One Day, One Job » development

CampInteractive

Willy Franzen — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:55:22 +0000

Last weekend we took a look at Outward Bound and their amazing outdoor programming. Today we’re going to look at an organization with a similar approach, but a much tighter focus. It’s called CampInteractive, and they introduce “the creative power of technology and the inspiration of the outdoors to underprivileged inner-city youth.” They’re based in New York, NY, but they often venture well outside of the city limits. The combination of nature and technology seems like a bit of an odd one, but CampInteractive is making it work. They realize that inner-city youth often lack both technical and leadership skills, so they’ve built programs to address both, albeit in different ways.

Go to Camp

Although CampInteractive may sound like a sleep away camp where you adventure outdoors during the day and type away on a keyboard at night, that’s not really what it is at all. If you read up on their programs, you’ll see that they operate year round with a variety of offerings. The summer program gets the longest description, as it includes a ” journey into environments such as Vermont, New Jersey, South Dakota and Colorado for 5-30 day hiking, camping, rock climbing, and canoeing experiences” followed by “a two-week intensive information technology and digital design program hosted at the CI Tech & Trek Center in the Bronx.” My guess is that leading with the outdoor adventure probably opens the kids up to be much better learners during the tech program. If you’re a nerd who loves the outdoors, then a job with CampInteractive might be a great opportunity. Right now their Jobs page shows that they’re looking for a Development Associate. Take a look at the job description and see if it makes sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about CampInteractive?

Association of Public Health Laboratories

Willy Franzen — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:48:10 +0000

For the most part illness is an individual problem. You get sick, you go to a doctor if it’s serious enough, and it eventually gets better with or without treatment. But sometimes your illness can be a public health issue. If you get something like influenza or food poisoning, there’s a good chance that information about your illness could help lots of other people stay healthy. At times like these “when new health risks emerge or well-known problems re-emerge, it is public health laboratories that analyze the threat and provide the answers needed to mount an effective response.” The Association of Public Health Laboratories is a non-profit organization based in Silver Spring, MD that “works to strengthen laboratories serving the public’s health in the US and globally.” The organization’s membership spans across all kinds of laboratories ranging from the public health labs mentioned in their name to environmental and agricultural labs. Many are government labs, but there are also corporate and non-profit labs included.

Check the Labs

To get a full understanding of what the Association of Public Health Laboratories does, you really need to understand what public health labs do. Luckily, the APHL has put together an About Public Health Labs page. Once you’ve read that, you’ll be better able to make sense of their programs and policy positions. But the best way to get a feel for why the APHL is an organization that you may want to work for is to check out their success stories–they’re the reason that promoting public health labs is so important. If you’d like to help the APHL deliver more success stories, you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a few positions that seem well suited for new and recent grads including Associate Grants Management Specialist, Associate Communications Specialist. There are a few more science-y positions, but they typically require a few years of experience.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about the Association of Public Health Laboratories?

The Nature Conservancy

Willy Franzen — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 14:50:09 +0000

Last night I started watching Planet Earth and ended up staying awake later than I intended. This morning the same channel was on, and I ended up watching documentaries on Yellowstone. There aren’t many things that I find more fascinating than nature, so it’s easy for me to get caught up in these kinds of shows. It’s also why I think the work of The Nature Conservancy is so important. They’re an international non-profit organization based in Arlington, VA that is “the leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people.” The Nature Conservancy was founded in 1951, and since then they have grown their membership to more than 1 million people. The organization’s huge size gives it a ton of power and has enabled it to do some really amazing work.

Nature Over Nurture

Everything that The Nature Conservancy does is rooted in science. They gather facts first, and then they take action on a local and a global scale. That’s why they’ve been able to protect “more than 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide.” What strikes me most about The Nature Conservancy is that they take a “non-confrontational, pragmatic” approach that sets them apart from some other conservation organizations. This may occasionally limit their short-term effectiveness, but it ensures that in the long run The Nature Conservancy will have the respect and legitimacy to continue protecting ecologically important lands and waters. If you want to dig deeper into this topic, you should really check out The Nature Conservancy’s Why We’re An Effective Nonprofit page. There’s a ton more to check out on The Nature Conservancy’s website (like How They Work and Where They Work), but I’ll leave the rest of the research to you. If you like what the organization is all about, check out their Careers page. They have some great opportunities for new or recent grads including (sorry I can’t link to the postings, but it’s a bad applicant tracking system):

Burn Crew Technician (Glyndon, MN or Karlstad, MN or Center, ND or Clear Lake, SD)
Philanthropy Coordinator (San Francisco, CA)
Preserve Management Assistant – Prairie Forest Border Ecoregion (Cushing, MN)
Seasonal Field Representative (Keene Valley, NY)
Human Resources Coordinator (Austin, TX)
Stewardship Field Assistant (Brunswick, ME)
Prairie Recovery Specialist (Watson, MN)
Conservation Coordinator (Anchorage, AK)
Preserve Management / Bison Research Technician (Leola, SD)
Grassland Bird Technician (Minor, ND)
Digital Marketing Programmer Analyst (Arlington, VA)
Stewardship Assistant (Choteau, MT)
Communications Coordinator (Oklahoma City, OK)
Assistant Land Steward (Letts, IA)

If you love nature and want to work at a non-profit, it would be hard to beat a gig with The Nature Conservancy. So take a look at these positions, and see if any are a good fit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about The Nature Conservancy?

Fractured Atlas

Willy Franzen — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:09:09 +0000

No matter what you majored in, it’s tough out there right now (ok, computer science might be an exception), but chances are that there’s some sort of entry level job somewhere that will get you on a career path that you’re happy with. That’s not so for a lot of artists. That’s not to say that there aren’t some amazing job opportunities for Arts majors, but where do you work if you actually want to make a living selling your art? (No, the punchline isn’t Starbucks.) You have to be an entrepreneur, and that’s not easy–especially when you also have to put as much energy as you can into creating. Fractured Atlas is a New York, NY based non-profit organization that facilitates “the creation of art by offering vital support to the artists who produce it.” It’s about providing artists with services, programs, and information that will help them to achieve financial security and enable them to keep creating.

