at events

All applicants should have a minimum of five years experience working in fundraising and donor relations. Major gift experience is especially valued.

You can find more information on this job by visiting the NPT Jobs Career Center.

Nonprofit Jobs: Development Director

Ever wanted to be in charge of fundraising for an education nonprofit in New York City? Read on for the details on how to apply for our latest featured nonprofit job.

The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School is looking to hire a Development Director. This individual will be responsible for leading TEP’s ongoing Capital Campaign to raise funds for the organization's permanent school facility. The Development Director will also be expected to:

• Craft funding proposals for foundations and individuals;
• Develop new funder relationships while building and maintaining existing relationships;
• Update and refine Capital Campaign promotional materials and donation website; and,
• Design and implement all aspects of fundraising events.

The ideal candidate will have significant fundraising experience and contacts, great writing and communication skills, strong management and organizational skills, and a passion for TEP's mission of bringing quality education to low-income families. 

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@tepcharter.org. Only applications that include BOTH a cover letter and resume will be considered. For more information, read the full job posting on the NPT Jobs Career Center. Good luck!

15 Legal Employee Interview Questions

There are likely a lot of questions you want to ask of a potential employee during an interview to determine whether he is the right fit for your organization. However, because of the many laws restricting what information you can ask of candidates, this is not always possible. Assuming you don't want to get in trouble with authorities, it’s important to know the questions that you can and should ask.

Gary M. Grobman, in his book “The Nonprofit Handbook, Third Edition,” created a list of 15 interview questions that you are legally allowed to ask applicants. You should be sure to include some variation of these questions during your next interview:

• What background and experience make you feel you would be suitable for this position?
• What is your educational background, and how has that prepared you for this job?
• What attracted you to apply for a position with this organization?
• What separates you from other applicants?
• Which former employers or teachers may be consulted concerning your abilities?
• What are your long-term professional goals?
• What are the two or three things that are most important to you in a new professional setting?
• What motivates you to perform?
• What are some of your most important accomplishments in your previous position, and what did you do that was special to achieve them?
• Describe a situation in which you had a conflict with another individual, and explain what you did to resolve it.
• Are you more comfortable working with a team on a group assignment, or by yourself?
• What are your significant strengths and weaknesses?
• Why are you shifting direction in employment?
• Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
• How do you feel about your current/previous employer(s)?

Featured Nonprofit Job: Director Of Development And Communications

Immigration is a hot-topic these days now that Congress is discussing reforms to the system. If you've ever wanted to work for a nonprofit that does work in the field of immigration, now is your chance with the latest featured nonprofit job from our career center.

Neighbors Link Northern Worchester is looking to hire a Director of Development and Communications to work on fund development, communications and public relations initiatives, and ensure support for Neighbors Link overall strategic plan and mission. Other responsibilities include:

• Strengthen a development program that emphasizes major gifts, donor cultivation, annual appeal, campaign funding, and foundation giving. 
• Identify, research, write, and secure grants, and oversee work of a part time grant writer.  
• Provide management and Board with comprehensive fundraising data to guide strategic planning.
• Develop creative and compelling communication strategy to the public utilizing print and social media.
• Develop brochures, newsletters, press releases, and appeal letters that educate the community while promoting the organization.
• Provide support to seasoned group of top-notch volunteers in significantly profitable special event execution.
• Implement special awareness and educational events to enhance profile of organization and the community we serve.

All applicants must have a passion for the mission of Neighbors Link, and a commitment to the organization's fundraising and marketing efforts. A Master's Degree is preferred but not necessary. In addition, applicants should have five years experience in a related field, plus a proven track record in fundraising.

You can find out more information about this job by visiting the NPT Jobs Career Center.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Head Of School

Education is the foundation of our society and, as such, many job seekers are interested in getting into that field. If you are one of those individuals, our newest featured nonprofit job might appeal to you. Read on for more details.

Creative Learning Academy (CLA) in Pensacola, Fl., is looking to hire a Head of School for its 2013-2014 year. The successful candidate must have a history of effective leadership and a proven track record of managing and expanding resources and employees.  Experience at an accredited independent school is preferred, but not required.

