Today's issue of eJewish Philanthropy contains yet another article lamenting the dearth of qualified managers and leaders in the Jewish philanthropic community. As a leader in this sector, I sympathize with many of Scott Brown's points and agree that the community does not do enough to identify, cultivate and retain highly qualified professionals. We must set higher standards for our professionals if we want our organizations to perform at the levels our community needs and our audiences deserve.
However, this article, like many others on the topic, fails to mention that perhaps one reason why some organizations suffer from a lack of quality managers is that they refuse to consider more than half of the applicant pool--women. According to Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community (AWP), women represent 70% of the Jewish professional workforce, but few rise to top positions. (At a later date, we can discuss the state of affairs that dictates the need for our industry to have an entire organization dedicated to this topic). Contrast this situation to the advances made in other industries. Women now head 23% of the universities in the US, including four out of the eight in the Ivy League. More than half of the nation’s [non-Jewish] foundations have women at the helm. Just this month, Sheryl Samberg of Facebook graced the covers or was featured in articles in The New Yorker, Forbes and Fortune and has been floated as a successor, albeit a longshot, to Timothy Geithner. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal featured an article on two sisters who were CEOs of publically traded companies. The list of companies with women at the helm and in upper management is growing faster than I can name them, but the number of women leading Jewish organizations has remained relatively stagnant.
Some say that top jobs in Jewish organizations are not attractive to women. I disagree. I am fortunate to be the head of a terrific organization with a board of directors that has always judged me for my performance and my skills, never my gender. However, I see many organizations that are not like mine. I have heard the war stories from my colleagues throughout the Jewish world. The gender bias is very real in Jewish communal life and comes into play in hiring practice and promotions on a regular basis. Women, the bright, talented, qualified women—the rising stars to whom Mr. Brown refers—will be able to read the situation for what it is, see the limited opportunities and make the decision to pursue careers in other fields. It is happening now and will continue to happen. Until we as a community are willing to look at all the factors that are contributing to the leadership shortage, we will never be able to adequately address the crisis.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Time for Bubble Wands?
I continue to be amazed at that outpouring of commentary the closing of JDub Records has generated. First, I will emphasize, that this article has nothing to do with JDub. I don’t know the organization intimately, but I do admire all that they accomplished. This post is a generic commentary on the industry and the issues that have been raised recently.
There has to be some element of supply and demand in the not for profit world. You have to deliver value to your funders and the end-users of your services. Jocelyn Harmon makes this point very succinctly in her recent post Getting to Value.
Organizations close all the time—and, I will continue to argue, that perhaps more should. Can the established Jewish community do more to help organizations flourish and grow beyond the start-up stage? Yes, but automatically offering growth capital and capacity building funding is not the magic bullet. Many later stage organizations need to be encouraged to rethink their business models. Perhaps, like with for-profit start-ups, the initial management team needs to be supplemented with experienced leaders who know how to take organizations to the next stage of growth. In some cases, there is a limited “market cap” that an organization will reach and it needs to be managed accordingly. We also should not underestimate the value of an organization that does not live forever. Like foundations that are designed to exist for a specific period of time, certain organizations may chose to wind down operations once the mission is accomplished or they no longer can have significant impact.
If funders truly want to make a difference they have to be able to sift through the noise and find the organizations that are or can add value. Just like in the Internet bubble of the late 90s, there is a lot of clutter in the market. However, there is also a tremendous amount of exciting and innovative work being done that is making real change in people’s lives. Now we just need to make sure we are helping those organizations grow and flourish in the way that makes the most sense for them and their audiences.
There has to be some element of supply and demand in the not for profit world. You have to deliver value to your funders and the end-users of your services. Jocelyn Harmon makes this point very succinctly in her recent post Getting to Value.
Organizations close all the time—and, I will continue to argue, that perhaps more should. Can the established Jewish community do more to help organizations flourish and grow beyond the start-up stage? Yes, but automatically offering growth capital and capacity building funding is not the magic bullet. Many later stage organizations need to be encouraged to rethink their business models. Perhaps, like with for-profit start-ups, the initial management team needs to be supplemented with experienced leaders who know how to take organizations to the next stage of growth. In some cases, there is a limited “market cap” that an organization will reach and it needs to be managed accordingly. We also should not underestimate the value of an organization that does not live forever. Like foundations that are designed to exist for a specific period of time, certain organizations may chose to wind down operations once the mission is accomplished or they no longer can have significant impact.
If funders truly want to make a difference they have to be able to sift through the noise and find the organizations that are or can add value. Just like in the Internet bubble of the late 90s, there is a lot of clutter in the market. However, there is also a tremendous amount of exciting and innovative work being done that is making real change in people’s lives. Now we just need to make sure we are helping those organizations grow and flourish in the way that makes the most sense for them and their audiences.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Not-for-Profit is an IRS Classification….