Liberate the Artist

If there is any group of people that doesn’t need liberating, you’d think it’d be artists. Yet, that’s Fractured Atlas’ motto. It’s all about financial liberation. If artists can use Fractured Atlas’ programs and services to run better businesses, then they can be free to keep creating art. What I find interesting about Fractured Atlas is that they take a “non-curatorial” position, which means that they don’t discriminate based on what they think of your art. Their offerings are the same for all artists, and they include: Fiscal Sponsorship, Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Professional Development, Special Offers and Discounts, an Open Ats Network, and Advocacy. This year Fractured Atlas’ membership exceeded 16,000, which is a lot of artists. If you’d like to be part of helping Fractured Atlas’ growing even bigger, take a look at their jobs on Idealist. Right now they’re hiring an External Relations Associate, which looks like a great opportunity for a new or recent grad with some experience in grant writing.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Fractured Atlas?

University of Chicago

Willy Franzen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:51:58 +0000

This is a sponsored post for the University of Chicago.

Even though I’m five years out of college, I still miss it. As much as I know many of you would like to stay (or go back), it’s time to get a job and leave the world of academia. Or is it? I’ve recently heard from a number of readers who have found a way to have their cake and eat it too. Some have landed jobs at their alma maters, while others have gone to work for other colleges and universities. If you think that Chicago would be a cool place to live (it is!), then you have to consider the University of Chicago.

The University of Chicago was founded by John D. Rockefeller, and it first offered classes in 1892. They currently serve 5,134 undegraduate students and 10,492 graduate, professional, and other students with a full-time faculty of 2,188. These three groups along with the more than 150,000 worldwide alumni form “a community of creative, demanding, inspired scholars who debate and collaborate to enrich human life through their work.” If you want more info on what the University of Chicago is all about, check out their About page.

Right now, the University of Chicago’s Alumni Relations & Development Division is working with us to fill 5 positions that they think are well suited for the One Day One Job audience. These positions include:

These are great opportunities to start your career while still staying close to the college atmosphere. Give the positions a look, and see if any of them interest you. If you’re interested in other positions at the University of Chicago, be sure to take a look at their Jobs page.

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:41:20 +0000

For me there’s nothing better than spending time outdoors fishing and being surrounded by wildlife. I think I’m particularly lucky, because I live in a time where I’ve actually seen many of my favorite fishing spots get better over the years. A lot of the conservation work done by organizations like Trout Unlimited and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is paying off. That’s not to say that we’ve eliminated the threats to nature, but it feels like we hit an inflection point some time during my lifetime. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a non-profit organization that was created by Congress in 1984 to direct “public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private funds.” They’re based in Washington, DC, and they’ve “awarded over 11,000 grants to more than 3,800 organizations in the United States, investing a total of $1.8 billion for conservation” over the past 3 decades.

Get Wild

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is all about bringing public and private conservation projects together. They don’t seem to actually do any work on the ground, but they have the money to significantly influence where conservation funding goes. You can get a sense for how the NFWF works by reading up on their Grant Programs, and you can browse their Grants Library to learn more about the specific projects (though this feature is currently giving me a server error). There isn’t all that much else on the NFWF website, though they also have a Impact-Directed Environmental Accounts Program that “receives, manages, and disburses funds that originate from court orders, settlements of legal cases, regulatory permits, licenses, and restoration and mitigation plans.” If you like what NFWF is doing for conservation, then you can get involved by checking out their Careers page. The Digital Media and Web Services Manager could be a fit for a recent grad, and there’s also a Grants Administrator position posted on Idealist that seems like a good fit for a new grad.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite place to experience wildlife?

Museum of Latin American Art

Willy Franzen — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:25:16 +0000

Despite the fact that I come from an extremely artistic family (Dad – architect, Mom – graphic designer, Sister – painter), I know almost nothing about art. So it shouldn’t surprise you that I know even less about Latin American art. But if I did want to start learning about it, I’d probably head to the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, CA. It’s a non-profit organization that “educates the public through the collection, preservation, presentation and interpretation of modern and contemporary Latin American art in order to promote cross-cultural dialogue.” It was founded in 1996, and since then it has doubled in size.

Makes Some Moolah at MOLAA

It’s kind of art to tell you about a museum that I’ver been to that covers a topic that I know nothing about. That’s why you should head over to the MOLAA website and start browsing around. They have a lot of info on their exhibitions online, so you can check out things like The Good, The Bad, The Ugly? and MEX/L.A.: “Mexican” Modernism(s) in Los Angeles, 1930-1985. What I think is cool about the Museum of Latin American Art is that it’s as much about the culture as it is about the art. There’s a more cohesive story behind their collections than you may find at other more generalized museums. So if you’re a big fan of Latin American art, you’ll probably want to take a look at MOLAA’s Jobs page. Right now they have a couple interesting positions including Assistant to Museum Registrar and Membership Manager (a little more experience required). Check them out and see if either interests you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite piece of Latin American art?

Career Transition for Dancers

Willy Franzen — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:04:02 +0000

So far our survey says that you find the job search frustrating. Tell us more so that we can help.

You often hear about professional athletes who go broke within a few years of retirement by frivolously spending away the millions that they earned. But what about the athletes that never even earn millions? They have it way harder. They spend most of their lives developing a career that is tied to their physical capabilities, and when they have to retire 20-30 years before most people, they’re left with a pretty tough outlook. This is true for players of nearly all sports that you can play professionally, but it’s also true for dancers. That’s why the non-profit Career Transition for Dancers exists. They’re based in New York, NY; Chicago, IL; and Los Angeles, CA; and they “are committed to providing the experience, insight and resources dancers need to define their career possibilities and develop rewarding post-performance careers.” Dancers, much like other athletes, still have a ton of value to offer after their bodies stop being able to keep up–Career Transition for Dancers helps them put their skills to work.

