Professionals for Nonprofits has just released their 2009 data on nonprofit salaries for three metropolitan areas: New York, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.  While many of the jobs in the surveys command a competitive salary on average, it’s obvious that not all locales pay their nonprofit staff at New York levels. In fact, it’s pretty much an accepted truth that most nonprofit professionals (of all ages) don’t make very much money.

Is that true for you? If so, what kind of salary would you be happier with? Would you be happier with your salary if you had more benefits? Which ones?

I want to know where all of you dear readers stand on this. Let’s talk.

Photo credit: Call Centre Helper

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NFG Announces
Melissa Johnson as New Executive Director
The Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Funders Group is delighted to announce that
Melissa Johnson will assume the role of Executive Director effective April 5, 2010. Ms.
Johnson succeeds Bettye Brentley, who served with the organization for eight years.
Johnson brings to NFG extensive knowledge of the philanthropic sector, having served as
Field Director for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), since
2007. While at NCRP, she had primary responsibility for membership development,
building a robust presence in the field, and educating foundations on the organization’s
research, policy, and publications.
As the new Executive Director, Melissa Johnson will effectively guide NFG’s mission to
strengthen the field of philanthropy and provide the organization’s membership with the
networking and knowledge needed to be more effective grant makers.

Melissa Johnson

In 2008, I did an interview with my fellow young nonprofit leader Melissa Johnson where I asked her if she wanted to be an Executive Director when she grew up. Her answer was a resounding “NO.” Well, well, well, it just goes to show that you never know where your nonprofit career will take you! Melissa is not only an amazing young leader, but a dynamic and thoughtful sister who I greatly admire and look up to. Please join me in congratulating her in her new role at the Neighborhood Funders Group!

NFG Announces Melissa Johnson as New Executive Director

The Board of Directors of the Neighborhood Funders Group is delighted to announce that Melissa Johnson will assume the role of Executive Director effective April 5, 2010. Ms. Johnson succeeds Bettye Brentley, who served with the organization for eight years. Johnson brings to NFG extensive knowledge of the philanthropic sector, having served as Field Director for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), since 2007. While at NCRP, she had primary responsibility for membership development, building a robust presence in the field, and educating foundations on the organization’s research, policy, and publications. As the new Executive Director, Melissa Johnson will effectively guide NFG’s mission to strengthen the field of philanthropy and provide the organization’s membership with the networking and knowledge needed to be more effective grant makers.

About the Neighborhood Funders Group

The Neighborhood Funders Group is a membership association of grantmaking institutions.  Our mission is to strengthen the capacity of organized philanthropy to understand and support community-based efforts to organize and improve the economic and social fabric of low-income urban neighborhoods and rural communities.  We provide information, learning opportunities, and other professional development activities to our national membership, and encourage the support of policies and practices that advance economic and social justice.

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Introducing Young Nonprofit Professionals Chat on Twitter!
This Wednesday from 12-1pm EST on twitter join me and Allison Jones from Entry Level Living as we host the first ever live discussion for young nonprofit professionals!  We both get asked similar questions from our peers about how to land a great nonprofit job and how young people can advance their nonprofit careers. So, we’re kicking off the series  with a hot topic that we both covered on our blogs recently: how can young nonprofit leaders build their personal brands to enhance their careers?
Other nonprofit leaders, like Hildy Gottlieb, have used this format successfully to build a community online where people openly exchange ideas and advice so we’re excited to try this out with fellow young nonprofiteers.  We hope you’ll join us and don’t forget to use the hashtag #ynpchat for our discussion!
What: Twitter Chat for Young Nonprofit Professionals
Your Hosts: Rosetta Thurman @rosettathurman and Allison Jones @ajlovesya
Topic: Personal Branding and Professional Advancement–How can young nonprofit leaders build their personal brands to enhance their careers?
When: Wednesday, March 10, 12pm-1pm EST
How: Search #ynpchat on Twitter, Tweetdeck, Hootsuite or your favorite Twitter clien

This Wednesday, March 10 from 12-1pm EST, join me and Allison Jones from Entry Level Living on Twitter as we host the first ever live Twitter chat for young nonprofit professionals! We both get asked similar questions from our peers about how to land a great nonprofit job and how young people can advance their nonprofit careers. So, we’re kicking off the series with a hot topic that we both covered on our blogs recently: how can young nonprofit leaders build their personal brands to enhance their careers?

Other nonprofit leaders, like Hildy Gottlieb, have used this format successfully to build a community online where people openly exchange ideas and advice so we’re excited to try this out with fellow young nonprofiteers.  We hope you’ll join us and don’t forget to use the hashtag #ynpchat for our discussion!

What: Twitter Chat for Young Nonprofit Professionals

Your Hosts: Rosetta Thurman @rosettathurman and Allison Jones @ajlovesya

Topic: Personal Branding and Professional Advancement – How can young nonprofit leaders build their personal brands to enhance their careers?

When: Wednesday, March 10, 12pm-1pm EST

How: Search #ynpchat on Twitter, Tweetdeck, Hootsuite or your favorite Twitter client

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The Normative Problem with the Term ‘Next Generation’ Leaders

March 5, 2010

Earlier this year, I profiled four “now generation” leaders to watch because they are, and will be, doing amazing things for social change in the next year.  But the main reason I wanted to coin the term ‘now generation’ is because I think the ‘next generation’ moniker gives young people (and everyone else) the sense that [...]

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Open Thread Thursday 3.4.10

March 4, 2010

The doors of the blog are open.
What is an open thread? An open thread refers to a blog post where readers may comment and discuss any topic that they choose.
So, what do you guys wanna talk about? What’s challenging or exciting about your work right now? What are the burning questions you want to ask each [...]

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Do One Thing

March 3, 2010

Tomorrow is not promised to any one of us, no matter how much we try to trick ourselves into believing that it is. We carry that calendar, cell phone and laptop as a crutch to ensure that we’re so busy there has to be a tomorrow so we can finish up that project, send that [...]

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Alston Bannerman Fellowship Program Offers Sabbaticals for Long-Time Activists of Color

March 2, 2010

From the Foundation Center:
Part of the Center for Social Inclusion, the Alston Bannerman Fellowship Program supports long-time activists of color by giving them the resources to take time out for reflection and renewal.
Fellows receive a $25,000 award to take sabbaticals of three months or more.
To be eligible, an applicant must be a person of color, have [...]

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28 Days of Black Nonprofit Leaders: The Full Roundup

March 1, 2010

I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed learning about, and being inspired by, the 28 Black nonprofit leaders I chose to profile during Black History Month. I hope you will continue to read and share them with your colleagues. It was truly a labor of love for me to spotlight dozens of nonprofit leaders who [...]

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28 Days of Black Nonprofit Leaders: Michael Watson

February 28, 2010

Michael Watson is Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Girl Scouts of the USA.
From the Girl Scouts website:
“We cannot remain competitive as a nation or solve the country’s most challenging problems without tapping the full potential of girls and young women from every segment of our society. I joined Girl Scouts because we embrace diversity and help [...]

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28 Days of Black Nonprofit Leaders: Thelma Golden

February 27, 2010

Thelma Golden is the Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem.
From The Black List Project:
As a young child growing up in Queens, New York, Thelma Golden knew early in life she wanted to be a museum curator. She first learned of the role at age 12 when she read about the pioneering [...]

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