ProInspire: Matching young business professionals with amazing nonprofits
In my recent quest for new and exciting opportunities in the social sector, I recently came across ProInspire, a new startup that connects young business professionals with nonprofits in year-long fellowships. In only its second recruiting cycle, the Washington DC-based organization has already matched five driven young professionals (from an applicant pool of 120) with orgs in the DC area, and is planning to expand to a class of 15 this year.
Expanding the movement of people working for social impact by recruiting and training business professionals to work for nonprofits
Why is ProInspire – or, more specifically, the Inspire Fellows program – so exciting? First, ProInspire helps innovative nonprofits tackle pressing business strategy and analysis problems they’re experiencing today, similar to other consulting services (see Taproot Foundation). Second (and at least as important), it’s the first org I’ve come across to target young business professionals with only 2-5 years of experience as the social sector leaders of the future, equipping them with the training, mentoring, and hands-on experience they’ll require to address the needs of nonprofits in the future.
From my own career search, I’ve discovered a definite lack of non-profit opportunities available to young people in business. It seems most non-profits have plenty of volunteer/unpaid positions, providing a great way to get started in the social sector. However, for Millennials trying to make a difference and establish a non-profit career in business, opportunities are lacking. You need 5+ (if not 10+) years of experience, or it’s filing papers and answering phones.
Another great aspect of ProInspire is its transparency with nonprofit salary. One of the challenges highlighted on the startup’s website is the “lack of clear information about compensation ranges in the sector.” It seems many nonprofits assume they won’t be able to recruit business talent without matching salary. I think what Millennials really want is a clear salary expectation, coupled with the knowledge that while the salary is lower, they’ll be impacting an organization and cause they’re passionate about. If you’re wondering, Inspire Fellows are compensated with a $40,000 annual salary, much lower than their peers in banking, consulting, or any major corporation. Yet the 120 applicants last year weren’t turned off, and neither was I.
Me? Yep, you heard right. I just submitted my application to the 2010 Inspire Fellows program last Friday. I’m extremely excited about the work ProInspire’s partner organizations are doing and would love to be a part of it; my fingers are crossed for the next few months!
ProInspire is addressing a growing and previously unmet need of today’s generation of future business leaders. Regardless of how my application process turns out, I’ll definitely keep my eye on this startup (or, more importantly, its fellows).
Follow ProInspire
- Twitter: @proinspire
- Blog: http://proinspire.blogspot.com/