A Career Transition for You

Believe it or not, Career Transition for Dancers has been around since 1985. You can read up on the organization’s history here. Since then they’ve working in a number of program areas including career counseling, national and local outreach projects, scholarships and grants, maintaining a gallery, and providing online resources. They “have provided over 51,650 hours of individual and group career counseling, with a dollar value of over $4 million, and awarded over $3 million in educational and entrepreneurial support,” so they’re having a serious impact. If you love dance and want to help dancers take the next step in their careers, then you should check out Jobs at Career Transition for Dancers on Idealist. Right now they only have one position posted, but it’s a perfect fit for a new or recent grad: Gala and Client Outreach Coordinator (New York, NY). Check it out and see if it moves you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Career Transition for Dancers?

American Horticultural Society

Willy Franzen — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:46:11 +0000

I don’t think I realized how much I enjoyed the gardens my parents had in our backyard until I moved to a city and lived in a high-rise. As cool as it is to be 30 stories up and see tiny people going about their business below, I’d much rather be able to open my back door and see blooms, butterflies, bees, and birds. I’ll bet that the people at the non-profit American Horticultural Society would agree with me. The AHS “is one of the oldest national gardening organizations in the country,” and since their founding in 1922 they’ve grown to more than 20,000 members. The AHS is headquartered in Alexandria, VA at a placed called River Farm, which was owned by George Washington. It includes 25 acres of landscaped lawns and gardens, so I’m sure it’s stunning.

Enter the Garden

As the American Horticultural Society has grown, its mission has evolved to blend “education, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship with the art and science of horticulture.” You can browse through some of their programs on the AHS website, and the key thing to remember is that the AHS puts a really strong focus on providing information to its members–mostly because that’s what gardeners want. If you like the idea of working in a place surrounded by gardens, then you’ll want to check out jobs at the AHS. The one entry levelish position they have posted right now is only on Idealist , and it’s a Member Services Associate job. It looks like a great opportunity for a new grad, so check it out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you have a garden?

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Willy Franzen — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 17:59:17 +0000

We’ve been having e-mail deliverability issues over the past couple of days. I’m working with our provider to figure out what’s going on. Hopefully this message will come through without a hitch and make this note irrelevant.

Yesterday we looked at a non-profit that is devoted to a unique sector of performing arts. Today we’re going to look at one that is more traditional. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is based in New York, NY, and they’re the organization that runs “the world’s leading performing arts center.” Lincoln Center is located on 16.3 acres, and it has 11 resident organizations that use their space but are run independently. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts “serves three primary roles: presenter of artistic programming, an international leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus.” They seem to be doing a good job considering that Lincoln Center hosts more than 5 million visitors every year.

Put on a Good Performance

To really get a feel for what the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts does, you need to read up on the other 10 Resident Organizations. Here are the links to each of their websites (each of these organizations has its own job and internship opportunities):

In addition to these organizations, Lincoln Center also is home to quite a few programs. These include American Songbook, White Light Festival, Fashion Lincoln Center, and lots more. There’s a ton of other relevant information about the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on their website, so you should really dive in if you like what they’re all about. Eventually you’ll land on their Jobs page, where you’ll see that they’re hiring a Receptionist, a Grants Writer, a Special Event Sales and Client Services Associate, a Lead Telephone Agent, a Part-time Telephone Agent, and a Part-Time Visitor Services Representative. There are a number of options, so hopefully one of them will be a good fit for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever been to Lincoln Center?

Center for Puppetry Arts

Willy Franzen — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 16:45:18 +0000

I have to admit that it gets a bit monotonous writing about non-profit jobs every weekend. There’s an endless number of organizations to cover, but so many of them are very similar to ones that I’ve already featured. But today I found one that is about as unique a non-profit as I’ve come across in my nearly four years of doing this. It’s the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, GA. They’re exactly what they sound like, an organization that “is the largest American organization solely dedicated to the art of puppet theater.” I’ll admit that I haven’t been to a puppet show in a while, but when I was a little kid I put on a mean one. Puppetry is an interesting art because it can be as simple as a sock on a hand or as complex as Big Bird. It may not get as much credit as other performing arts, but it’s definitely worthy of having an organization devoted to it.

Be the Puppet Master

When the Center for Puppetry Arts opened in 1978, Kermit the Frog cut the ribbon. How fitting is that? Since then the Center has been working to cement its place as “a unique cultural treasure – a magical place where children and adults are educated, enlightened and entertained.” The Center for Puppetry Arts has five core values:

We believe puppetry is awe-inspiring and magical.
We believe in providing awesome artistic experiences.
We believe in unlocking imagination.
We believe in inspiring every generation.
We believe in the people behind the puppets.

Judging from the Center for Puppetry Arts’ website, they’re certainly living up to them. You can see the Center’s performance here, and you can take a look at what their museum has to offer here. If you love puppetry, then a career with the Center for Puppetry Arts might be exactly what you’re looking for. Their Jobs page only lists a Museum Curator position right now, and it requires a few years of museum experience. However, there are some internships with stipends available, and you can always reach out to them about unlisted positions. Maybe someone will pull a string for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Center for Puppetry Arts?

Citizen Schools

Willy Franzen — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 16:31:53 +0000

Middle school is a big turning point in the lives of students. They generally enter still looking and acting like children, but by the time they leave they’re well on their way to adulthood. Middle school is also the point at which academics become much more rigorous–you have real tests, real grades, and real responsibility. That’s why Citizen Schools was founded in 1995 to re-imagine “the learning day to bring more time, more talented adults, and more relevant learning experiences to middle-school students in low-income neighborhoods.” They’re headquartered in Boston, MA, and they’re getting citizens off the sidelines and into schools in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, and Texas.

Be a Good Citizen

Citizen Schools’ focus is on “expanding the learning day.” To get a sense of what they mean by that, you should take a look at Citizen Schools’ Model and Growth Strategy. The story behind Citizen Schools is pretty neat, so I strongly recommend that you watch their Citizen Schools 101 video below (e-mail readers need to click through):

If you want to be part of that story as it continues to get better, then you need to take a look at Citizen Schools’ wide range of Career Opportunities. They offer a variety of paths including Teaching Fellowships (applications open later this month), Teaching Associate positions, Campus Director positions, and a variety of other openings. Browse through everything and see what makes the most sense for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Citizen Schools?

