Getting a Good Start at a Non-Profit

Last Monday I started my position as Development Director at a catholic school in Manhattan. My first week has been absolutely amazing. My focus this summer will be on advertising and recruitment for the school so I have been thinking of creative ways to do to outreach. The great thing is that since I work at a school, the hours are shorter during the summer and the work load is lighter, so I have had the opportunity to get adjusted at a comfortable pace.

To make the first week productive and exciting I made sure to do a few things that would allow me to become as involved as possible in my non profit organization: 

1. Get to know the neighborhood: What stores, organizations, and resources are nearby? If you work in a nonprofit like I do, you know the critical value of partnerships and coalitions in an effort to not only save money but also increase access to resources. Build community by getting to know the community.

2. The key people aren’t just the managers: In all of the discussions about turn over in the nonprofit world, rarely is it highlighted how maintenance and administrative staff members tend to stick around for long periods of time. They will be the ones to give you insight on where to go and who to talk to if you need something.

3. The secretary runs the building: You know this as soon as you walk in or talk to your immediate supervisor. Any time you have a question, the secretary will be the one to answer it as they have access to everything and, as mentioned before, they tend have been around longer than the managers so can be more helpful in getting you adjusted to the organization and the neighborhood.

4. Learn someone else’s job: One of the benefits of working at a small non profit is that I have access to everyone. Last year at my old job, I walked over to the development office to introduce myself and asked people what their responsibilities were (since I had no clue what “development” meant). Their descriptions intrigued me so I learned more about the field, pushing me deeper into non profit work and the various opportunities available. I would have never learned this had I sat at my desk in my department. Now I work with the principal and am always asking her questions about her responsibilities and what her days are like.

5. Come with questions: One thing I have learned in the past year is that we cant always expect for there to be work for us to do. Our supervisors, while expecting us on a particular day may be so consumed with their won work that they forget to give us some introductory tasks to get us used to the organization. So come with questions that will help guide you in planning your work week, aside from getting to know people and the area. A good one is “What are some pressing needs that I can address?” Asking questions that assess the needs of an organization allow you brainstorm better solutions.