The engine of volunteerism purrs along day-in and day-out engaging millions of Americans in hands-on work to make their communities better. Ben Franklin started it way back in 1736 with the first volunteer firehouse and today almost every nonprofit is buoyed by hours of unpaid time contributed by committed do-gooders.  “Volunteerism is engrained in our nation’s history and psyche,” said Barbara Floersch, grants expert and…

The Great Resignation following the onset of COVID-19 is prompting introspection by nonprofit managers as more of them redouble efforts to retain valued employees and to recognize the importance of having a strategy for doing so. The number of nonprofits where there is a formal employee retention strategy was found to be up 61% from the previous year, according to data from a recent survey.…

Goodwill Industries International, Rockville, Md., and Indeed, the New York City-based employment platform, have jointly launched Ready to Work, an online employment platform supported by a series of events across the United States. The partnership is an expansion of a partnership between Goodwill and Indeed which since 2019 has endeavored to connect job seekers with tools and skills. The two organizations will offer a series…

The American Alliance of Museums, Washington, D.C., has long urged organizations posting job openings on JobsHQ, its jobs board, to include salary range information. Beginning Nov. 15, this recommendation will become a requirement. “Many other job boards and municipalities have moved toward making salary ranges a requirement on job postings, and many of you have told us these requirements, coupled with AAM’s resources on how…

Some 40% of the global workforce is considering leaving their current employers this year, according to the 2021 Work Trend Index Survey conducted by Edelman Data & Intelligence. The Great Resignation is a phenomenon characterized by pervasive talent shortages, and a persistent and changed mindset in workers.  This development presents a unique opportunity for nonprofit organizations, inclusive of higher education institutions, to secure highly skilled talent —…

Unionized workers at the American Red Cross (ARC) represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters voted to ratify a new contract with the ARC.  The contract, which was approved by 93% of those voting, allows members to retain their current health plan, which was a bone of contention during the negotiations. It also provides increased wages (3% annually) and paid days off, better family leave…

Some 68% of employees believe their organization’s coronavirus pandemic-mitigation policies did not provide adequate care and safety, and three-quarters of employees from organizations within White-majority countries believe their organization’s racial equity policies are not genuine. Their beliefs are damaging employee morale and organizations’ ability to attract and retain workers. In contrast, employees who believe their senior leaders have genuine empathy for these issues are 30%…

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has formed a task force to craft a fundraiser bill of rights designed to protect workers from sexual harassment, bullying, and bias discrimination from both donors and co-workers. The task force launch has roots in the #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) movements, and sobering findings in a survey of AFP members released earlier this year. Of…

The board plays a significant role in an association’s success. Association boards are complex, as policies and bylaws might require approval by the membership. Nonprofits typically focus on their missions, and though associations are also mission-driven, they are more membership-focused and provide services and products to their members. Association board members are often pulled in several directions dealing with the stressors associated with their full-time…

The gap between skills possessed by employees and those needed to function going forward has widened since 2021, and executives are increasingly concerned their employees do not have the right skills to execute business strategy, according to a new study. Nearly half (49%) of learning and development professionals say executives have doubts about the current skillsets of their employees. That’s up from 40% in 2021,…

By Richard Levey The Coalition of Red Cross Unions is negotiating with Red Cross management to avoid labor disruptions at the end of May, when a current contract extension with blood services workers expires. The Coalition, which represents 3,000 workers within 10 labor groups at the American Red Cross, is seeking a variety of changes to overall staffing levels, workers’ current compensation and healthcare coverage.…