Whitney Museum of American Art

Willy Franzen — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:40:24 +0000

I’m no art expert, which is probably why most of the artists whose work I am familiar with are both European and dead. My knowledge of contemporary American art is pretty limited. Maybe that would change if I visited the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, NY, as it’s the “preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States.” My awesome sister (who is a painter now pursuing a career in medicine) gave me the heads up on the fact that they’re hiring. The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930 after sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney’s offer to the The Metropolitan Museum of Art of a collection of more than 500 works was rejected. Much like taking her ball and going home, she took her art and started a new museum.

The Whitney

In its 80 years since opening, the Whitney Museum of American Art has become “the preeminent institution devoted to the art of the United States” as it “presents the full range of twentieth-century and contemporary American art, with a special focus on works by living artists.” You can find the full history here. If you’d like to get a feel for what kind of art they have at The Whitney, you have to look no further than their current exhibitions–or better yet, you can actually visit the museum if you’re in NYC. If contemporary American art speaks to you, then you have to check out jobs at the Whitney Museum of American Art. They have a few positions open right now, and the best fits for new or recent grads are Development Records Assistant, Accounts Payable Clerk, and Part-Time Member Services Assistant.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever visited the Whitney?

Nantucket Historical Association

Willy Franzen — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:01:51 +0000

I’m on Cape Cod for a wedding this weekend, so I decided to take my girlfriend over to Nantucket, MA for the day yesterday. I hadn’t been there in 9 years after going there every summer for the first 18 years of my life. It’s a wonderful island that is loaded with history. We walked around all day and made stops at the Old Gaol and the Whaling Museum, both of which are owned and operated by the Nantucket Historical Association. Both are well worth a visit, and so are all of the other NHA properties. If you want to learn about early American history, Nantucket is a great place to visit, and much of the reason is because of the work of the Nantucket Historical Association.

There Once Was a Historian from Nantucket

Much of Nantucket’s history is based around the whaling trade. It’s a practice that is now seen as immoral by much of the world, but it was essential to the growth of our country in the 1700s and 1800s. Nantucket was pretty much the center of the whaling trade, and it brought a ton of wealth to a very small island. Luckily, Nantucket has remained wealthy throughout the years, and a lot of the wealth has been committed to historic preservation through the Nantucket Historical Association’s programs, collections, and reach. If you can’t visit these sites in person, you should at least browse around NHA.org to learn more about Nantucket’s amazing history. And if it all resonates with you, then you’ll want to visit the Nantucket Historical Association Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a Development Associate, which sounds like a perfect position for a new or recent grad who wants to ensure that the Nantucket Historical Association continues to get the funding it needs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you ever been to Nantucket?

The After-School Corporation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 16:37:56 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I did a ton of learning after school. Sometimes it was in formal activities like Odyssey of the Mind or a computer class, but often it was on my own, whether it was digging holes in my backyard and finding artifacts or trying to teach myself how to write simplistic computer programs. While formal education sets the foundation for a successful life, it’s often the activities that students take up outside of school that influence what they do later in life. The After-School Corporation is a New York, NY based non-profit that works “in New York and the nation to change public policy and expand public funding so all kids from all backgrounds can have high quality experiences beyond regular school hours that support their intellectual, creative and healthy development.” They’re different from other non-profits that focus on after school activities in that The After-School Corporation does not actively operate after school programs.

What Are You Doing After School?

If The After-School Corporation doesn’t run after school programs, then what do they do? They “build the public-private partnerships that make after-school programs strong and reliable year after year.” Beyond that, they are constantly trying new ideas and conducting research “to expand the time and ways kids learn.” To really get a feel for TASC, you should read over their About page and their What We Do page. Reading both will help you better understand TASC’s focus on building better infrastructure for after school programs. If you like what you see, then take a look at The After-School Corporation’s Jobs page. The positions that you’ll want to look at include Development Officer, Special Assistant to the President, and Special Assistant to the Chief Operating Officer. These positions do require some prior experience, but some strong internships in the non-profit world could probably be sufficient.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about The After-School Corporation?

charity: water

Willy Franzen — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:36:13 +0000

For me water is all about recreation. It’s a place to fish, swim, kayak, and hopefully one day learn how to surf. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy drinking water–I’ve had servers at restaurant tell me that I drink more water than any other customer they’ve served–but it’s mostly an afterthought. Unfortunately, for nearly a billion people across the globe water is neither fun nor an afterthought. “Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.” charity: water is a non-profit organization that is “bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.” They’re based in New York, NY, but they’re doing work all over the world. One of the most interesting things about charity: water is that they’re able to put 100% of the public donations that they receive towards clean water projects. This is possible because a small group of private donors has committed to covering the organization’s operating expenses.

charity: job

I’d had my eye on charity: water for a while. I knew that they were getting a lot of attention, and I figured that they’d have to have jobs and internships available at some point. A reader alerted me that they were hiring right now, so I was excited to finally give them a closer look. According to the charity: water home page, they have funded 3,962 projects in 19 countries with 25 local partners. These projects have brought clean water to 1,794,983 people so far. That’s an unbelievable number, but it’s kind of scary to think that they’ve only served 2% of the population in need. They still have a long way to go, which is why they seem to be growing quickly. If you’re moved by the the charity: water mission then you’ll want to check out their Jobs page. Right now they have a few opportunities for new or recent grads including Digital Assistant, Software Developer, Front-End Developer, Water Programs Officer – East Africa, and Curator of the Well. There are some really exciting positions here, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about charity: water?

New England Healthcare Institute

Willy Franzen — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 13:50:47 +0000

Now that our country has a shiny new AA+ credit rating (that’s a downgrade from AAA in case you were wondering), we’re going to have to get far more serious about cutting our government’s deficit spending. Considering that 23% of Federal spending is on health care and that health care costs are consistently growing faster than GDP, we’re going to have to find a way to spend less on health care. Oddly enough, there seem to be a lot of people who strongly believe that cutting costs and improving health care can go hand in hand. Some of those people run the New England Healthcare Institute, a Cambridge, MA based non-profit organization that is “dedicated to transforming health care for the benefit of patients and their families.” They realize how broken our system is, and they’re taking an evidence-based approach towards fixing it.

