MBA or MPA: Shana Katz Ross

Please enjoy the second in our "MBA vs. MPA" series - started last week. Why did you get your MBA or MPA? Thanks again to Nina Sharma West for seeking out candidates and conducting these interviews.

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Why did you choose to pursue a graduate degree?

Shana Katz Ross (SKR): The quick answer is that I needed to – both because I needed the credentials to make me stand out in the job market and because I needed the skills to move forward in my career.  A graduate degree was worth 15 years of working my way through the ranks. 

The slightly longer, personal answer is that I had come to realize that I liked my job, fundraising, but wanted to have a larger personal impact in the world by rising to a leadership position, quickly.  That said, I knew that I needed some more formal training to be able to make my next steps – I could see problems that I wanted to solve, things that I knew could be improved, but I needed to learn how to fix them.  Also, I wanted to go back to school.  I was working for a university, where the proximity to various programs of great learning was tantalizing.  It dangled graduate education in front of me…and an immediately useful degree like an MBA was the only choice for me.

FLiP: Why did you choose the program you ultimately attended?  Describe it for us.

SKR: I selected Yale SOM because while it was an MBA program, I felt that it put a huge emphasis on a well-rounded approach to business and strategy, combining academic and practical curricula.  That’s even more true now that they have overhauled their program.  There are some business schools out there that are more like vocational schools than graduate schools…at Yale, you read academic economics articles and the WSJ.  It’s taken for granted that you need to know why something works instead of just how to make it work.  And rather than teaching business subjects as unrelated (marketing as independent from competitive strategy as independent from finance), they ask that students consider all aspects as interconnected, from the beginning of your program.

When I was looking at schools, I narrowed my search down to a handful of schools where I could get the education I wanted.  Then, the campus visits told me everything.  At one school, I got lost on my way to the admissions office, and when I asked a passing student for directions, I got a withering look, and she said “Oh, I’m not going that way,” before turning on her heel and walking off.  At Yale, the promises that students studying nonprofit management were not seen as second class citizens to those on a more standard MBA track were clearly true, mostly because the majority of the student body is interested in philanthropy in some way – if not as employees in the sector, then as future donors!  PONPO, the program on nonprofit organizations, run by Sharon Oster, was also a huge draw, as was the ability to take classes around the University.

High-Engagement Funders by Irene Park & Shikha Dalal

The 2008 Cohort of the Student Social Venture Fund at NYU’s Stern School of Business recently hosted a panel discussion and networking session entitled, “Full Contact Funding: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of High-Engagement Funding Relationships.”  The discussion revolved around the positive and negative aspects of high-engagement relationships from both the funder and grantee perspective, and the strategy and evaluation processes that transpire when funders decide to finance these projects as capacity building initiatives.  To begin, let us take a deeper look at the current definition of high-engagement funders.

According to a 2004 report developed by Venture Philanthropy Partners and Community Wealth Ventures entitled “High-Engagement Philanthropy: A Bridge to a More Effective Social Sector,” the characteristics of ‘high-engagement philanthropy’ are defined as specific ways in which funders (investors) are directly or personally involved with their grantees (investment partners) beyond just providing financial support.  In addition to funding, a typical high-engagement funding relationship provides capacity building support by offering technical assistance, such as strategic planning, leadership development, external relationship facilitation, and programmatic development. 

Ultimately, funders are very selective, investing a great deal of time in understanding the inner affairs of each nonprofit to see if there is an alignment of core mission and values, and to ensure grantees have the capacity to utilize its financial assistance.  Nonprofits see a clear benefit with this type of partnership, i.e. resources and support to strengthen the infrastructure of the organization, which plays a large role in the successful program development and implementation of the funding they received.

The panelists included members from the nonprofit and foundation worlds; however, there was no representation from the for-profit sector.  As consultants who work with corporate funders who strive to be as engaged as possible, we questioned why companies were not included in the discussion let alone considered high-engagement funders. 

Getting Ready for Glamour by Rachel Doyle

                                
Editor’s Note: It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Glamour in the City time!  Our friend Rachel Doyle, President and Founder of hot nonprofit GlamourGals, is hard at work putting the finishing touches on her biggest fundraiser of the year.  After I initially thought to ask Rachel a few questions to guide my post, I thought better of it.  Who better to get us into the mindset of the event-planning, goal-reaching crunch than the President herself?  Without further ado, Rachel tells all – the gritty and the glamorous!

It is Wednesday, April 30th 11:48pm EST, and I’ve just finished up a two hour-long conference call with my advisory board.  It is a week before our biggest fundraiser of the year—Glamour in the City.  Needless to say, we’ve put together quite the to-do list! 

