Can You Be A Stay-At-Home Fundraiser?

A Fundraising job would seem to be the type of position that would lend itself to telecommuting. You're going to be spending a lot of time on the phone or making visits with donors, so being in the office all of the time isn't always imperative.

This doesn't mean that all fundraisers are of the stay-at-home variety. As Jill Dotts of the American Heart Association pointed out at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) 49th International Conference on Fundraising, there are only certain positions in development that lend themselves to telecommuting. These jobs include:

• development director
• development officer
• donor relations manager
• special events manager
• grant writer
• database manager
• prospect researcher

Employers would do well to consider offering the option of telecommuting to any of the above positions, as this expands the reach of your job to candidates who live outside the state. If you do consider allowing telecommuting, Dotts said to address the following considerations:

• The real estate premium. Do you really need all that office space? Think of program space vs. administration.
• The recruiting/retention of staff who want flexibility.
• An organizational culture that includes trust and accountability.
• Consistent guidelines for the entire organization.
• Top-notch communication, and not just in day-to-day interaction.
• Awareness that telecommuting does not work well with micro- or insecure managers.

3 Cover Letter Rules

One of the things that I agonized over the most over during the job search was cover letters. If I wasn't having a tough time figuring out a unique way to express why I was a good fit for the job, I was experiencing fatigue from writing so many of them.

Yes, most job seekers will agree that cover letters are a bit of a pain. They are also extremely important; maybe even more so than your resumé.

There's no such thing as a perfect cover letter, but there are some rules you should follow that will make it easier. I learned these as I went along, and they made things a little easier for me. Hopefully they will do the same for you.

• Start Early: Instead of waiting until the last minute to bang out your cover letter, take some time to figure out what you want to say. The purpose of this document is to raise your job application above the competition, so sending something that is hastily written only will serve to undermine your cause.
• Be Unique: Don't simply mimic what you say in your resumé. Choose one of your skills and expand on it, explaining exactly why it makes you a great fit for the job. Above all, make sure your passion for the position shines through your writing.
• Know Your Norms: Most job descriptions will let you know how you should send your cover letter. If that is not the case, get in touch with your networking contacts to determine whether the organization wants candidates to submit applications as an attachment or in the body of the e-mail. This is a lot more important than you think, as it can determine whether your message makes it through the employer's filters.

4 Job Interview Myths

Like other aspects of looking for work, there are a lot of things said about job interviews that aren't exactly accurate. Identifying these myths are key to making the best impression possible to the hiring manager. Let's take a look at four of the most common misconceptions:

• There's a right answer to every question. Often times recruiters will ask you a tough question not to get a particular answer, but to see how well you address it. So don't stress too much about coming up with the perfect answer.
• Keep your answers short. Don't think that you have to cut short your answers because of time. As long as you are hitting relevant points in your answer, the employer will be more than happy to listen to what you have to say. Just be sure to stay on topic.
• Looks don't matter. Recruiters will definitely take into consideration how well you are dressed for the interview. Make sure you are wearing the correct dress code when going in for an interview.
• Talent alone will get you the job. Employers definitely want to hire the most qualified candidate for the job, but there are other factors that play a role. An organization will probably want to make sure its new employee will fit in with the rest of the group, so personality can play a role in the decision.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Fundraising Development Director

Another day, another featured nonprofit job! Covenant House in Pennsylvania is looking to hire a new Fundraising Development Director to help bring additional funds into the organization.

Working with the executive director, the chosen candidate will use various techniques to help raise the necessary resources to ensure the continued operation of the organization. This is an ideal position for those who have a solid background in fundraising and have the ability to motivate themselves.

Successful applicants will have five years of fundraising/development experience. As for education, you should have a Bachelor's degree in a related field and/or equivalent experience in resource development. Additional qualifications include:

• Excellent verbal communication;
• Writing skills (both written and typed); and,
• Strong financial acumen.

Interested? Visit our application page and be sure to send all resumes/cover letters to chyatt@hyatt-fennell.com

Featured Nonprofit Job: Human Resources Manager

Origins Recovery Centers (ORC), an addiction center located in South Padre Island, Tex., is looking to hire a Human Resources Manager.

The ideal candidate will be able to perform all HR functions including recruiting, employee relations, compensation, performance management, employee orientation, development, and training. This position will work closely with ORC managers on employee relations issues, in addition to developing and administering employment policies, procedures, and best practices.

The HR manager is an extremely important job in any organization, so applicants should be prepared to meet  the following requirements:

• Must have experience with state licensing boards.
• Minimum 2 years experience in HR.
• Bachelor Degree in related field.
• Addiction treatment and professional licenses a plus.

Once you are sure that you meet these qualifications, head over to our career center and apply for the job! 

Featured Nonprofit Job: Director Of Administration

Hope that everyone had a great July 4th holiday! Now that the festivities are over, it's time to get back to the job search. For those looking for a little boost, you're in look: The La Canada Flintridge Educational Foundation (LCFEF) has just posted a featured nonprofit job with us!

Based in La Canada, Calif., the organization is looking to hire a Director of Administration to manage all aspects of its donor database and to run the Foundation's day-to-day activities of the office and its events/programs. All of this work will be done in conjunction with LCFEF's various board committees.

Other responsibilities include:

• Managing the Foundation’s Matching Gifts, Pledge and Acknowledgement Programs;
• Maintaining and updating accuracy of donor and potential donor information;
• Recording all gifts and generating donor receipts and reports;
• Providing marketing, administrative and fundraising support to all Foundation programs/committees/events; and,
• Administering the LCFEF office (answering phones, interacting with donors, etc.).

The ideal candidate for this position will have a working knowledge of Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge software, a four-year college/university degree, and experience with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, and Publisher). Interested? Apply today via our online career center.

"Help Me Help You:" Helping Friends With The Job Search

People tend to think of the job search as an individual endeavor. Job seekers understandably focus on their own needs rather than taking too much time helping others. What they may not know, however, is that assisting people is a big part of the job search process.

You should be more than willing to assist a friend if they need help getting a job. You would expect a networking contact to help you if you asked, so why should you turn down a request from a friend? It's true that you need to spend as much time as possible on your own job search, but you should still find time to be of help. Being a willing helper will also make others more eager to assist you.

Like most things, there's a right and a wrong way to help someone look for a job. Follow these four tips should a friend reach out to you:

• Listen: Does your friend just need to blow off some steam? Instead of trying to convince him that everything will be OK, let him release his frustrations. After he is done, you should express your understanding, and begin to find out what kind of help he needs.
• Know Your Role: Don't assume that the techniques you use for your job hunt are right for your friend. Ask what kind of job he is looking for and what you can do to help. When it comes time to offer suggestions, make them in a way that is not presumptive. For example, you can ask "would it be helpful if I shared your resumé with my contacts?"
• Network: Assuming your friend is also looking for a nonprofit job, you can reach out to your networking contacts and see if they can help your friend. Write a short e-mail asking them if they would like to have lunch with him. Remember that your friend is a direct representation on you, so make sure he is properly prepared should your contact say "yes."
•  Manage Expectations: You should commit to do anything you can to help, but don't make promises you can't keep. For instance, if you don't know anyone in your friend's area of expertise, don't tell him that you will see who you know. Be up-front with him, so that he knows what to expect.