Transforming Health Care

NEHI calls itself “the largest, most diverse, multi-stakeholder health care organization in the nation.” While many would consider them a think tank, NEHI prefers the term “think-and-do tank.” If you take a look at NEHI’s Programs and Initiatives, you’ll see that their main focus areas are Health Reform, Health and the Economy, Health Information and Technology, Medical Innovation, Waste and Inefficiency in Health Care, and Prevention and Wellness. It’s really interesting to dig into what they’re doing, because it’s an approach that makes sense, even if it’s not talked about much. Our country needs to take a new perspective on health care and start thinking about keeping people healthy instead of treating them when they get sick. That’s a big part of what NEHI is trying to do. If you’re interested in public health, you should really dig into their website and read up on them. If you like what you see, check out NEHI’s Jobs page. Right now they have two positions that could be suitable for new grads: Administrative and Database Coordinator and Health Policy Associate. Give them both a look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you know about NEHI?

Youth Service America

Willy Franzen — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 16:18:00 +0000

Looking for a job in the non-profit world? Samaritan’s Purse has a number of great opportunities for you.

Some of my fondest memories from my high school years are of my church mission trips. Every summer my youth group would pile into a van, head somewhere within a day or two’s drive, and start helping people–usually by fixing up dilapidated houses. It was a ton of fun, and it was extremely rewarding. Consequently, I’m a strong believer that everyone should be involved in some kind of service work, especially our nation’s youth. That’s why Youth Service America caught my attention. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “improves communities by increasing the number and the diversity of young people, ages 5-25, serving in substantive roles.” It’s all about building a commitment to service in the next generation that will continue to thrive as the generation matures.

At Your Service

Youth Service America pursues their vision through three main activities. First, they promote Public Mobilization Campaigns that include Global Youth Service Day, Semester of Service, and Get Ur Good On. Second, they do a lot of grant making and award giving targeted towards organizations that promote their ideals. Third, they offer a wide range of resources that can be used to develop and promote youth service programs. All of these programs have been developed to achieve two goals:

Educate youth, teachers, community organizations, media, and public officials in the power of youth as problem solvers.
Engage children and youth as volunteers, as academic achievers, and as community leaders.

If you’re excited about what YSA is doing, you have to take a look at their Jobs page. Right now they have two positions that seem like they might be suitable for new or recent grads: Web Designer and Special Assistant to the President. Both look great, so check them out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you do any service work?

Museum of Food and Drink

Willy Franzen — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 14:20:07 +0000

As someone who has been a part of both a startup company (this one) and a startup non-profit (board member), I think that starting a non-profit is the more difficult of the two. It’s not all that hard to start a small organization that does good work, but to be able to fund it on a sustainable basis feels nearly impossible in the early stages. You actually need to get people to have enough faith in you and your team to give you money to achieve your mission. If you can do that, you can probably succeed. That’s why I’m excited about the Museum of Food and Drink in New York, NY. In March they held a Get-the-Ball-Rolling Fundraiser that included cooking by David Chang, Wylie Dufresne, Nils Noren, and some other big names. To get these chefs behind a cause and to get enough product donated for a $250 a plate lunch is a big accomplishment. It sounds like the dinner was a big success, which hopefully means that the Museum of Food and Drink ball is officially rolling.

Hungry Yet?

The Museum of Food and Drink is still a long way away, but the dream is big. They aim to be “nothing short of the Smithsonian of food.” I’m not sure I’d call myself a foodie, but I definitely love the art, science, and culture behind food. This museum sounds like it would be a must-visit for me–especially because “above all, when visitors come to the museum, they will eat.” There are three main goals of the Museum:

To educate everyone-from picky and apathetic eaters to gastronomes and food lovers-about the importance of culinary history and anthropology. Visitors will not only see exhibits, they will taste them.
To connect people to what they eat by explaining food production and distribution.
To encourage a widespread appreciation and understanding of lost and endangered culinary arts: recipes, techniques and regional ingredients.

It’s a massive project that is just getting started, but maybe you can be a part of it. Their website is barely anything, and there’s not much info out there about them beyond the coverage of their initial fundraiser, but they seem to have gotten a great start. Their Idealist page shows an Internship posting, but no jobs. That’s ok. Sometimes you need to “volunteer” your way in with an early stage non-profit. If you love the culture of food, a job with the Museum of Food and Drink would be a dream come true.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

MOFAD.org
Jobs at the Museum of Food and Drink (Idealist)

Would you visit the Museum of Food and Drink?

Ahkun

Willy Franzen — Sun, 15 May 2011 14:08:43 +0000

The last century or so has been all about mass produced goods. Everybody wants what everyone else has. If all your friends had a Chinpokomon, then you’d want one too. That’s starting to change. More and more people are interested in handcrafted, bespoke goods. Consumerism is changing, albeit slowly. Additionally, more and more people are looking to do good when they make purchases. Whether it’s wearing a Livestrong bracelet or TOMS Shoes, people like showing off their inner “do gooder.” Ahkun is a New York, NY based non-profit that serves the intersection of these two consumer trends. They “work with entrepreneurs who have received microloans” by connecting “them to the global marketplace–creating sustainable businesses and closing the gap between microfinance lenders and borrowers, consumers and producers.” In other words, Ahkun allows you to buy handmade goods from people who are doing their part to grow developing economies.

Ahkun Means Thank You

It’s cool enough to get a hand knitted scarf or hand sewn dress made by some hipster in Brooklyn, but it’s even cooler to get a scarf made by a woman who is helping to build her community in Cambodia. Even in a most selfish act like buying something for yourself, you can do good because of the power of Ahkun. They’re a very new non-profit, and they’re only in the early stages of working with entrepreneurs who have been funded through Kiva, but there’s a ton of promise here. They’re not explicitly hiring full-time, but most early stage non-profits aren’t. They do have unpaid internships posted on Idealist in Outreach and Partnerships, Strategy and Marketing, and Development and Fundraising. Maybe you can start a conversation with them about a bigger, more permanent role. You’d have to be able to offer a lot of value early on, but it’s worth a shot.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you buy something from Ahkun?