Glamour in the City is a fundraising and awareness evening for GlamourGals.  This year the event will be held at Loft 11, where chic philanthropists and inspired entrepreneurs will sip on premium cocktails accompanied by Rockstar or Pom Wonderful mixers, taste a decadent table of treats from Sweet Street Desserts, listen to the live jazz sounds of elizabeth (just last week she played five nights at Jazz @ Lincoln Center!), try their luck at raffles for spa gift certificates, Neissing rings or an urban getaway at the Loews Regency Hotel, peruse program scrapbooks, and view photos of inspiring women—and this is just the cocktail hour!  The cocktails will be followed by the GLAMMYS!, our awards presentation hosted by Tracy Smith, CBS News with special guest Susan Schulz, Editor-in-Chief of CosmoGIRL! Magazine.

As I mentioned, we have quite the to-do list (i.e. finding a place to store all 20 cases of those amazing treats in NYC before the event!). But the to-do list started with a plan, and now that it is in its fourth year, I thought that I would share some insight into planning the larger than life soiree, Glamour in the City.

MBA or MPA: Nina Sharma West

About a year ago I told my friend and former co-worker (from Carnegie Hall), Nina Sharma West, that I was thinking about going back to school, part-time. I couldn't (and, to be honest, still can't) decide what degree might be most useful for my career. For me (and for many of you, I imagine), it comes down to MBA vs. MPA. Which is better?

So, Nina got right on it and interviewed five of her friends, some in grad-programs, others recently out of school. So, she sent me the interviews, and I couldn't get FLiP's act together for over a year to publish them. However, with our recent partnership with Academic Impressions, and our impending trip to the University of Michigan, it seemed like the right time to finally acknowledge Nina's hard work. So, Nina, at long last FLiP is going to start publishing these interviews, one at a time, over the next two weeks. Without further ado, the first interview, with Nina!

Future Leaders in Philanthropy (FLiP): Why did you choose to pursue a graduate degree?

Nina Sharma West (NSW): I felt that after having been in the fundraising world for roughly six years, I was well on my way to a career path that had chosen me – not the other way around.  I wound up in fundraising because I needed a job.  I knew I was interested in the nonprofit sector, but at age 22, was willing to take the best thing that came my way, and that was a position in individual giving at the New York Public Library – a great start!  I continued on to positions at Carnegie Hall, Yale, and the Ad Council.  While at the Ad Council, I started asking around about graduate degrees – my boss was a guest lecturer for Columbia’s Masters in Fundraising program, and some other colleagues were students at Wagner and Stern at NYU.   

FLiP: Why did you choose the program you ultimately selected? 

NSW: I knew that I needed a part-time program.  I was very interested in Columbia’s SIPA program, but they don’t allow part-timers.  I also toyed with Columbia’s Master in Fundraising, but thought it was too much of a niche; I’d already been in fundraising for six years, and thought it would be too much time and money spent on the basics.  I ultimately chose the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU because it was a part-time program, because it was NYU, and because I had friends who had gone and enjoyed their experience.  I liked that there were options of taking policy, management, and finance courses, so I thought I could get a great smattering of everything they offered – even just through the core courses.  Also, I liked that it was at NYU – I’d gone to a small liberal arts college in a rural setting for undergrad, and I loved that the setting was basically the complete opposite of my current impressions of higher learning institutions.   

FLiP: Did you consider choosing an MBA instead?

NSW: I considered pursuing an MBA for a while, mostly earlier on when I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do… I thought that an MBA would give me more of an edge – it is perceived as a tougher, more rigorous degree, and I know that many people in the nonprofit world don’t pursue MBAs, so I thought it would help me stand out. 

FLiP: Why did you not ultimately choose an MBA?

NSW: I ultimately chose to pursue an MPA instead of an MBA for a silly reason – I am not a strong standardized test taker, and I was afraid of taking the GMAT!  More than that however, I wasn’t sure that I wanted the finance-heavy graduate education that comes with an MBA.  I knew that I wanted to continue in the nonprofit world – or at least work with it in some capacity.  I thought that pursuing an MPA instead of an MBA would allow me to really pick my own courses and wind up with an education that I had designed, rather than one that was chosen for me.  I also associate MBA programs with a competitive, cutthroat environment, where everyone is vying for the best summer intern spot – I didn’t really want to be part of that culture.   

FLiP: How do you think your program will help your future career prospects?