The candidate must have the ability to expand human resources and he or she must be technologically proficient with a broad knowledge of best business practices.  The ideal candidate will be a charismatic leader who is able to further the school’s mission of providing students with a strong foundation of academic excellence, creativity, integrity, and multicultural awareness.  Furthermore, he or she must be an active, visible part of the community as well as the school, inspiring students and teachers alike in a hands-on-way.

Interested? Head to the NPT Jobs Career Center for more information, including application instructions.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Volunteer Development Manager

Volunteers are important contributors to nonprofits. Without their hard work, some of the less glamorous work (preparing for an event, etc.) would be much more difficult. The latest featured nonprofit job on the NPT Jobs Career Center will give applicants the chance to work with these invaluable individuals.

The Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles (GSGLA) is looking to hire a Volunteer Development Manager to develop, implement, and oversee all components of an efficient and effective Volunteer-Management System for volunteers in all pathways and capacity building roles. Other responsibilities include:

• Conduct a volunteer needs assessment survey in coordination with GSGLA’s annual planning processes to determine volunteers needed to ensure sustainability and growth.
• Build volunteer capacity and engagement via collaboration with Membership & Program. 
• Build volunteer capacity and engagement via collaboration with Product Program, Shops, Administration, External Relations and other departments.
• Work in partnership with all departments to identify and create volunteer roles with clear accountabilities and needed skills sets.
•  Match the skills, experiences and interests of volunteers with the needed skill sets and accountabilities within each department.
• Oversee the Council’s efforts to “open doors” for the recruitment of new volunteers from diverse and emerging populations – use multiple innovative strategies and methodologies to reach adults volunteers.
• Represent Girl Scouts in the community to foster interest in volunteer opportunities, increase visibility and identify potential funders and friends.
• Regularly communicate volunteer opportunities with all active and inactive volunteers to support re-engagement in the same or new roles.
• Participate in the development of council goals, budgets, and risk management systems and policies as they relate to the Volunteer-Management System.

Applicants must have a minimum of five years experience in volunteer management with demonstrated understanding of effective volunteer management/customer service practices. Proficiency with Microsoft Office products is also essential, as is a Bachelor's Degree in a related field. Prior Scouting experience is a plus.

You can find out more about this job on our career center.

3 Body Language Tips For Your Job Interview

While the phone interview can be limiting by its nature, there is one good thing about it: You don't have to worry about poor body language hindering your chances of getting the job.

There's simply no way to avoid it: Having poor body language during a job interview will make a hiring manager think twice about offering you the job. It's not all about folded arms, either; eye contact, weak handshakes, and posture also reflect poorly on your personality. Adjusting your non-verbal communications to present a more welcoming vibe will make you more likable and, as a result, more hireable.

Here are three of the most important body language errors you need to stop:

• The "Dead Fish" Handshake: Handshakes can tell a lot about a person. Someone with a weak handshake comes across as having no confidence, while a firm -- but not bonecrushing -- handshake reflects strength and confidence. Remember to smile while shaking the hand of the hiring manager.
• Too Much or Too Little Eye Contact: Appropriate eye contact is all about balance. You want to look into the other person's eyes while they are talking, but you also don't want to stare. A general rule of thumb is to make eye contact 60 percent of the time. More than this risks appearing too intense, while any less will make you appear uninterested.
• Slouching: The more straight your posture is during the interview, the better your confidence will be. Slouching also makes you seem lazy, something you want to avoid at all costs.

Standing Out During A Phone Interview

Originally posted on the NPT Jobs Career Center


A phone interview would seem preferable to a standard job interview because you can do it from the comfort of your own home. In reality, they can be less ideal for one simple reason: It’s hard to stand out when all you have is your voice.

During an in-person interview at a nonprofit, you can impress hiring managers with both your words and your charisma. With phone interviews you are more limited, and you also have to worry about bad connections and background noises, making for a potentially challenging experience.

Technical issues aside, there are ways you can make this type of interview work for you:

• Use Notes: One of the great things about a phone interview is you can look down at your interview notes if you get stumped. Don’t be afraid to do this, but don’t completely rely on them either. Reading solely from prepared remarks will make you sound scripted.
• Practice: Do a mock phone interview with a friend or family member so they can give you feedback on how your voice sounds. Do you need to speak louder? Are you mumbling? These are all things that your mock interview partner will be able to tell you.
• Watch Your Language: Speak slowly, clearly and, most important of all, eliminate the use of slang. It can be easy to slip into more informal language when talking on the phone.
• Be Thoughtful: Don’t be afraid to pause for a moment if you don’t immediately know the answer to a question. A few seconds of awkward silence are preferable to answers that have lots of “ums.”