Room to Read

Willy Franzen — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 16:28:58 +0000

It’s hard to find a kid in the United States who doesn’t take school for granted. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I actually wanted to go to school in the morning, yet I had classrooms with computers, books, great teachers and more. In the developing world schools barely have any books or even decent structures to teach lessons in, yet the students are filled with enthusiasm. Room to Read is a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that “seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.” It all started in Nepal when a Microsoft executive named John Wood who was traveling in Nepal and invited into a school in a small village. He was alarmed by how little they had to work with, so he quit his job and decided to build “a global team to work with rural villages to build sustainable solutions to their educational challenges.”

Knowledge Is Power

While Room to Read started in Nepal, they’ve since expanded to Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, South Africa, and Zambia while also expanding their program offerings. These include four primary programs: Reading Rooms, Local Language Publishing, School Rooms, and Girls’ Education. While the basics of education are pretty simple, Room to Read is constantly struggling with the nuances of tailoring their program efforts to the communities that they’re working in. The best way to get a feel for the entirety of what Room to Read is doing is to take a look at their latest annual report. One of the most amazing facts in the report is that they’ve paved the way for four million children in nine countries to get access to schools and libraries (and that number appears to be updated to 5.1 million on their website). If Room to Read sounds like an organization that you could be a part of, take a look at their Jobs page. They have a number of positions that seem suitable for new or recent grads including East Coast Development Assistant – Individual & Family Foundations (New York) and possibly Communications/Marketing Associate. There are also positions abroad including Southern Africa Literary Specialist, Development Assistant (Tokyo), Schoolroom Program Associate (Laos), and Literacy Consultant (Vietnam). There are some really interesting opportunities here, though the requirements to do go a bit beyond typical entry level opportunities.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you like going to school?

Cabela’s

Willy Franzen — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 16:57:28 +0000

Being a fly fisherman, I sometimes get frustrated with living in Chicago. Not only are there few opportunities to go fishing without a decent drive, but the winters are way too long (it’s supposed to be spring now, and it’s not). To get through the winter I’ll often visit fishing stores, look at websites, and read through catalogs. It’s not much, but it’s all I have. And Cabela’s provides all three options. The company is based in Sidney, NE, and they’re the “largest mail-order, retail and Internet outdoor outfitter in the world.” It all started in 1961 with a tiny classified ad that Dick Cabela placed in a newspaper because he wanted to sell some fishing flies that he purchased while visiting Chicago for a furniture show (since Nebraska is even less of a fly fishing destination than Chicago is). Despite a lackluster response to the original ad, Dick Cabela kept trying. The company grew organically, and now Cabela’s is dominating three major retail channels. The truly amazing part of the story is that Cabela’s has been able to maintain their commitment to customer service throughout all of the growth. I’m not a big customer (I try to support local shops), but I have quite a few friends who are extremely loyal Cabela’s customers because of the quality of products and service.

Outfitting Your Job Search

If you love the outdoors, you probably already know all about Cabela’s. Their stores are massive shrines to everything that is great about being an outdoorsman. They have fish tanks, taxidermy, indoor mountains, archery ranges, and, obviously, lots and lots of products that you can buy. According to Wikipedia, their store in Kansas City had 4 million customer visits in a single year, while the store in Hamburg, PA covers a quarter million square feet. Obviously, the ultimate Cabela’s experience requires visiting one of their stores, but their catalogs and website are pretty good proxies if you’re stuck at home. And if you are stuck at home, you might as well take a look at Cabela’s Careers site too. You can check out their testimonials and culture quiz, or you can just head straight for their job listings. We’re going to pass over all of the retail positions (there are a ton of them), and only look at corporate jobs that might be suitable for new or recent grads. These include (all positions in Sidney, NE unless otherwise noted):

Cabela’s has one of the worst applicant tracking systems that I’ve ever seen. It’s “Powered by Kenexa,” and it’s completely unusable. I slogged through it so you don’t have to, so the positions above should give you a good idea of what kind of entry level opportunities exist at Cabela’s. There are more entry level postings than just these, but I can only bang my head against a wall for so long.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you shop at Cabela’s?

Saint Louis Zoo

Willy Franzen — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 14:32:35 +0000

I’m in St. Louis for the weekend, mostly to watch my girlfriend’s little sister’s volleyball tournament, but I’m looking for other cool things to do since it’s my first time here. Yesterday I got to visit the Saint Louis Zoo, which is fantastic. (And I promise I didn’t act like this kid.) I got to see monkeys, giraffes, zebras, lions, penguins, gorillas, elephants, somali wild asses, and a whole range of other animals that I’d never even heard of before. I even got to see the mountain nyala that makes an appearance in the zoo’s logo. I was really impressed with the Saint Louis Zoo—it has a wonderful layout and an amazing collection of animals. The best part, though, was that we got to see feeding time for the grizzly bears. It may sound barbaric, but it was nothing of the sort. We watched as two of the laziest bears that I’ve ever seen would catch oranges in their mouths and then suck out the meat while leaving behind the rind. What made the experience even better was that it was free. Saint Louis Zoo is a “free zoo,” so all you have to pay for is parking.

Don’t Be a Somali Wild Ass

The Saint Louis Zoo got its start with the 1904 World’s Fair, but wasn’t officially started until 1910 that the Zoological Society of St. Louis was established. They eventually chose a site and started acquiring animals. It’s been a huge success, and I think that the Saint Louis Zoo is certainly achieving its mission to “conserve animals and their habitats through animal management, research, recreation, and educational programs that encourage the support and enrich the experience of the public.” You can learn a ton about the zoo by reading up on its history, so do that and then take a look at their Jobs page. They have a number of seasonal positions opening up for spring and summer, along with some great full-time positions. You’ll want to take an especially close look at the following jobs: Membership Assistant, Horticulture Gardener, Keeper – Children’s Zoo, Keeper- Great Apes, Keeper – Invertebrates, and Keeper – Sea Lion Show. It’s a great zoo, so if you don’t apply for a job, at least give it a visit.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you visited the Saint Louis Zoo?