NSW: I think that pursing an MPA at Wagner will very much help in my future career prospects – I’ve chosen to specialize in international relations – a combination of finance, policy, and management for international organizations.  I’ve currently only had experience working in cultural or social organizations that are based in and focused on America – and I think that my exposure to other organizations, professors, lecturers, etc. through this program at Wagner will open doors for me that I otherwise would have struggled to get through.  Additionally, it will give me a great background of understanding when it comes to international politics, American foreign policy, and international finance when it comes to governing an international organization – I have never been a very politically-minded person, but Wagner makes me think about things differently, and that alone opens doors.

FLiP: What standardized test did you have to take for your program, if any?

NSW: None.

FLiP: Did you attend part-time or full-time?

NSW: I attend part-time

FLiP: How many schools/programs did you apply to?

FLiP Speed Networking: Wrap

A few months ago, the Senior FLiPs and I invited 10 readers to the Changing Our World headquarters in New York for a brief focus group. The biggest lesson we learned from the group was that people like the ideas behind FLiP, but want a better chance to network. Our giant happy hour events allow them to meet a few people... but in a room of 150 professional contacts, most people were lucky to leave with 5 business cards.

So, we responded. Last night we ran our first ever FLiP Speed Networking event! It was the first time FLiP ever charged for anything (tickets were $20/each). We were pretty nervous, wondering if people really would be into it. From my perspective, it went perfectly! Everyone met *at least* 13 new professional contacts, and I hope to hear about many lunch/coffee follow ups that come out of the event.

Most importantly, when asked "would  you attend another speed networking event?", nearly every single person said yes.

Thanks to everyone who attended. To those who couldn't make it or would like to see what it's about, we will definitely do this again soon. If you want to find out when and where, keep your eyes on this site, or shoot me an email: wschneider@changingourworld.com. 

Investing in Emerging Leaders

Leadership is the hot topic of the moment in our sector; you’ve seen plenty about it right here, in fact.  Your FLiP editors participated in a roundtable discussion about it.  Our friend Elizabeth Miller wrote about it.  And now I’m going to brief you on a neat event on the subject, held Monday at TheTimesCenter here in New York.  Co-sponsored by NYRAG, The New York Times, and the Support Center for Nonprofit Management, and sponsored by American Express, the two “Investing in Emerging Leaders” panels brought together a true cross-section of thinkers in this area.

The list of speakers will get the point across: Rich Berlin, Executive Director, Harlem RBI; David Birdsell, Dean of School of Public Affairs, Baruch College; Patrick Corvington, Senior Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green; and Timothy McClimon, President, American Express Foundation.

Imagine a direct service nonprofit ED, an academic, a private foundation researcher, a social entrepreneurship guru, and a corporate foundation head all trying to wrap their heads around this big topic, together.  It made for fascinating conversation.  Some highlights:

• Said Patrick Corvington, the Annie E. Casey researcher: the Foundation’s recent “Ready to Lead” report, based on interviews with 6,000 emerging leaders, shows they are a diverse lot – differing in how they come in to the sector, the lifestyles they want, what will keep them in the sector, and what the barriers are.  75% of them love their work in the sector, and are willing to sacrifice something in compensation and lifestyle – but not everything.  “We don’t talk enough about how we treat talent in the sector,” he explained.  That “combination of finance and treatment can be fatal.”

• A challenge his team identified is that a lot of young people are trained as specialists – in marketing, development, programs, etc. – and are thus not given the opportunity to generalize.

• Cheryl Dorsey of Echoing Green, whose organization funds 30 social entrepreneurs each year (she received 1,500 applications from 83 countries last year!) notes that emerging leaders show a tremendous sense of agency – they want to solve problems, not ameliorate them; they maintain truly global perspectives; and they hold very few orthodoxies.    

So how do we get these emerging leaders to stay and become emerged leaders?  Speakers agreed on a few ideas:

• Put more resources toward this area.
• Invest in staff training, professional development, networking, and mentoring.
• Take the issue more seriously.
• Engage in university-based solutions.
• Do more to include corporate leaders.
• Get young people on boards.
• Create organizational cultures where young people don’t feel powerless to or guilty about asking for professional development.
• Teach young people that the answer is not necessarily to leave and start your own organization; there are 1.4 million nonprofits in the US, making many wrought with inefficiencies.  Explained Dorsey, “you can be an intrapreneur instead of an entrepreneur.”

Scattered, messy, challenging…it was everything a preliminary, high-level conversation about an enormous subject should be.  Turning talk into actions?  That’s largely up to you, FLiPs!  What’s your idea to close the leadership gap?  Tell us, and maybe we’ll publish it here!