Assuming the phone interview goes well enough, you should ask the hiring manager if you can arrange an in-person meeting at some point. Say something along the lines of “Would it be possible for us to meet face-to-face so we can continue this conversation? I’d love to have the opportunity to meet you and see the organization in-person.” If you get no for an answer, make sure to inquire about what the next steps process will be.

12 Ways To Enhance Nonprofit Hiring

Appearances can be deceiving when it comes to hiring for your nonprofit. You should stop hiring based on so-called "gut decisions" and do a thorough investigation of the candidate before handing out that job offer.

In their book "Being Buddha at Work," Franz Metcalf and B.J. Gallagher lamented that some hiring managers don't pay enough attention to the finer details of a candidate's application. This includes his work history, ability to learn and grow, and ability to work well with others. The two authors wrote that, if an organization is to enhance their hiring process, they need to investigate those details plus these 12 additional techniques:

• Don’t limit your search to obvious candidates.
• Be clear about what is required in the job.
• Consider what it takes to be successful in your particular organization and/or department.
• Involve many people in the interview process so you get multiple perspectives.
• Ask behavioral questions. The best predictor of future performance is past performance.
• Don't use hypothetical questions.
• Don't be in a hurry to hire. Haste in the beginning can be costly later.
• Use job tests when you can, whether it's a typing test, a computer simulation, or a roleplaying scenario.
• Be sure to consider the candidate's future potential.
• Be honest with the candidate about the nature of the job as well as future growth potential.
• Look especially careful at someone who interviews well or tries to get away with glib answers to questions. This individual may be good at interviewing, but make sure he/she has other skills to back up those interviewing skills.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Director, Resource Mobilization

Monday is hardly a day people jump for joy over, but here's one thing that might make it a little better: A new featured nonprofit job from the NPT Jobs Career Center for which you can apply. Read on for more details.

The International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) is looking to hire a Director of Resource Mobilization to provide senior level strategic business development, establishing and implementing a strategy to increase the capacity and success of resource mobilization efforts with US government entities, particularly USAID, multilateral organizations, and private donors based in the United States.

Applicants must have at least seven years of progressively responsible work experience in a government or non-profit setting, preferably at or related to USAID.  The ideal candidate will have significant experience in fundraising/resource mobilization. Experience in international and/or women’s health funding is highly desirable.You will need knowledge of USAID grants and contracts, and a good working knowledge of the US legislative process.

Want to find out more about this job? Head to our job search page for more details, including instructions on how to apply.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Executive Director - Agency And Outreach Programs

The problem of domestic abuse runs deep in our society, but there are many organizations committed to stopping it. Our newest featured nonprofit job gives applicants a chance to work for such an agency.

The Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Warren County, New Jersey is looking to hire an Executive Director. The chosen candidate will be responsible for leading all fund raising activities needed to ensure that the Agency meets the needs of its constituents in the Greater Warren County area. Other responsibilities handled by this position include:

• Manages overall operations; asset protection; fundraising; and marketing/public relations;
• Oversees all accounting functions including those necessary for auditing, budgeting, financial analysis, capital asset and property management and payroll in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, board and funding agency policies and procedures, and all other applicable rules and guidelines;
• Ensures that effective communications tools and processes are established and implemented to ensure that the Agency functions in an open, collaborative and supportive manner;
• Positively interacts with representatives of organizations such as DYFS, Warren County Human Services, NJCASA, NJCBW and other affiliated nonprofits and sponsors in regard to matters affecting the agency;
• Analyzes and evaluates vendor services, particularly for insurance, employee benefits and management of agency funds, to determine programs and providers that best meet the needs of the agency and makes recommendations to the Board; and,
• Manages agency funds to maximize productivity, efficiency, and cost savings.

