Sample nonprofit technology job descriptions

As many of you know, I’m working on a podcast series with my esteemed client, Community TechKnowledge. The goal is to deliver short, practical answers to questions often asked by nonprofit professionals.

It just so happens that the pilot segment addresses a question that is relevant to the Nonprofit Tech Jobs list, so I’d like to invite you to listen to it:

“Where can I find sample job descriptions for IT staff for my nonprofit organization?”

Please feel free to give me some constructive criticism. This is a prototype, and we are working to improve it.

Special thanks are due to Dan Scharfman of Baird Associates, who serves as the guest expert on this pilot segment!

A word of thanks, and an invitation

I’m very grateful for all of the reflections that have been posted to my blog as comments! Thank you so much.

It seems that there are several people who are interested in assessing the effectiveness of the Nonprofit Tech Jobs list, or in reorganizing it so that the burden of maintaining it doesn’t fall on one single volunteer.

I’ve started a Google Group for those who want to brainstorm about next steps.  It’s called “Reorganizing the Nonprofit Tech Jobs Service.”  (Or “Reorganizing NTJ” for short.) If you have something constructive to contribute to this effort, I invite you to join the group and participate.

If you have any trouble joining the “Reorganizing NTJ” group, please send me an email at <nonprofit_tech_jobs-owner AT yahoogroups DOT com>.

Thank you!

Should I shut down the “Nonprofit Tech Jobs” list?

I’m looking for feedback about this.

Ever since I started the Nonprofit Tech Jobs list, I’ve wondered about how effective it is in matching technology professionals with nonprofit organizations that want to employ them.  Ten years and more than 4,000 job postings later, I thought that I might as well solicit some anecdotal evidence that someone is benefiting.  I also thought it would be interesting to hear about other channels through which ideal matches between techies and nonprofits were made.

I recently did an online shout-out soliciting success stories from members of the list, plus a couple of other nptech-oriented forums.  Results: one extremely gratifying success story about making a great career move through the Nonprofit Tech Jobs list, and one Twitter message assuring me that the sender had a story but was unable to find the time to write it up.

So I’m thinking – two success stories after ten years and over 4,000 job postings?  What’s that about?

I’ve come up with two possible explanations:

1)  Very bad sampling methodology.  The techies who find their ideal jobs (and the hiring managers at nonprofits who find their ideal techies) don’t stick around on the Nonprofit Tech Jobs list.  Moreover, perhaps they don’t participate in general interest online communities about nonprofit technology, such as the Information Systems Forum.and NTEN’s general discussion list.

2)  Very low success rate.  There just aren’t that many success stories to report.

The first explanation seems likely and not terribly discouraging, except for people who are passionately interested in research methodology.

The second explanation seems like a real bummer, especially when I consider how labor intensive it is to maintain the Nonprofit Tech Jobs list.

If the second explanation is valid, do you think I should shut down the Nonprofit Tech Jobs list? Please let me know what you think by posting a comment to my blog.

I’m seeking success stories!

If you have found the nonprofit tech job of your dreams, or hired the ideal technology professional for your nonprofit organization, please write to me about your experience, so that I can post your story here.  You can reach me at Nonprofit_Tech_Jobs-owner AT yahoogroups DOT com.

Many thanks and best regards from Deborah

Nonprofit Tech Jobs moderator