FLiP partners with the University of Michigan

I feel like lately I’ve been doing nothing but announcing new partnerships. Well, I can’t really help it if everyone loves us. I can apologize, but I wouldn’t mean it. We’re awesome.

Here’s the latest: The University of Michigan! Michigan has developed an innovative program to expose undergraduates to the profession of fundraising, and the impact of philanthropy. I love the concept behind this program, and I’m sure the model will be exported to and implemented at other major universities soon. The Development Office and the University have united to provide a group of students with a substantive summer internship, and educational courses. This program also hopes to create a culture of philanthropy on campus.

Dubbed D-SIP (Development Summer Internship Program), the Development Office has opened 21 slots for interns this summer, the largest this program has ever been. The interns will participate in an orientation, complete a significant project for the development office, and take 3 credits of course work through the School of Education.

This program, which is donor supported, is broad enough to provide skills that translate to most nonprofits, but it is designed to focus specifically on building a talent pool for higher ed development. There will be much more about D-SIP in the coming months, but if you have any questions about the program, contact Kat Walsh at katwalsh@umich.edu.

So what role will FLiP play? Well, we’re kicking the whole thing off. This May Anastasia Hagan and I will leave New York City and head to Ann Arbor (Go Blue!) to throw a party for the entering interns. Anastasia and I will talk about what being “a future leader in philanthropy” is all about, and answer some questions about our jobs and career paths.

Then, at some point soon, Michigan will come to New York! Stay tuned for many more details about an event in New York City co-sponsored by FLiP and Michigan.

What else can you expect from this partnership? Frequent posts! Michigan will be providing posts from their development staff, from interns, and from executives. Are you excited? Can I get a Go BLUE?

A FLiP First: Speed-Networking – Wednesday, April 23rd at Black Sheep

One of the hallmarks of FLiP events is great networking. I love seeing the future leaders of the philanthropic sector having animated conversations, exchanging business cards, and setting up lunch meetings. A few months ago, we were hanging out in the FLiP board room when the question came up: How can we make our events even better networking opportunities?

We took some time, got feedback from the FLiP community, and we decided to try something new:  Speed-Networking! Ever been speed-dating? Same concept, except replace the awkward first-date moment with a fantastic networking opportunity!

Join us on Wednesday, April 23rd, as FLiP experiments with Speed-Networking at Black Sheep (583 Third Avenue – at 38th Street) from 6-8PM.  We’re keeping this pilot event pretty small, so buy your ticket now! Your $20 ticket covers the cost to participate as well as a variety of appetizers.
 

On the second floor of Black Sheep, 32 FLiPs will have 16 mini-meetings, plus some general mingling time.

Are you a rising leader in the philanthropic sector?  If so, buy your ticket today – space is limited!

If you have any questions or have any other event ideas – let me know.  We look forward to seeing you there!

The Lost Interns of Bear Stearns by Will Schneider

The Bear Stearns/JP Morgan Chase debacle might be devastating for the economy, bad for business, and major trouble for thousands of shareholders, but it looks like the whole situation may offer a tiny morsel of good news for a few New York City nonprofits.

The Harvard Crimson (and the lesser known daily The New York Times) report that due to JP Morgan Chase’s impending merger with Bear Stearns, “dozens” of job and internship offers that Bear Stearns had promised college and MBA students have been withdrawn.

I don’t mean to gloss over that part – it’s an awful situation for the students... but is there a bright spot? The interns whose offers have evaporated are still eligible to receive their full 10 weeks of pay. All they have to do is spend the summer working at one of a select list of nonprofits.

I can't find a story that indicates which nonprofits are on this list, but if anyone knows how to be considered - please share because I imagine a few readers would love to sign up. 10 weeks of free MBA work would sound good to any charity I know of.

Most importantly, will any of these interns end up with a career in the non-profit world? Will someone one day say, “I owe my successful and rewarding career to Bear Stearns making terrible investment decisions.”?

If you know (or are) a former Bear Stearns intern who is taking this option, please let us know! Sounds like our next Meet-a-FLiP!

Thanks to Harvard Business School student (and FLiP co-founder) Jessica Stannard-Friel for the heads up on this story.

Summit Video

As promised, but a little late, a video of Susan Raymond's rousing speech at the Summit onPhilanthropy V has been posted on one of our sister blogs, Media onPhilanthropy. You can check it out (and share it with your friends) here: http://flip.onphilanthropy.com/video/2008/04/dr-susan-raymon.html.