All applicants must possess a college degree and have at least five years experience working at a similar organization. Experience in developing programs for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault is also a must. The chosen candidate must complete 80 hours of domestic violence and sexual assault intervention training within the first 6 weeks of employment. 

You can read more about this job on the NPT Jobs Career Center.

Are Myths Holding Back Your Nonprofit Job Search?

It's no secret that getting work these days is tough. While it's easy enough to blame the mediocre job market for your nonprofit job search difficulties, inaccurate assumptions about careers could also be holding you back.

Myth 1: There's only one perfect job out there for you. Just like how it's false that there's only one right person for you, it's also incorrect that there is only one right job. You should not limit your job hunt because you are concerned with finding the perfect match. If that means looking for nonprofit jobs in New York as well as New Jersey, then so be it.

Myth 2: You will be stuck in the career path you choose. There are always ways to switch your career paths, though there are some financial constraints that come with changing quickly. There are plenty of continuing education courses you can take to learn new skills that will help you find new opportunities if you find your career is getting stagnant.

Myth 3: You should only look for work that utilize your current skills. This kind of job will leave you feeling either burnt out or unfulfilled. You should look for work that will give you the opportunity to advance your skills and learn new things.

Myth 4: You need an MBA to make a lot of money. While it's true that many executive-level jobs prefer candidates with MBAs, there are plenty of opportunities that pay good money that don't require these degrees. You should also avoid choosing a career path solely on money. It's best to find a balance between providing for you and your family and the income you feel you deserve.

The "Will My Resume Be Read?" Checklist

Everyone knows that first impressions are everything when you meet someone new. That same rule applies when you submit a resume to a prospective nonprofit employer.

You only get one shot to impress a hiring manager, so it's imperative that your resume gives him a reason to want to read it more carefully. That's where the resume checklist comes in handy. Take a look at the following questions; if you can answer yes to all (or at least a majority) of them, your application will have a better chance of success.

• Does your resume look original and not based on a template?
• Is there enough white space and clearly marked sections (i.e., career history, skills, etc.)?
• How much thought was put into your design? Does it look professional and not rushed?
• Are you highlighting important content with bolding, lines, or bullet points?
• Is your work history written with the most recent jobs listed first?
• If your resume is more than one page long, does the second page contain a heading?
• Is the information you included relevant to the job?
• Does the content support your career goals?
• Is your career goal something more interesting than "getting a job"?
• Are personal pronoun such as I, me, and my avoided?
• Did you include ample keywords relevant to the position?
• Are you avoiding corporate lingo that is irrelevant to the nonprofit sector?
• Did you include any relevant awards or achievements you earned?
• Do you introduce your accomplishments with strong, action verbs?
• Are accomplishments separated from achievements?

New Nonprofit Job Posting Packages

Forbes magazine just selected NPT Jobs Career Center as one of the top nonprofit recruitment websites in the country. With more than 200,000 page views per month and 600 views per job posting, NPT Jobs Career Center is the place to consider when you are looking for a top executive or administrative position.

Unlike most media, our circulation is exclusively nonprofit executives and administrators. That means your recruitment dollars are aimed at the candidates mostly likely to have the experience and skill sets you need.

The NonProfit Times is now celebrating its 26th year and has won a number of journalism awards for its stories and in-depth coverage of nonprofits. You can take advantage of our reach through a variety of job posting packages that combine print and electronic media to find that unique person.

NPT Jobs Career Center is your direct link to over 300,000 subscribers to our e-newsletters, online and print publications. These subscribers represent over 200 titles in the executive and admin suites. Our posting packages are designed for a budget of any size and offer a range of posting options from print to online to interactive. With as few as 3 listings, the savings start adding up. And just as importantly, the number of qualified candidates will impress you. Most of our subscribers have bachelors and in many cases, masters degrees, with 18 years of nonprofit experience on average. Executive, development, marketing, financial and administrative categories are seeing the most growth.

We can reach the market immediately with our web and social media penetration and print where appropriate to get the most exposure for your job posting.

With the rebound in our economy, postings have increased and that means competition. Head to our nonprofit job posting packages page for more information.

Bensworth Appointed Executive Director Of Simon Foundation

The Simon Foundation for Education and Housing (SFEH) announced Monday that Sandra Bensworth has been appointed as executive director. She will be in charge of the Simon Scholar's program.

