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Training and Development in the Nonprofit Sector: The employer's perspective
January 12, 2004
By Louise Chatterton Luchuk
It is gratifying when the nonprofit sector comes out ahead. A 2003
Canadian Policy Research Networks (CPRN)
report entitled Skills
and Training in the Non-profit Sector revealed that the nonprofit
sector fares well when it comes to training its employees. For instance,
the report tells us that:
- nonprofit employers show a higher commitment to training in terms
of both classroom instruction and financial support.
- there is a higher rate of participation in training by the nonprofit
sector than in the for-profit sector by employees with a wide range
of characteristics and educational qualifications.
- the incidence of training is higher for women, for workers aged
35-44, and for those over 45 than in the for-profit sector.
- the incidence of training in nonprofit organizations is especially
higher among women in managerial and professional positions.
Nevertheless, there are still practical issues, challenges, and inadequacies that
need to be tackled by nonprofit sector employers in their attempts to
offer training and development opportunities for their employees.
Training scenarios
The CPRN report acknowledges growing demands on the nonprofit sector, in large
part because of increased responsibilities, decreased funding, and the
shifting involvement of volunteers. Therefore, well-trained employees
are critical. Marty Hornstein, executive director of the Learning
Disabilities Association of Alberta - Calgary Chapter, agrees. "Professional
development is a critical part of an organization's ability to ensure
that its staff are provided with the tools to meet their job expectations.
Those tools ought to be current in order to meet the demands of their
positions in real time, so to speak." To accomplish this, his organization
has both an organizational philosophy and a budget to allow for professional
development. The five employees at the association are able to choose
their own professional development opportunities in order to meet their
interests and benefit the organization.
Staff at the Institute for Media, Policy
and Civil Society (IMPACS) recently finished a three-day training-focused
retreat. The retreat provided opportunities for personal, team, and organizational
development. On an ongoing basis, training components are integrated into
IMPACS staff meetings. Annually, $500 per person - regardless of the employee's
level in the organization - is budgeted for professional development.
Still, executive director Shauna Sylvester acknowledges, "I don't
think we're doing enough. I would like an additional 20% of each person's
salary to go towards training."
Lisa Salley, executive director of the Kingston
Military Family Resource Centre (KMFRC), also offers regular in-house
training. Besides tapping into staff expertise and local community resources,
the KMFRC has the advantage of accessing expertise from the larger military
community - for instance, the conflict resolution centre and the military's
career help centre. If professional development is identified as part
of an employee's performance appraisal and goal setting, the KMFRC provides
paid time off for the training in addition to paying the training fees.
If the training is for career development that is not directly applicable
to an employee's current position (but still beneficial to the organization),
the training is paid for by the KMFRC but must be done on an employee's
own time. Employees are encouraged to share what they've learned so that
other employees also benefit from the learning.
Creatively facing the funding challenge
Funding professional development, of course, is a major challenge for nonprofit employers. Hornstein points out that there are very few donors or granting programs that will support staff development because many consider it is as an administrative expense. That means that an organization that is committed to offering training opportunities must do so creatively. Sylvester leverages her organization's own expertise and barters for training. That may mean a workshop exchange with another organization or business. Sometimes it means that in return for private sponsorship for an IMPACS staff person to attend a conference, that staff member will come back and train the staff from the sponsoring company. "Build alliances with smart people in the private sector," says Sylvester, "and through their interaction with you, they will learn more about our sector."
Salley suggests identifying other organizations that might be interested
in cost-sharing the training opportunity. She also recommends that organizations
do a skills inventory of their staff and board. People are sometimes only
using some of their skills in their current position. "You don't need
to pay big bucks for training. You don't need to hire an external expert."
You do need to know the full range of skills and expertise within your
staff and board so you can develop and benefit from peer learning opportunities.
Also, by doing a skills inventory you are aware of the skills and resource
you have to offer another organization in exchange.
Other challenges to be faced
Funding is not the only challenge. Sylvester notes the lack of opportunities to meet the professional development needs of senior managers. Many courses are only at the basic nonprofit management level. The fact that IMPACS is a unique nonprofit consulting social enterprise with no model to follow and few mentors also complicates the situation. Where does IMPACS go for applicable professional development? Sylvester is often left looking at private and American offerings - which are not totally satisfactory options.
For Salley at the KMFRC, another issue is staff coverage while an employee is away on training. Some positions require a replacement, which means the KMFRC is paying for the training, the staff time for the employee on training, plus the staff time of the replacement.
What about training someone who then leaves for another organization, is that one of the challenges? Not according to Sylvester. "People come and go. If you have invested in them, then they are an ally. IMPACS is about building civil society, so we are still meeting our mission." Salley's philosophy is that she doesn't expect employees to stay more than five years. "Our organization has a flat structure with limited room to grow internally. So, career development means moving on and I ask employees what skills they want to develop in their current job but to also fulfill their career goals." And as Hornstein points out, training is an important perk in a sector that cannot offer many monetary employment bonuses or incentives.
Hornstein, Sylvester and Salley all recognize the important benefits of
offering professional development for their staff. There resides their
motivation and creativity when it comes to facing the challenges and also
protecting their professional development budget allocations. Training
and skills development increase an organization's capacity to fulfill
its mission. Attending workshops, courses, and conferences provides the
side benefit of networking that can lead to partnering and learning about
new resources as well as best practices of other organizations. Hornstein
has seen firsthand how "employee morale is better as the staff are given
opportunity to grown and develop professionally. The cost is well worth
the payoff as employees tend to stay in their positions longer and they
are eager and willing to try the new ideas and concepts that they have
learned."
Louise Chatterton Luchuk is a freelance writer and consultant who
combines her love of writing with experience at the local, provincial
and national levels of volunteer-involving organizations. For more information,
visit www.luchuk.com.