It does not mean that basic rules of doing business do not apply—especially the most basic; that at some point dollars in have to be equal or greater than dollars out on a sustainable basis.
I too was saddened to hear about the closing of JDub, an organization that forges connections to Judaism through the arts, media and culture. Afterall, I am into Jewish cultural renaissance just as much, or likely more, than the next person. And this article is not about JDub or about any one organization in particular. Rather, it is a response to Sarah Kass’s fear expressed in eJewishPhilanthropy that the closing of organizations like these due to financial constraints after 9 years of operations will inhibit the creativity of others to launch new ventures.
I disagree. I will throw out what is going to be a very unpopular opinion: there are too many new not for profit organizations, but there are not enough good ones.
Lately, it seems that in both the Jewish and secular world, if anyone has an idea of an audience they want to serve, their first thought is to create a new not for profit, rather than seeking to partner with an organization working with a similar audience or in a similar space. As a result, a duplicate organization is created. In the for profit world, competition can lead to lower prices, market efficiencies and consumer benefits. In the not for profit world, it can lead to a duplication of resources, donor confusion and diversion of money from those who need it to overhead.
The non-profit world is so crowded with startups, some without any operating sense or enough customers to either fund or accept its services, it feels like the Internet bubble of the late 90s. As in the late 90s, even savvy funds are having a hard time finding the strong organizations. Funds are getting diluted and the organizations that should survive, the ones that have a good model and serve a real audience, are getting lost in the noise.
Organizations—even those with the 501c3 designation—need to run with operational discipline. They have obligations to the communities they serve to fulfill their promises. They are taking hard earned money from donors and have to spend it wisely and effectively. Yes, not for profits need seed money, start-up capital and investment, but if after some period of time—and that time period could vary—they are not able to retain existing funders and attract new funders and partners to sustain operations and fuel growth, perhaps they have to start asking themselves some hard questions. Are they operating efficiently? Are they meeting a real need in the community?
At some point, we have to look around at the proliferation of not for profit organizations that are competing for the same dollars, the same staff and the same attention and say dayeinu.
I too was saddened to hear about the closing of JDub, an organization that forges connections to Judaism through the arts, media and culture. Afterall, I am into Jewish cultural renaissance just as much, or likely more, than the next person. And this article is not about JDub or about any one organization in particular. Rather, it is a response to Sarah Kass’s fear expressed in eJewishPhilanthropy that the closing of organizations like these due to financial constraints after 9 years of operations will inhibit the creativity of others to launch new ventures.
I disagree. I will throw out what is going to be a very unpopular opinion: there are too many new not for profit organizations, but there are not enough good ones.
Lately, it seems that in both the Jewish and secular world, if anyone has an idea of an audience they want to serve, their first thought is to create a new not for profit, rather than seeking to partner with an organization working with a similar audience or in a similar space. As a result, a duplicate organization is created. In the for profit world, competition can lead to lower prices, market efficiencies and consumer benefits. In the not for profit world, it can lead to a duplication of resources, donor confusion and diversion of money from those who need it to overhead.
The non-profit world is so crowded with startups, some without any operating sense or enough customers to either fund or accept its services, it feels like the Internet bubble of the late 90s. As in the late 90s, even savvy funds are having a hard time finding the strong organizations. Funds are getting diluted and the organizations that should survive, the ones that have a good model and serve a real audience, are getting lost in the noise.
Organizations—even those with the 501c3 designation—need to run with operational discipline. They have obligations to the communities they serve to fulfill their promises. They are taking hard earned money from donors and have to spend it wisely and effectively. Yes, not for profits need seed money, start-up capital and investment, but if after some period of time—and that time period could vary—they are not able to retain existing funders and attract new funders and partners to sustain operations and fuel growth, perhaps they have to start asking themselves some hard questions. Are they operating efficiently? Are they meeting a real need in the community?
At some point, we have to look around at the proliferation of not for profit organizations that are competing for the same dollars, the same staff and the same attention and say dayeinu.
It’s Not Other People’s Money – it’s Yours
[The following is a piece did as a guest writter for www.gogirlfinance, terrific site that helps women gain confidence ind dealing with money)
“I think you should try it just once,” my then-fiancee/now-husband said. “It will be slow going at first, but you are going to like it.”
“Okay,” I agreed reluctantly. “But only because you are so into it.”
It was a few months before our wedding. We had moved past china patterns and were on to merging bank accounts and coordinating spending. We were in agreement that it should happen when he suggested we track information via a computer-based personal finance program.
Clearly, Jonathan knew what he was doing. Quicken can become an addiction for a Type-A personality like me. To this day, I methodically (okay, obsessively) enter all our income and expense information into the program, and review it on a regular basis. Want to know what we spend each month on clothing? Groceries? Babysitting? I can give you a fairly good estimate off the top of my head, but if you need an exact number, give me 20 minutes in front of my computer and I will produce a color-coded report.
