Baby boomers who are considering retirement and are looking for meaning in a post-retirement career may be a partial answer to the nonprofit sector’s leadership deficit, according to the May issue of “Leadership Matters.”

Published by Bridgestar, a nonprofit initiative of the Bridgespan Group dedicated to attracting, connecting, and supporting leadership for the sector, the newsletter’s May issue interviews Marc Freedman, founder and CEO of Civic Ventures and author of “Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life,” who discusses how boomers can successfully pursue an encore career.

People who transition from the private sector to the nonprofit sector – known as bridgers – can find the change challenging. The challenges are also felt by hiring managers.

“Most employers are not accustomed to hiring people who have considerable experience outside the nonprofit sector and who have finished their midlife careers,” said Freedman in the Bridgestar article. “There’s wariness about whether they’ll be able to adapt to a new culture. There’s concern that they won’t stay for a long time; that they’re essentially just phasing into retirement. By lowering the barriers to entry through fellowship programs and internships, and exposing more employees to qualified people who aren’t from their traditional hiring pool, [organizations like Civic Ventures and Bridgestar] can help provide employers with a more realistic sense of this opportunity, and in the process, help change their hiring practices.”

In the interview, Freedman shared insights into how to help ease the transition to the sector for encore careers, including:

• Preparing for the anticipated change. Bridgers should prepare by getting practical as well as academic training for positions in the sector. While it would be ideal for bridgers to begin preparing in their 30s and 40s, it is not always possible, and they should turn to resources to help them get the training they need.
• Volunteering in the sector. By getting directly involved in nonprofit organizations as volunteers, board members, etc., bridgers will have a clearer idea of what to expect in the nonprofit world and be more successful in making the transition. For example, the Experience Corps is a national service organization for people 55 years or older who contribute 15 hours a week in inner-city elementary schools. Experience working with nonprofit organizations will make bridgers more attractive to hiring managers.
• Establishing training programs. Forward-thinking companies are developing training programs to help transition their workers to the sector. IBM, for example, offers training programs for employees and retirees who want to enter into fields that are facing labor shortages, such as education and government. Civic Ventures is piloting an encore fellows program with a few companies in Silicon Valley to provide this type of training.
• Educating hiring managers at nonprofits on the critical role boomers can potentially play. Employers can benefit from being receptive to bridgers who join the sector later in life. Hiring managers should be educated that experienced workers have lower turnover and are typically committed to 10-20 more years at their new positions.
• Creating a new framework for careers. Freedman suggests that it is necessary to change the way in which we view careers, and include the concept of sabbaticals between midlife and an encore career. The first step is to change terminology to avoid old stereotypes. Words like “young” and “old” and “working retired” reinforce negative stereotypes and old ways of thinking.
• Getting public support for new approaches to retirement. Innovative programs like Troops to Teachers, which provides incentives for retired military personnel to become teachers, are needed.
• Using resources and tools to get started. Freeman mentioned his organization’s new website, www.encore.org, which provides tools, a community and news about developments in encore careers. In addition, other sites that can get bridgers started on their path to encore careers include: Bridgestar, www.bridgestar.org; boardnetUSA, connecting leaders with nonprofit board openings, which can also be accessed through the Bridgestar site; and VolunteerMatch (www.volunteermatch.org). Civic Ventures has also launched Encore Colleges, a project with 10 community colleges that provides programs for boomers interested in transitioning into education, healthcare and human services. Information on this can be found at www.civicventures.org/communitycolleges/.
• Pursuing new opportunities. Some boomers are creating their own opportunities in encore careers through social entrepreneurship, getting education and training, and exploring social entrepreneurship. Civic Venture’s Purpose Prize recognizes these outstanding individuals.

“The nonprofit sector is facing a leadership deficit estimated by the Bridgespan Group at 640,000 senior leaders over the next decade. Instead of fully retiring, the boomer generation is looking to apply their skills and experience for the greater good,” said David Simms, managing partner, Bridgestar. “By offering information, resources, and opportunities they need, Bridgestar can help make their transition to the nonprofit sector easier and more successful.”

Each month, Bridgestar’s newsletter, “Leadership Matters,” focuses on a nonprofit leadership recruiting- or career-related theme. Available to Bridgestar members (or, for a complimentary subscription, please email subscribe@bridgestar.org), “Leadership Matters” is part of a robust portfolio of offerings that includes a free job board listing more than 250 nonprofit senior management positions across a range of service areas including the environment, human services, elder services, human rights, and youth services. Bridgestar has assisted many organizations in finding new leaders through its recruiting services, which include executive recruiting and related advisory activities.

The current issue of “Leadership Matters” is available at: https://www.bridgestar.org/resources/newsletters/2008/may2008.aspx

About Bridgestar
Bridgestar (www.bridgestar.org), an initiative of the Bridgespan Group, is a nonprofit organization providing recruiting services, a free senior management job board, content, and tools designed to help organizations build strong leadership teams and individuals pursue career paths as nonprofit leaders. Bridgestar’s goal is to attract, connect, and support senior talent, leading to greater organizational effectiveness and social impact.



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