Bensworth, who was the founder and CEO of the private consulting firm BF Consultants, will be charged with expanding the Simon Scholar's program in Southern California and nationally by increasing the number of scholarships offered to underprivileged students. She will also be asked to build new partnerships with corporations, foundations and individuals using her business expertise.

“This opportunity has created a new path for me both professionally and personally and I am thrilled to be working for a great foundation with a purposeful program,” said Bensworth.

Founded in 2003, The Simon Scholars program is currently sponsored and administered by two other foundations in Southern California and New Mexico, and operates its own chapters in Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. It is a six-year scholarship valued at $30,000. As of today, there are 200 high school students and 300 college students benefiting from the program.

“The Simon Scholars program is committed to building tomorrow’s leaders through academic support, intensive life skills training and character building,” said Ronald M. Simon, founder of SFEH. “Sandra’s strong business acumen makes her the ideal candidate to support our Foundation’s expansion efforts which include aligning with other foundations, corporations and individual philanthropists that share our passion to positively impact the lives of students and therefore our community.”

Based in Newport Beach, Calif., SFEH's mission is to provide affordable education and housing to disadvantaged Americans. You can find out more information about the Foundation on its website.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Account Coordinator

Washington, D.C. is the hub of most nonprofit jobs but Virginia, given its proximity to the nation's capital, also has its fair share of high quality positions. Our latest featured nonprofit job is proof of that.

Fundraising and Sponsorship (F&S) in Tyson's Corner, Va., is looking to hire an Account Coordinator to identify and research major donor prospects including corporations, foundations, and high-net worth individuals. Other responsibilities for this job include:

• Call major donor prospects to arrange meetings for executives and managers;
• Update and maintain tracking reports, meeting reports, backgrounders, and other client-related information;
• Write and edit letters, proposals, fact sheets, presentations, and additional materials as needed;
• Enter client-related information into an internal database;
• Utilize online news and data resources to retrieve valuable market intelligence; and,
• Support client events and meetings (occasional travel may be necessary).

The ideal applicant will have a Bachelor's Degree in a related field, 1-3 years of fundraising experience, strong written and verbal communication skills, and experience in working with executives and managers in a professional manner.

You can find out more about this job by visiting our newly-designed career center.

The 50 Best Nonprofits To Work For In 2013

Cross-Posted From The NonProfit Times Blog

Each year, The NonProfit Times conducts a study to determine which nonprofits are the best for which to work. Many organizations come forward to see if they can be named the best, but only one can stake the claim as the number one Best Nonprofit To Work For.

The winner for this year's report, The 50 Best Nonprofits To Work For 2013, is the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), taking home the title home for the second year in a row. The veterans nonprofit was also named the overall best large organization, meaning it has 250 or more employees. Coming in second in that category was Alzheimer's Association, followed by Natural Resources Defense Council, American Heart Association, Year Up, and Masonic Homes of Kentucky, Inc.

In terms of the overall rankings, WWP beat out by such well-known nonprofits as the LIVESTRONG Foundation (#19), DoSomething.org (#11), and Make-A-Wish Illinois (#30).

How do we come up with these rankings? It would seem that the things that make an organization great to work for are subjective, but there is a method to the process. Each year, NPT partners with Harrisburg, Pa.-based Best Companies Groups which conducts a survey of the nonprofits that wish to be ranked in the report. The survey studies all aspects of the organization including benefits and employment practices. Employees were also given a confidential survey of statements with which they could agree or disagree covering eight general categories: Leadership and Planning, Corporate Culture and Communications, Role Satisfaction, Work Environment, Relationship with Supervisor, Training and Development, Pay and Benefits, and Overall Employee Engagement.

The average for all nonprofits that participated was 85 percent favorable rating; for those making the Best Workplaces list the average was 89 percent. The best averages came in Work Environment, 92 percent for all nonprofits surveyed and 94 for those making the list; Relationship with Supervisor, 89 percent of all and 92 percent for those making the list; and, Role Satisfaction and Overall Employee Engagement, each with 88 percent approval for all and 90 percent for those making the list.

Now that you know how the report was compiled, you can head to our website to see the complete list of the 50 Best Nonprofits To Work For 2013.