WNET New York Public Media

Willy Franzen — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 17:21:39 +0000

When I was a kid, I knew PBS as Channel Thirteen. I was going to tell you all about a friend I had growing up who was only allowed to watch Channel Thirteen, but apparently I already did that when I wrote about entry level jobs at PBS. Even though I had cable for most of my childhood (my Dad did cut it for a few years because he got sick of paying the bill), I still watched a decent amount of Channel Thirteen. Ghost Writer, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, and Frontier House were some of my favorites. If you grew up in the vicinity of New York City, then you probably also have fond memories of WNET New York Public Media, since they are “the premier public media provider of the New York City metropolitan area and parent company of public television stations Thirteen and WLIW21.” Thirteen is the most widely watched PBS station in the U.S., while WLIW21 is the third most widely watched.

Looking for Job Seekers Like You

The mission of WNET New York Public Media is “to deliver media experiences of lasting significance for New York, America and the world.” They certainly did that for me, and I’m sure that they’ve done it for millions of others. You may not realize it, but a ton of the great content that you watch on PBS comes from affiliate stations. Beyond managing Thirteen and WLIW21, WNET New York Public Media is also “a major producer of broadcast and online media for local, national and international audiences, creating award-winning content in the areas of arts and culture, news and public affairs, science and natural history, documentaries, and children’s programming.” There’s a lot of cool stuff going on at WNET New York Public Media, which is why you’ll probably want to take a look at their Careers page. Right now they have a few potentially entry level opportunities posted including Revenue Administration Associate, Editorial Producer, Member Data and Reporting Analyst, Patron Coordinator, and Video Encoder/Dubber. There are some great options here, so check out the full job postings.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Did you grow up with Channel Thirteen?

Nourish International

Willy Franzen — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 16:35:21 +0000

There’s something special about non-profits that start on college campuses. They’re born with a sense of scrappiness and youthful idealism. It’s just the combination that can make amazing things happen. Nourish International in Chapel Hill, NC is a perfect example of this. It all started with a UNC student named Sindhura Citineni. She started a student group called “Hunger Lunch.” They’d sell “rice, beans and cornbread in the Pit for $3 and use the profits to fund Nourish’s first project: a nutrition project in Hyderabad, India.” Since then the mission has continued to be “to eradicate poverty by engaging students and empowering communities,” but they’ve certainly expanded their reach. Students raise money on campus throughout the year, and then they travel abroad in the summer to fund and conduct community development projects.

Nourishing Opportunities

Starting in 2007 Nourish International started thinking about expanding to more campuses, and they launched chapters at North Carolina State and Michigan. In 2008 they got serious about expansion and launched its Chapter Founders Program. They accepted applications from students interested in founding their own chapters, and then accepted students from 19 universities. This model allows Nourish International to stay lean while rapidly growing their ability to do meaningful work. You can get a full overview of how Nourish International works here, and you can take a closer look at their projects here. Nourish International appears to post all of their opportunities on Idealist. Right now they’re looking for Chapter Founders across the country, and they also have a one-year Fellowship Program based in their home office. It looks like a great organization to be involved with, so take a closer look.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

NourishInternational.org
Jobs at Nourish International (Idealist)
About Nourish International
Nourish International’s Team
Nourish International’s Projects
Nourish International’s History
Nourish International’s Blog

What do you think of Nourish International?

The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Willy Franzen — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:29:24 +0000

I don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t do drugs, and have never have (I also avoid caffeine and can’t remember the last time that I took an aspirin). This makes me a bit unusual among my peers, so I often have people ask me why I am the way I am. I don’t have a good explanation. It’s not really a religious thing or a family thing—it’s more that I want to be healthy and be able to focus 100% on the things that I like to do. Or maybe D.A.R.E. worked really well on me. Regardless, I’m sure the folks at The Partnership at Drugfree.org would love to figure me out so that they can replicate it. They are a New York, NY based non-profit organization “that helps parents prevent, intervene in and find treatment for drug and alcohol use by their children.” While many people are skeptical of the anti-drug movement in general, there’s no doubt that substance abuse continues to be a major public health problem in our country.

Drugfree Is the Way to Be

I’ve seen friends lose parents to alcoholism, parents lose kids to drugs, and friends lose control of their lives because of addiction. And these were all people who had access to the best resources available for treating their problems. The truth is that the best way to fight substance abuse is to keep people from ever using in the first place (and if they do start, to stop them while they’re still young). That’s why The Partnership at Drugfree.org began in the mid-80s when “a small group of advertising professionals discussed how to best use their talents to address the nation’s drug problem” and thought “if advertising could be used to sell products, couldn’t it be used to unsell them as well?” Over the years The Partnership’s mission has evolved, and now they devote significant resources to giving “hope and help to the parents of the 11 million teens and young adults who need help with drugs and alcohol.” They’ve identified parents as the “key leverage point,” and now much of what they do is focused on working with parents. If drugfree has a special meaning to you, then you should consider Careers at The Partnership at Drugfree.org. However, for job postings you’ll want to check the organization’s Idealist page. Right now they’re looking for a Special Event and Major Gift Manager and Parent Support Specialists. Neither job is explicitly entry level, but they’re still both worth checking out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of The Partnership at Drugfree.org’s ads?

Plan

Willy Franzen — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:57:02 +0000

It’s hard to imagine anything more precious than childhood. It’s a period of life that is meant to be carefree and full of potential. Yet so many children across the world endure suffering and hardship, and even worse there is little or no hope for a brighter future. Plan is an international development non-profit organization that works “to promote child rights and lift millions of girls and boys out of poverty.” They do work in “48 developing countries across Africa, Asia and the Americas” while raising funds in 21 countries. In the 70 years that Plan has been operating, they’ve improved the lives of more than 1.5 million children in communities totaling 9 million people. That’s massive impact. Plan is headquartered in Warwick, RI, and they also have a presence in Washington, DC. By focusing on children, Plan is able to not only help those who are most vulnerable, but also to help build a future generation that is prepared to offer a better life for their children.

