M A NAGING
Overwork and Understaffing
Are Causes of Much Dissatisfaction
organizations had laid off employees
since the end of 2008, while 12 percent
said that their organizations had ordered employees to take unpaid leave
during that period.
And even workers who consider themselves fortunate to have held onto their
positions during the darkest days of
the recession continue to deal with the
damage left in its wake.
“You’re never sure if your position is
going to be next,” says Kenia Sandoval,
who has spent three years as a fund
raiser at the Rotary Foundation, in
Evanston, Ill., which raises money for
international projects.
Continued from Page 1
Most nonprofit workers don’t fear
layoffs
75%
feel very or somewhat
secure in their job
17%
feel very or
somewhat
insecure
However, only a bare majority
are satisfied with their jobs:
Many workers have seen their organizations face hardship since the end of 2008
49%
say their nonprofit
has laid off workers
12%
say their organization
has ordered workers to
take unpaid leave
11%
have taken a pay cut
53%
are very or somewhat
satisfied
37%
are very or
somewhat
dissatisfied
Security at Work
Many nonprofits that laid off workers
during the downturn have not staffed
up again to pre-recession levels. The in-
“We’re all
generalists now.
Our roles
just keep
expanding.”
sultant and the author of The Nonprof-
it’s Guide to Human Resources (see Page
18). “It’s people just below the manage-
ment team that are the grumpiest, not
the people taking minimum-wage jobs,”
she says. “That’s because their expecta-
tions are very different.”
She says she’s “skeptical” of surveys
that show widespread dissatisfaction
among the nonprofit rank and file. “We
need to, on one hand, value people’s in-
put saying they’re unhappy and at the
same time understand that in context,”
she says. “It’s not socially acceptable in
nonprofits to say you like your job. So-
cially acceptable is to say ‘I have way
too much to do, and I’m unhappy.’ It’s
like, in high school, it’s also not social-
ly acceptable to say, ‘Gosh, I love my
teachers.’”
39%
would be if the
economy were stronger
43%
are looking
Nonprofit workers would like
to change jobs
When seeking a nonprofit job or promotion, many are likely
to face age discrimination
27%
have experienced
such bias
43%
know someone else
who has
creased workload that has resulted for
employees that survived the recession’s
cutbacks may account for another survey finding: 75 percent of workers said
they feel either very or somewhat secure
in their jobs.
At Thresholds, which provides men-tal-health services to Chicago-area residents, the layoffs in the fundraising
department have forced the remaining employees to work harder than ever
before, says Greg Salustro, the organization’s vice president for external affairs.
“We lost the equivalent of five full-
time people,” says Mr. Salustro. “There
are six of us left, and we’re raising 40
percent more money.”
The recession survivors’ duties have
changed to meet the demands. “We’re
all generalists now,” he says. “The data-
base manager is now an administrator,
the director of institutional giving does
major gifts. Our roles just keep expand-
ing.”
Job dissatisfaction is highest among
midlevel charity workers, notes Jan
Masaoka, a veteran management con-
Marin Humane Society, which focuses on its workers’ career
development, recently spotlighted three employees’ expertise
in a promotional campaign illustrated by the artist Bill Russell.
Training Managers Helps
Charities can try to improve job satisfaction among their employees by putting more effort into training and supporting managers, says Wendy Gradi-son, chief executive of PRS, formerly
Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, a
social-service group in McLean, Va.
“None of us are born knowing how to
manage,” she says. PRS brings in consultants to teach supervisors sound
management techniques and requires
that all employees, including managers, meet with their bosses at least every other week.
Nonprofits often provide training in
new skills as a way to improve job satisfaction among rank-and-file workers,
but that’s only successful when employ-
Organization: Marin Humane Society (Novato, Calif.)
Number of employees: 56 full time, 32 part time
The group’s approach: The charity, which highlights employees in its
advertising, emphasizes professional development and career planning.
Employees are required to observe work in departments outside their own,
both to increase their understanding of what the organization does and to
open their eyes to other career opportunities. Employees are encouraged to
speak at conferences, and they are eligible for tuition assistance for courses
related to their work. The humane society even posts job openings at other
animal-welfare organizations on a central bulletin board.
Why: “It’s not necessarily a bad thing when somebody goes and takes a
better job and a more challenging job in our field,” says Nancy McKenney,
the organization’s chief executive. “We have pride that this person learned
and grew up here, and they’re going out and imparting the Marin Humane
Society culture in their new organization.”
A Calif. Animal Charity Supports
Its Workers’ Career Goals
Publication: PHL
Filename: 2405satisfaction
Colors used: 1
Size:
Date: 1/05/2012
Time: 4 pm
Version: 4
SP
MD
CB
Editor
Reporter
Other
Continued on Page 16
BOOSTING OFFICE MORALE
Get live advice on how to keep your employees happy during an online
discussion with Jan Masaoka, chief executive of the California Association
of Nonprofits, and Trish Tchume, national director of the Young Nonprofit
Professionals Network. Join the discussion Tuesday, January 17, at noon U.S.
Eastern time. Go to:
philanthropy.com/live
Results: A longtime employee recently left the organization to lead a local animal shelter, a position she learned about on the Marin Humane Society’s job board. Says Ms. McKenney: “As much as we wanted to keep her
and have her stay here, this was an opportunity for her to grow and spread
her wings.” —NICOLE WALLACE
