Five Things to Know Before You Go Work for a Nonprofit

For years, Charlie enjoyed volunteering at the annual fun run his company sponsored to benefit a local charity. So when he was offered early retirement, Charlie began talking with that group about joining their leadership team. He felt sure he could help them a lot, given his business background.

It all sounded like a good plan. Unfortunately, Charlie was overlooking five potential pitfalls of going to work for a nonprofit.

The Hard Truth About the “Soft Stuff”

Everyone knows that business is about making money, right? Yeah, you have to employ these strange animals called human beings to do that. But it’s the money that matters. The people part? Well, that’s always been referred to (rather dismissively) as the “soft stuff.”

But guess what? We’re now discovering that the “soft stuff” matters even more than the “hard stuff.”

The Dark Side of Giftedness

Savage events like the bombings at the Boston Marathon this past Monday provoke countless thoughts and emotions. For me, they only deepen my deeply held convictions about two disturbing realities: (1) evil is real, and (2) it can incarnate itself by co-opting the power of human giftedness.

In short, giftedness has a dark side.