While we both have MBAs and demanding jobs, the responsibility of our day-to-day accounting has fallen to me, but I am not complaining. I spend a couple hours every few weeks entering information and paying bills. Every six months or so, I create—well, actually, Quicken creates—a chart that shows spending and income by category and my husband and I review it.
There are several programs, some of which are free, that can manage household finances. Despite the availability of these tools and their relative ease of use, I am amazed at how many women have little knowledge about their family finances. Women who, until they were married or had children, not only managed their own finances, but were lawyers, bankers, teachers, consultants, retail buyers, editors, event planners, etc. Some of them still work outside the home. Now, they don’t know their household income, the cost of their housing, what their family spends on groceries, clothing, utilities, etc. Ask them how many bank accounts they have, what’s in their IRA or 401K, if they have adequate life insurance, or college savings for their kids and they smile and just shrug. “My husband takes care of it; I am sure we are fine.”
Are you? You sign your name on your tax return (please don’t tell me your husband forges your signature), do you know you are legally responsible for what’s written? Ignorance is not bliss. Consider a few frightening scenarios: you are chasing down bank accounts while your soon-to-be ex is chasing his former secretary down the beach in the Caymans. Or it’s a few days after the funeral and you don’t know if you can afford to stay in your home and send your kids to the same school next year.
True, these are disasters that are not likely to happen. But, you still need to know what is going on. If you don’t know where it’s coming from and where it is going, you are missing an opportunity to have an equal say in your family’s future. You are also ceding control of a critical aspect of your life. And, if you have children—girls or boys–you are setting a pretty poor example for them.
Take the time to know what is happening in your life financially. Even if you are not the one paying the bills and making the deposits, you need have an understanding of your finances. If you are not comfortable using a software program like Quicken or Mint, ask someone to explain it to you. Set aside time each month to review paycheck stubs, bank statements and bills. Know where your accounts are and how much is in each one. If you need outside assistance, find a planner or banker with whom you are comfortable. There are several banks that have divisions geared just to women who can. Your life and that of your family could depend on it.
“I think you should try it just once,” my then-fiancee/now-husband said. “It will be slow going at first, but you are going to like it.”
“Okay,” I agreed reluctantly. “But only because you are so into it.”
It was a few months before our wedding. We had moved past china patterns and were on to merging bank accounts and coordinating spending. We were in agreement that it should happen when he suggested we track information via a computer-based personal finance program.
Clearly, Jonathan knew what he was doing. Quicken can become an addiction for a Type-A personality like me. To this day, I methodically (okay, obsessively) enter all our income and expense information into the program, and review it on a regular basis. Want to know what we spend each month on clothing? Groceries? Babysitting? I can give you a fairly good estimate off the top of my head, but if you need an exact number, give me 20 minutes in front of my computer and I will produce a color-coded report.
While we both have MBAs and demanding jobs, the responsibility of our day-to-day accounting has fallen to me, but I am not complaining. I spend a couple hours every few weeks entering information and paying bills. Every six months or so, I create—well, actually, Quicken creates—a chart that shows spending and income by category and my husband and I review it.
There are several programs, some of which are free, that can manage household finances. Despite the availability of these tools and their relative ease of use, I am amazed at how many women have little knowledge about their family finances. Women who, until they were married or had children, not only managed their own finances, but were lawyers, bankers, teachers, consultants, retail buyers, editors, event planners, etc. Some of them still work outside the home. Now, they don’t know their household income, the cost of their housing, what their family spends on groceries, clothing, utilities, etc. Ask them how many bank accounts they have, what’s in their IRA or 401K, if they have adequate life insurance, or college savings for their kids and they smile and just shrug. “My husband takes care of it; I am sure we are fine.”
Are you? You sign your name on your tax return (please don’t tell me your husband forges your signature), do you know you are legally responsible for what’s written? Ignorance is not bliss. Consider a few frightening scenarios: you are chasing down bank accounts while your soon-to-be ex is chasing his former secretary down the beach in the Caymans. Or it’s a few days after the funeral and you don’t know if you can afford to stay in your home and send your kids to the same school next year.
True, these are disasters that are not likely to happen. But, you still need to know what is going on. If you don’t know where it’s coming from and where it is going, you are missing an opportunity to have an equal say in your family’s future. You are also ceding control of a critical aspect of your life. And, if you have children—girls or boys–you are setting a pretty poor example for them.
Take the time to know what is happening in your life financially. Even if you are not the one paying the bills and making the deposits, you need have an understanding of your finances. If you are not comfortable using a software program like Quicken or Mint, ask someone to explain it to you. Set aside time each month to review paycheck stubs, bank statements and bills. Know where your accounts are and how much is in each one. If you need outside assistance, find a planner or banker with whom you are comfortable. There are several banks that have divisions geared just to women who can. Your life and that of your family could depend on it.
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