What’s Your Plan?

Plan’s programs focus on eight core areas: Education, Protection, Economic Security, Health, Sexual Health (including HIV), Emergencies, Water and Sanitation, and Child Participation. They’ve identified these as the most pressing needs for children across the world, and they’re working hard to ensure that both immediate and long-term needs are taken care of for the children of the world. The Plan website is really comprehensive, so you can learn all about the kind of work they do and how they do it. If you want a quick overview, you may want to check out the Plan FAQ. If you like what you see, then it’s time to take a look at jobs at Plan. Right now they only have one position that seems suitable for a new grads. It’s a Donor Services Representative position on their Finance team. Take a look, and if it’s not for you, keep your eye out for other jobs at Plan.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Plan?

Sabin Vaccine Institute

Willy Franzen — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 17:39:27 +0000

In the history of human existence, there are few technological advances that have had as much of a positive effect on our species as the development of vaccines. The truly amazing thing about vaccines is how cost effective they are when it comes to improving the human condition. A single intervention can give an individual lifelong immunity from or resistance to a variety of diseases, and the marginal cost of a vaccine dose after development is often ridiculously low. One of the great vaccine triumphs in human history was Dr. Albert B. Sabin’s development of the oral live virus polio vaccine. He was a scientist who “dedicated his entire professional career to the elimination of human suffering though his groundbreaking medical advances” and “waged a tireless campaign against poverty and ignorance throughout his lifetime.” In 1993 he passed away, and the Sabin Vaccine Institute was founded in his honor. It is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that is “dedicated to reducing needless human suffering from vaccine preventable and neglected tropical diseases through prevention and treatment.”

Job Search Immunity

Sabin Vaccine Institute does its work through three key programs: Sabin Vaccine Development, Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, and Vaccine Advocacy and Education. These programs are complementary in that they all have the shared goal of “developing preventative measures for diseases that place burdens on the world’s poorest countries.” Those preventative measures may be in the form of new vaccines, or they may be in the form of education programs that promote vaccine use. Sabin Vaccine Institute’s mission may seem simple, and in many ways it is. Unfortunately, vaccination isn’t as simple as just poking people in the arm over and over again. If you’d like to join Sabin Vaccine Institute in their mission to end suffering across the world, then you should check out their Jobs page. Right now they have two jobs posted, and both seem suitable for new or recent grads: Resource Development Coordinator and International Vaccine Advocacy Program Coordinator. Both jobs look great.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Sabin Vaccine Institute?

Conrad Foundation

Willy Franzen — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 16:30:34 +0000

When I was in high school, I got good grades, did community service work through my church, played baseball and basketball, and ran a fan website about my favorite rapper (it was a long time ago, and it was profitable). It may sound like a lot, but I can’t believe how much time I wasted. High schoolers are capable of a lot, and they need to be challenged. That’s exactly what the San Francisco, CA based Conrad Foundation does. They’re a non-profit organization that challenges “high school students to create innovative products using science, technology, and entrepreneurship to solve real-world, 21st century problems.” They do so through the Spirt of Innovation Awards, which is a competition put on in honor of Pete Conrad (whom the foundation is named after), the astronaut who commanded Apollo 12. Pete was expelled from a prestigious high school because he couldn’t read or spell. It turned out that he was dyslexic, and the headmaster at his new school was able to help him make the most of his genius. After high school he went to Princeton and the moon. Not bad for someone who couldn’t read or spell in high school.

Making the Most of High School

High school is the time to start getting serious about life, yet many talented students don’t get on the right track because they’re not engaged at school. The Conrad Foundation and the Spirit of Innovation Awards is all about giving students an alternative setting to pursue their interests. The Foundation’s vision is three-fold—they envision:

An education system where every student is engaged in and excited about learning.
An innovative, 21st century STEM workforce capable of solving society’s grand challenges and sustaining our knowledge based economy.
A movement in transformative education where innovation and entrepreneurship play an integral role in developing leadership & thinking skills.

The main activity of the Foundation is The Spirit of Innovation Awards Competition, which focuses on three specific areas: Aerospace Exploration, Clean Energy, and Cyber Security. You can read about all of the specifics of the competition on the Conrad Foundation site, and if you like what you see, then you may want to consider Getting Involved. They’re looking for Mentors and Supeheros on the volunteer front, but their Jobs page doesn’t show any opportunities. Luckily, I checked on Idealist, which says that they’re looking for an Administrative Assistant and a Fundraising Manager. If you are a fan of innovation, entrepreneurship, and education, there couldn’t be a better place for you.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’d you accomplish in high school?

Hip Hop Caucus

Willy Franzen — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 14:00:53 +0000

Having looked at as many non-profit jobs as I have over the past three years, I must admit that many of the organizations start to blend together. It happens with companies too, but I feel as though there is distinctly less uniqueness in the non-profit world—maybe because competition affects the “marketplace” very differently when it comes to non-profits. It just seems that there are many organizations that fill similar niches. When I came across the Hip Hop Caucus, it stood out from the pack—probably based on the organization’s name alone—they just sound different. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “aims to promote political activism for young U.S. voters using hip-hop music and culture.” Culture is always a great tool for pushing change forward, and hip hop culture is especially vibrant.

Caucus with the Beat

The Hip Hop Caucus works to “to empower young people in urban communities to participate in the policy making process,” and they do this with a focus on promoting “social and political equality in the areas of economics, education, health care, housing, the environment and social justice.” While there’s a significant portion of hip hop culture—especially in the mainstream—that has a message at odds with that goal, there’s also a big part of the culture that is much more conscious. And my take is that as Hip Hop Caucus uses hip hop to better the world, they’ll also end up bettering hip hop culture. Hip Hop Caucus is run by Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., who happens to be the same guy who helped create P. Diddy’s “Vote or Die” campaign, so he has experience with this stuff. If you’d like to join his team, you can find Hip Hop Caucus’ jobs on Idealist. Right now they’re only recruiting for senior positions in Program Marketing and Development, but I still think you might want to reach out to them if your interests align with theirs.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Hip Hop Caucus?