Northern California Grantmakers

Our final session for NCG’s 2010 Corporate Philanthropy Institute has just wrapped up. The session, “Managing and Expanding Your Career: Adapting to Changing Priorities and Environments,” featured William Hawkins of The Hawkins Company, Scott Miller of Scott Miller Executive Search and Anthony Tansimore of DHR International.

So, with three recruiters in the room there were plenty of questions lobbied at them. Here are the highlights:

• “Now more than ever before people are reluctant to put their toes in the water. Encouraging news, the water is warm, there’s good swimming and there’s good opportunities out there. Market is tight for untalented, the Market always is loose for exceptionally talented.”
• “It’s time like this when you make a change and move ahead in your career. Always at least have the conversation. Keep and open mind when you do get a call from a recruiter.”

• Have mentors in your company and make sure they’re high enough up to be decision makers and can see across the company to identify areas you may want to go into.
• Be flexible.

And here’s a bit of the Q&A session:

What are the skills people are looking for around philanthropic giving?

• Strategic understanding of corporation’s need for giving. Corp are looking for people who understand the business and understand that philanthropy needs to support the bottom line.

How do you get on a recruiter’s radar screen?

1. Contact a recruiter directly. Start a relationship that later down the road will lead to a new opportunity.
2. Find the recruiters in your area that specialize in your area. There are very few West coast firms.
3. Work your own internal network. Become a part of professional organizations.
4. Network with your colleagues and build up your visibility and become engaged.

How do you take your brand with you across the country?

1. Network with your colleagues and friends, cast your net far and wide to let them know you’re moving.
2. Start with where you want to land. Identify the specific places you want to work. When I have a destination then I’m looking for people in my network that may be in that organization or know someone in that organization.

Ending advice:

• Develop a diverse background of experiences to draw upon. Doing so makes you more valuable.
• Chronological resumes, not functionable.
• Be bold.
• Key skill set: problem solving and risk taking.

NCG member the Ford Foundation announced this week “a five-year, $80 million effort to ensure Americans get the support they need to stabilize family incomes, cope with unemployment, and keep the jobs they have.”

Ford’s initiative will focus on two related areas:

• Strengthening programs and policies that improve job quality for U.S. workers, especially low-wage employees
• Helping states modernize the delivery of existing public programs to ensure working Americans are able to meet basic needs when their wages are too low to support a family

Read the full press release online.

Read The New York Times article on Ford’s initiative online.

NCG Member East Bay Community Foundation is partnering with six socially responsible corporations to “provide emergency economic relief in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties.”

“During the past 12 months, the Foundation and these participants have donated a total of $6.7 million to non-profit organizations providing food, shelter, employment-related services, health services and other support to individuals and families affected by the recession. The Foundation and the corporations are expected to provide an additional $5.2 million in aid during the coming months and in 2010.”

Read the full press release online.

Read the Philanthropy News Digest article on the initiative online.