Bridgestar Launches “Bridging to the Nonprofit Sector,” an Multimedia Portal for Executives Consider

Bridgestar, a nonprofit initiative of the Bridgespan Group dedicated to attracting, connecting and supporting senior leaders for the sector, today introduced a new portal, “Bridging to the Nonprofit Sector,” designed to help private-sector executives understand the nonprofit sector, identify networking opportunities, and position themselves for nonprofit careers.

[ClickPress, Tue Jun 19 2007] Bridgestar, a nonprofit initiative of the Bridgespan Group dedicated to attracting, connecting and supporting senior leaders for the sector, today introduced a new portal, “Bridging to the Nonprofit Sector,” designed to help private-sector executives understand the nonprofit sector, identify networking opportunities, and position themselves for nonprofit careers. The portal also offers advice to help nonprofit hiring managers be more effective in considering, recruiting, and hiring “bridgers.”

Featuring multimedia presentations along with articles and interactive tools, “Bridging to the Nonprofit Sector” offers resources for prospective and current leaders, and is designed to make the path to bridging easier and accessible. The content is based on Bridgestar’s work with, and interviews of, bridgers who successfully transferred their skills as well as perspectives from employers. Available at https://www.bridgestar.org/Resources/Toolkits/Bridgers/Default.aspx, the portal is the latest in a series that includes new resources for nonprofit COOs and CFOs, launched Nov. 2006 and March 2007, respectively.

The June issue of “Leadership Matters,” Bridgestar’s monthly newsletter that focuses on themes designed as a conversation about how to build and sustain effective nonprofit organizations, serves as an introduction to bridging, discussing why people bridge, the pathway, rewards, challenges, and keys to successful bridging. The feature article, “Bridging: An Overview,” quotes Tess Reynolds, chief executive officer, New Door Ventures, and former high-tech consultant: “I make less money now, but I am much better paid.”

The current issue of “Leadership Matters” is available to Bridgestar members at: https://www.bridgestar.org/Resources/Newsletters/2007/June2007.aspx. For a complimentary subscription, please email subscribe@bridgestar.org.

“Facing the need for as many as 640,000 new leaders by 2016, according to the Bridgespan Group, the nonprofit sector must reach out to people with a wide variety of backgrounds. Senior leaders with business or government experience hold great promise, and pose great challenges, for the sector as they seek out and assume roles in nonprofits. The new portal addresses the challenges of adjusting to work in a mission-based environment. Our goal is to help prepare potential bridgers for a world in which quarterly earnings no longer define success or failure, and hiring managers to anticipate their needs and how to leverage their skills successfully,” said David Simms, managing partner, Bridgestar.

“Bridging to the Nonprofit Sector” includes:
• Bridging skills: The conditions necessary for the successful transfer of skills and experiences from the for-profit sector into the nonprofit sector.
• Tips on successful networking: A guide to making the networking process effective and productive.
• Video FAQs on bridging, featuring Bridgestar talent-matching professionals
• Nonprofit job search tips: Helpful tips for starting a job search in the nonprofit sector.
• Profiles of nonprofit practitioners: Experienced nonprofit leaders who switched from the for-profit to the nonprofit sector share their pathways into the sector, along with the rewards and challenges of their current nonprofit management positions.
• Profiles of types of organizations most open to career-changers.
• Helpful links, including external resources and links to assist in the exploration of the nonprofit sector.

In addition, through the portal, users can:
• Access the Bridgestar job board to find nonprofit senior leadership opportunities and/or post senior leadership positions, free of charge.
• Register for the boardnetUSA board introductory service, which connects individuals interested in using their skills and talents with nonprofits recruiting board members.

The portal also provides approaches, tips and video from Bridgestar experts to help nonprofit interviewers assess a bridger candidate’s transferable experience and qualities. Differences in organizational culture between the for-profit and nonprofit sectors are real, as are compensation differences, leading some in the sector to be concerned about bridgers’ ability to navigate them. One of the new sections on the portal provides organizations with approaches to take to avoid common hiring pitfalls and find the right candidates; for example, to look for evidence of the candidate’s understanding of and passion for the organization’s mission, even if it’s not in the job history; also, to determine what specific skills and experience are needed, and look first for candidates who have them, without regard to where those skills were acquired. “Hiring a Bridger: Interview Guide,” an article available on the site, provides competency areas, suggested interview questions, and key points to look for in candidate answers that will help you evaluate the candidate’s ability to be a successful bridger.

About Bridgestar
Bridgestar (www.bridgestar.org), an initiative of the Bridgespan Group, is a nonprofit organization providing talent-matching services, 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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