Nonprofit Congress

In my 30 years of leading a volunteer-based tutor/mentor program in Chicago I've seen several discouraging trends.

a) only those organizations with the best marketing or with celebrity leaders get consistent attention and funding.

b) media and public leaders don't talk about a problem, or a solution, every day, the way advertisers talk about their products every day and in many ways

c) when negative news, like a shooting, or the school report card, or a school closing, is reported, the media only focus on a few places where the news occurred, rather than all of the places in the city where similar bad news happens every week

d) when media do write about a social benefit response, they tend to only focus on a few brand name solutions, or a few high profile neighborhoods

We need to change this if we're to support the growth of non profits doing good work in all of the areas where such work is needed.

One strategy to support this change of thinking is to use demographic maps of a community to show all of the places where there are poorly performing schools, or where there is high poverty. Every time media or public leaders talk about a problem, and point to a single neighborhood, people who comment on the news can use blogs and other media to show how that problem is in multiple places.

As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration, OMB Watch is seeking nominations of individuals from across the country who are making extraordinary contributions to the causes OMB Watch cares about, especially unsung heroes and leaders who have largely gone unrecognized for their achievements in the field. You can help identify nominees in two categories. 1) Public Interest Rising Star Award (nominees should be people under 40 years of age), and 2) Public Interest Hall of Fame (nominees can be of any age and should be defined by their "above and beyond" service and contribution to the sector). 

Know someone worthy of this recognition? Read the full criteria and print a PDF nomination form on the Public Interest Awards website before April 23. The awards will be presented on September 17 in Washington, DC.

From the Chronicle of Philanthropy:

The Internal Revenue Service is looking for eight volunteers to fill vacancies on an advisory committee that focuses on matters affecting nonprofit groups.

The committee - called the Advisory Committee on Tax Exempt and Government Entities - offers recommendations and reactions on administrative policy.

It has two vacancies for people who have expertise in tax-exempt organizations, one vacancy for a specialist in tax-exempt bonds, one vacancy for a specialist in Indian tribal governments, two vacancies for those with knowledge of employee plans, and two vacancies for those who can provide help with federal, state, and local governments.

Members are appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury and serve two-year terms, beginning in June 2008.

Applications can be made by letter or by completing an application form, available on the IRS Web site.

Rosetta Thurman, young nonprofit professional in DC and intrepid blogger, consistently offers insightful, prescient commentary on the state of nonprofit leadership (or the lack thereof). Check out a couple of her recent posts on how nonprofit leadership needs to change, the leaders the sector has been waiting for and the nonprofit leadership gap.

Someone or some organization needs to set up a national mentoring network for the nonprofit sector. Please!!
Finding a mentor in any field is tough but I think has been especially hard in nonprofits because of general longevity of employees and sometimes fear on the part of more seasoned professionals.