The Results-Oriented Non-Profit Workplace

Non-profit jobs, whether bookkeeping, accounts receivable or auditing, are involved in a lot of detail. When non-profit people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Non-Profit Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this non-profit affairs job accomplish for the organization?

Non-Profit Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Non-Profit Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Non-Profit Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and non-profitly sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Non-Profit Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, non-profit affairs jobs--

PROVIDE SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO CLIENTS OR MEMBERS by

Many non-profit jobs provide direct services to clients or members in a variety of circumstances and in a variety of ways—services may be social, insurance, travel, investments and so forth. Other jobs work in supportive ways-purchasing, accounting, secretarial-to help those giving direct service. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the non-profit people and processes.

Types of Non-Profit Jobs

Many non-profit jobs provide direct services to clients or members in a variety of circumstances and in a variety of ways-services may be social, insurance, travel, investments and so forth. Other jobs work in supportive ways-purchasing, accounting, secretarial-to help those giving direct service. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the non-profit people and processes.

Non-Profit Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how non-profit affairs job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Non-Profit Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS NON-PROFIT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Non-Profit Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the non-profit affairs results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Non-Profit situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Non-Profit recommendations are ready when needed.

Non-Profit Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future non-profit affairs issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver non-profit affairs recommendations by 10% by (date).

Non-Profit Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each non-profit affairs job description are more helpful (and non-profit) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Non-Profit Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS NON-PROFIT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Non-Profit Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Non-Profit Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS NON-PROFIT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present non-profit affairs recommendations."

The Non-Profit Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS NON-PROFIT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Non-Profit Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS NON-PROFIT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Non-Profit Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her non-profit affairs work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the non-profit affairs job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Non-Profit Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Non-Profit Job Description and Non-Profit Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the non-profit affairs job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS NON-PROFIT ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the non-profit affairs job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving non-profit affairs processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new non-profit affairs system controls.

Non-Profit Career Links

American Society of Association Executives, Career Headquarters

Career services, career-related articles.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Philanthropy Careers

Articles offering advice on seeking work at nonprofit organizations, job market, hotline libraries.

University of California, San Diego, Non-Profit Organization Career Information

Job listings and articles on breaking into a career in non-profit organizations.

Riley Guide, Non-Profits, Foundations, Think Tanks

How to job search, before you search, where to search, résumés and cover letters, research and target employers, network, interview, negotiate, and salary guides.

University of Maryland, University Career Center, Non-Profit Organizations

Career-related web links.

Emory University, Goizueta Business Library, Career in Investment Banking

Directories, industry information, rankings, finances, articles, association, journals, job postings.

Learning to Give, Careers and Non-Profit Organizations

Teacher-created, standards-based lessons and resources with connections to service-learning, character education and civic engagement.