ProInspire

Millennials: Looking for More Than Just a Job

Submitted by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on Tue, 02/09/2010 - 00:21
I heart my job!

With the economy still in uncharted territory and families struggling to make ends meet, we have watched as individuals and organizations alike have been forced to do more with less.  At the same time, we are witnessing what many believe to be the beginning of a new era of problem solving and social entrepreneurship – as Millennials demonstrate that it’s not just one sector that will help solve some of our most challenging social problems, but rather a look at blending sectors and structures to create meaningful impact.

The Case Foundation kicked off a new blog series last week focused on helping individuals find nonprofit jobs, and over here on Social Citizens we thought we’d build on that series and bring attention to some of the opportunities being offered to the Millennial Generation for fellowship programs here at home and abroad.
 
Recognizing that the nonprofit sector needs to attract talent to address long term challenges, ProInspire was founded last year to do just that.  Inspire Fellows are outstanding business professionals with two or more years of experience who want to use their skills for social impact. This highly competitive one-year program offers top business professionals targeted positions with leading nonprofits, as well as professional development opportunities, and a network to support their individual career growth.

Previous Inspire Fellows finalists came from American Express, Bain, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and other leading companies and were placed in positions at nonprofits from ACCION International, and City First Enterprises, to Living Cities, and Year Up. All positions are currently based in the Washington D.C. area. Applications for Pro Inspire are open through March 8.

 
Turning to the global side of things, and we all know that Millennials are more globally aware, connected and concerned than any generation before them – enter, Global Health Corps. Also founded last year, the aim of Global Health Corps is to strengthen the movement for global health equity by connecting outstanding young leaders with organizations working on the front lines in the fight for global health.
 
GHC recognizes the delivery of effective health care requires more than doctors and nurses. Yet, opportunities are scarce for individuals with backgrounds in management and supply systems, computer programming, engineering, or other professional skills to embark on a career serving public health. Without these opportunities, too many skilled young professionals are left out and unable to offer innovative approaches to some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Global Health Corps applications are open now until March 10 for US Citizens, and until April 10 for non-US Citizens.
 
Fellowship programs like Global Health Corps and Pro Inspire, remind us that everyone has valuable skills they can bring to the table. We also know that the entrepreneurial leaders who find themselves giving a year in service to others will return better positioned as leaders and innovators within their companies and communities.
 
Know of other Millennial focused fellowship programs that should be on our radar? Please include a link in comments below. 
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Do You Want a Job Where You Can Make a Difference?

Submitted by Kari Dunn Saratovsky on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 22:26
inspire

Today's guest blogger Monisha Kapila shares some thoughts as she begins channeling her decade of experiences in the private and nonprofit sectors into the launch of ProInspire.  Her ambitious new venture is aimed at bridging the gap between nonprofit organizations that seek a broader pool of talent with business professionals who want to transition into the sector.

One of the exciting movements among social citizens is increasing interest in jobs that “do good.” People are looking for ways to find meaning through work, and this is particularly true with Millenials and Boomers. The growing number of applications in recent years to programs such as Teach for America and the Broad Residency are a testament to increased awareness and interest in giving back through a career.  The current economic downturn and President Obama’s call to service have also caused many people to think about nonprofit careers from a new perspective. 

Although nonprofits currently face financial constraints, the sector needs to attract talent to address long term challenges. In early 2008, I attended a conference where Tom Tierney from the Bridgespan Group spoke about the leadership deficit facing the nonprofit sector.  He said: “The leadership deficit looms as the greatest challenge facing nonprofits over the next ten years.”  In fact, his paper suggests that the nonprofit sector will need to attract and develop 640,000 new senior managers over the next 10 years -- 2.4 times the number currently employed. Even if this number is overestimated, current pools of talent will not be able to fill the gap.
 
I started ProInspire (www.proinspire.org) to connect business professionals interested in the social sector with organizations that want broader pools of talent. After interviewing a number of nonprofits, I found that many of them face talent challenges in areas such as analysis, financial modeling, technology, and marketing -- skills that business professionals often build through work experience and training. While interest from business professionals to work for nonprofits is growing, there are few clear entry paths into the sector. 
 
Based on our research, ProInspire is launching the Inspire Fellows program for business professionals with 2+ years work experience that want to use their skills to make a difference in the nonprofit sector. This highly competitive 1-year program offers business professionals a clear entry path into the nonprofit sector, positions targeted to their skill set, and training to ensure a successful transition. It provides nonprofits access to top business talent that can make an immediate impact on mission-critical issues.
 
The ideal Inspire Fellow has 2-5 years of work experience at a top-tier consulting firm, investment bank or corporation--and is looking to build a career in the social sector. A Fellow should have skills in analysis, financial modeling, project management, or strategic thinking through their prior work experience and training. The pilot program begins in August 2009, and Fellows will work for leading nonprofit organizations in the Washington D.C. area for 1-year. 
 
More details about the pilot Inspire Fellows program are available at: www.proinspire.org. Applications are due by Wednesday, April 8th. 
 
Stay connected with ProInspire to learn about other ways for business professionals to use their skills in the nonprofit sector.
Check out the ProInspire blog
Join our group on Facebook
Join the Business Professionals for Nonprofits Network on LinkedIn

What is your advice to business professionals who want to work in the nonprofit sector?

 

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