Tightening of philanthropic and government funding for social service programs has pushed nonprofit providers to search for new, innovative, more effective and efficient ways to deliver services. On March 6, United Way, in partnership with Ashoka, will convene a discussion on the apparent blurring of the nonprofit sector with for-profit businesses.

This convergence has presented significant opportunity for nonprofits to adopt and adapt for-profit practices for social good. Steve Rothschild, United Way board member and an Ashoka fellow, recently released a book entitled “The Non Nonprofit – For-Profit Thinking for Nonprofit Success” that highlights how nonprofits can leverage principles practiced in the for-profit sector. The 7 For-Profit Principles Rothschild lays out push nonprofits to stay relevant and quantify value in an environment where social service funding simply cannot keep pace with need.
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Job Clubs and Career Ministries: On the Front Lines of Getting Americans Back to Work

Date: Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Registration Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Temple Israel, 2324 Emerson Ave S., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55405
Free Parking at Fremont Avenue Entrance between 22nd and 24th Streets

Please join Deputy Secretary of Labor Seth Harris and the Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships for a symposium on the important role of job clubs and career ministries in getting Americans back to work. Participants and attendees will include job club coordinators, workforce development officials, faith leaders, nonprofit leaders, employers, and job seekers and workers who will discuss the various ways job clubs and career ministries support communities to help the unemployed regain their footing and transition back to the workforce.

Job club programs based at religious institutions, community colleges, and community-based organizations offer an opportunity for unemployed individuals to come together and share professional networks, learn the latest job search techniques, and receive emotional support. The Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships recently launched a new project to connect with job clubs and facilitate partnerships between job clubs and the workforce investment system, including One-Stop Career Centers, community colleges, and nonprofit service organizations.
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We entered the new year with no signs that the sluggish economy will rebound in force anytime soon. Ongoing concern about the burdens suffered by many in this economy brought more than 130 stakeholders from around the Twin Cities together on January 12 to think collectively about strategies that can build regional job growth and improve employment opportunities for all. Download a copy of the program.

The United Way teamed up with the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation to host this important conversation, which featured a
keynote address from Eric Seleznow of the National Skills Coalition (NSC). As State Policy Director for NSC, Eric was well positioned to describe innovative education and training strategies that are being successfully implemented across the country. Erick Ajax, of the metal forming company, E.J. Ajax and Sons, and Valerie DeFor of HealthForce Minnesota, offered a local perspective on successful industry-driven training programs. READ MORE