May 2006: What's FLiP?

"If you know how to raise a dollar, you're eminently employable." -Paul C. Light, director of the Center for Public Service at the Brookings Institution.

If you’ve found your way to the FLiP website you’re either thinking about, or involved in, a career in the philanthropic sector.

Whether you’re interested in grant-making or fundraising; politics, health care, social services, arts, culture, or you just love not-for-profits, our mission is to help you connect with your colleagues, learn basic fundraising and grant-making techniques, keep up-to-date with the latest industry news, and get inspiration to keep your career on the right track.

American not-for-profit organizations, according to the latest information, spend nearly $800 billion annually. They also control $419 billion in assets. To put that in perspective, the 2005 GDP of Pakistan is $70 billion less than the assets of not-for-profits in the US. Philanthropy is not a dark corner of the US economy; a serious career does not have to take place on the for-profit side of the tax code.

A serious career… let’s talk about that, because that’s why many of us are here. For years the sales pitch to bring students into the non-profit field has been some version of: “Contribute to your community!”  Of course I don’t want to knock that; ‘doing good’ remains the paramount appeal of working in this sector. But it isn’t the full picture anymore.  For the first time ever, career paths like investment banking and corporate law are losing candidates to the not-for-profit sector. The realization that one can have a challenging non-profit job, complete with a competitive salary, is drawing students who seek both a serious career and the opportunity to improve their communities.

The captains of the industry, the foundation presidents and the non-profit executive directors, now command impressive salaries. The compensation of the President of the Lilly Endowment, Thomas M. Lofton, broke $800,000 in 2004. Mr. Lofton isn’t alone; according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, directors of private foundations earned a median salary of over $400,000 in 2003. The fundraisers who are entering the sector now will be competing for seven figure salaries when they reach the top jobs at the numerous multi-billion dollar, international non-profits. Serious organizations, serious careers.

There have been consistent dramatic increases in the amount of money raised each year in this country. However, because of expanding budgets and an increasing number of not-for-profits, there is more of a need than ever for the services we provide, both in grant-making and fundraising. Government grants are decreasing across the board, and the number of non-profits competing for the same dollars has exploded. As foundation budgets are stretched to extremes, the competition for each dollar intensifies.

In order to be successful as fundraisers, we need to create a standard of excellence for field professionals to aspire to. In years past fundraisers have often stumbled into the industry. In 2006, however, college students are planning ahead for fundraising careers. The number of colleges that offer non-profit-related courses to undergraduates exploded in the past decade. Indiana University has a dedicated school for philanthropy. Boston College, New York University, and many others are now launching their own programs to meet demand. College students and recent college graduates, exposed to the sector for the first time, are going to become professional fundraisers in record numbers.

This will undoubtedly enhance the quality of work in our industry, but it will also provide an environment in which organizations will compete for the best trained and best connected fundraisers. As you grow in your careers, the FLiP community will provide the professional development, networking, and training resources you’ll require to succeed as the industry expands and the competition increases.

The FLiP editors look forward to the day the Thomas Loftons of the future take over. In a few short years many of us will be contending for the top titles—and only the lifelong, networked fundraisers and foundation executives who consistently strive for excellence will thrive. For the Future Leaders of Philanthropy the competition will be fierce, but the process will be fun.

We look forward to joining you for the ride.

Technorati Tags: philanthropy, volunteers, nonprofits, future leaders in philanthropy

Whether you’re interested in grant-making or fundraising; politics, health care, social services, arts, culture, or you just love not-for-profits, our mission is to help you connect with your colleagues, learn basic fundraising and grant-making techniques, keep up-to-date with the latest industry news, and get inspiration to keep your career on the right track.

American not-for-profit organizations, according to the latest information, spend nearly $800 billion annually. They also control $419 billion in assets. To put that in perspective, the 2005 GDP of Pakistan is $70 billion less than the assets of not-for-profits in the US. Philanthropy is not a dark corner of the US economy; a serious career does not have to take place on the for-profit side of the tax code.

A serious career… let’s talk about that, because that’s why many of us are here. For years the sales pitch to bring students into the non-profit field has been some version of: “Contribute to your community!”  Of course I don’t want to knock that; ‘doing good’ remains the paramount appeal of working in this sector. But it isn’t the full picture anymore.  For the first time ever, career paths like investment banking and corporate law are losing candidates to the not-for-profit sector. The realization that one can have a challenging non-profit job, complete with a competitive salary, is drawing students who seek both a serious career and the opportunity to improve their communities.

The captains of the industry, the foundation presidents and the non-profit executive directors, now command impressive salaries. The compensation of the President of the Lilly Endowment, Thomas M. Lofton, broke $800,000 in 2004. Mr. Lofton isn’t alone; according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, directors of private foundations earned a median salary of over $400,000 in 2003. The fundraisers who are entering the sector now will be competing for seven figure salaries when they reach the top jobs at the numerous multi-billion dollar, international non-profits. Serious organizations, serious careers.

There have been consistent dramatic increases in the amount of money raised each year in this country. However, because of expanding budgets and an increasing number of not-for-profits, there is more of a need than ever for the services we provide, both in grant-making and fundraising. Government grants are decreasing across the board, and the number of non-profits competing for the same dollars has exploded. As foundation budgets are stretched to extremes, the competition for each dollar intensifies.

In order to be successful as fundraisers, we need to create a standard of excellence for field professionals to aspire to. In years past fundraisers have often stumbled into the industry. In 2006, however, college students are planning ahead for fundraising careers. The number of colleges that offer non-profit-related courses to undergraduates exploded in the past decade. Indiana University has a dedicated school for philanthropy. Boston College, New York University, and many others are now launching their own programs to meet demand. College students and recent college graduates, exposed to the sector for the first time, are going to become professional fundraisers in record numbers.

This will undoubtedly enhance the quality of work in our industry, but it will also provide an environment in which organizations will compete for the best trained and best connected fundraisers. As you grow in your careers, the FLiP community will provide the professional development, networking, and training resources you’ll require to succeed as the industry expands and the competition increases.

The FLiP editors look forward to the day the Thomas Loftons of the future take over. In a few short years many of us will be contending for the top titles—and only the lifelong, networked fundraisers and foundation executives who consistently strive for excellence will thrive. For the Future Leaders of Philanthropy the competition will be fierce, but the process will be fun.

We look forward to joining you for the ride.

Comments

[Elaine Fogel]

Congratulations on this launch! I haven't written for OnPhilanthropy in a while, but I do keep up with your communications.

Welcome to Web 2.0.