Challenges for Young People by Elizabeth Miller

Editor’s Note: FLiP is pleased to bring you another post from our friend Elizabeth Miller, Senior Program Associate at the Overbrook Foundation.  You may contact the author at emiller@overbrook.org.

Someone recently asked me what the primary challenges are that prevent young people from working in the field of philanthropy. That query echoed questions that I’ve had from my peers about why one would want to pursue a career where “you don’t make a lot of money” and where it’s unclear what skills you bring to the position and besides “what do you do all day?”. These kinds of comments get me thinking about how best to address these kinds of concerns so that we can encourage more young people to be excited to join the foundation and nonprofit world.

One of the primary problems is that foundations and nonprofit organizations are not very well understood by young, would-be professionals. Likewise, the organizations themselves are not very good at educating college students about the field nor are colleges. This invariably leads to a field that can be esoteric. Unfortunately, this deflects interest not only from young people, but from other seasoned professionals who don’t understand the nonprofit field. However, for young people this lack of understanding is more severe because they don’t often understand how their skills can contribute to the sector and although young people are often filled with a sense that they want to “do good” or “give back” they aren’t clear about how nonprofits can provide the opportunity toward achieving that larger goal.

Second, some of the concerns of would-be staff are legitimate; it is true that entry-level jobs in the nonprofit world aren’t high-paying ones and unfortunately this limits the kinds of people who can work in them, especially in the expensive cities such as New York, Washington, DC and Boston, where the jobs are typically based. The nonprofit community is a networked one which can make it difficult for outsiders to break into. For example, unless someone has a specific desire to work in education, they might not know about programs like City Year, or Teach for America, although these organizations are beginning to have high-profiles within certain spheres. And while such organizations know that their success depends on reaching out to involve others, there needs to be more outreach beyond those traditionally engaged in the nonprofit world, particularly to minorities.

Another challenge is a lack of industry-specific training, which often leaves young people without necessary skills to contribute. This is sort of a chicken and an egg situation. Often young people can’t get hired because they don’t have skills that are sought, but they can’t get the skills without work experience. And how can they be expected to pursue graduate school coursework unless they’ve had relevant experience that reinforces their ideals of what to study?! Although there are now graduate degrees in nonprofit management and in fundraising for example, there are few, if any, undergraduate college curricula devoted to training people to serve in nonprofit communities. As young people become interested in the work of nonprofits, or as they become more specialized within the field, there needs to be more professionally-focused training that increases their skill sets.

Despite these challenges, it’s important that the foundation and nonprofit sector work actively to address these barriers because the potential for young people to make a change and learn from the sector is enormous. Likewise, a young person’s enthusiasm and willingness may make the difference for a small not-for-profit that is trying to raise funds or to come up with new and innovative programs. Having young people involved in the nonprofit sector is a win-win for both the organizations and the young professionals.

Professional associations of foundations or associations of nonprofits are key in advancing working in nonprofits as a career. Each of these types of associations provides training opportunities for new leaders in the field. For example the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers offers programs intended for those who are newer in the field. These programs often cover topics such as understanding financial statements of nonprofits or how to come to a consensus on grant proposals. Likewise, the Young Nonprofit Professional Association which was started over a decade ago and now has local chapters in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Denver each of which aim to “serve as vehicles for early career professionals to disseminate information throughout local nonprofit sectors.” Young people should be encouraged to participate in these kinds of associations as they are often on the front lines of improving knowledge about the sector itself, and the skills needed to succeed within it.

Another important way to strengthen the work of young people in the sector is by building up networks of young people that are actively engaged and can act as stewards for the field. FLiP is a great example, since it’s one of the few organizations that brings together both young grantmaking professionals and those who are working directly for nonprofits, whether around fundraising, grant writing or communications. FLiP provides a unique opportunity for young people to network, to ask questions, and to go beyond their everyday skill sets. This kind of engagement and support for young professionals in the field is of critical importance.

Nonprofit organizations themselves should develop substantial outreach programs, perhaps most effectively through summer internships as a way to reach out to more young people. Establishing fellowships is another way to engage young people just out of college, but it’s up to the nonprofits to actively recruit the next generation of staff. Fellowships and internships would allow the opportunities to be explored at an early stage in one’s college career and perhaps lead to more course work that could be taken to enhance skills for those wishing to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector. 

Over the next several decades an enormous transfer of wealth – some estimate between $10 to $41 trillion – will occur from one generation to the next (this forthcoming transfer is often referred to as the “transgeneration of wealth”). Whatever the exact amount is, the philanthropic sector should examine how well it is preparing its next generation of leaders. The success of foundations and nonprofits will rely on it. It’s imperative that the field professionalize itself and break down the barriers that currently prevent young people from entering it; the success of social change philanthropy is at stake.

Comments

[Tom Welsh]

Thank you for this very thoughtful, comprehensive assessment, as well as for the opportunity to comment.

I have been involved in our sector for 19 years, primarily as a Resource Development Director, in the Northwestern USA, and possess a Master's Degree in Not-For-Profit Leadership. In addition to my paid work (for five successive ED's), I have done a great deal of pro bono work, and thus have enjoyed a fair amount of exposure to the workings of a diverse array of organizations.

I agree that our sector remains largely impervious to younger people, just as the "numbers" don't bode well for attracting a new generation of leaders. Pay equity issues aside, my advice to a younger person keen on pursuing leadership positions in our sector would be to think twice (or three times).

Unless the person could maintain a commitment to being an agent of change in a hide-bound arena - and to suffer the recriminations attendant upon such continuing acts of heresy - I would suggest that they pursue a career in the for-profit world and contribute their leadership talents via Board membership. The values at least seemingly embraced by the emergent generation - collaboration, team approaches, "intra"preneurship, and consilience among them - are rarely found and largely unwelcome in our sector, in my experience. The mantra of the Not-For-Profit leader of today seems to be "But we have always done it this way".

Godspeed to those who have a "need to lead." We need them.

[Victoria]

I think the issues isn't so much the lack of interest in working in the sector, if anything the numbers of young people volunteering and wanting to better society is at an all time high. What the issue is is the lack of opportunities being given to these people. I am a Gen X/Y individual who works in the sector. And what concerns me is that my freinds who like the sector will leave because they are driven out. The newer generations work very differently then previous generations. We also tend to be more educated, and have done volunteer work since we were in junior high. What I find is that the sector is still keeping us in the back room. Many organizations do not understand that by exluding the new generations from being involved, will drive them away. And honestly? There are enough non-profits out there for people walk. So, it is my hope that the new generations are given more opportunities to be involved, respected more, that hierarchical run institutions recognize the outdatedness of their practices and truly embrace the vitality and energy that Gen X and Gen Y employees possess.