Support for Those Who Support Others: Survey on Professional Development for Non-Profit Staff

Human capital is the number one asset of any non-profit organization. Unfortunately, only 1% of foundation investments support staff development, and unrestricted donations are often spread thin across a number of expenses. This leaves few, if any, resources for professional development (PD), even though strong PD - training, coaching, job shadowing, and mentoring - can improve program quality and results. While businesses spend $120 per person on PD, non-profits spend a mere $29.

We know non-profit leaders are frustrated by this lack of investment - about half of those who leave a role cite a lack of PD as the reason for their departure. Moreover, the sector’s well-documented lack of diversity is worsened when PD is ignored; evidence shows that employees of color often perceive limited or nonexistent PD as a form of bias. The non-profit sector can do better, so ChangePD set out to learn more and develop solutions.

According to 100 non-profit professionals, the least effective forms of PD are the most available. Studies show that “sustained and intensive” PD is most effective and that learning alongside one's colleagues maximizes impact. 

When asked what they want PD to look like, respondents said "I would like it to focus on the harder topics for people to talk about", "More mentoring and coaching from leadership", and "It would be very helpful if there was follow up after the workshop to make sure I'm 1) actually implementing what I learned in the training and 2) doing it correctly." 

What can we do? Non-profits leaders must commit to their team's development through coaching and job-relevant, on-site PD. Organizations should create a culture of learning, where staff are not penalized for taking time away to develop their skills. Instead, PD should be viewed as a necessary activity to deliver quality programs. Trainers can customize offerings and deliver PD over time. They can also provide follow-up services to check on implementation of learning and offer extra support as needed.

You can download the report here. ​

Methods:
ChangePD distributed an electronic survey via Google Forms through an e-mail list of non-profit professionals and through social media (Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn). One-hundred respondents completed the survey. A copy of the survey is available upon request.

Sources:
Douglas, B. & Stahl, R. (2017). Less than we thought: A New Analysis of Foundation Investment In The Nonprofit Workforce. Fund the People
Hill, S. (2012). Leap of Faith: A Literature Review on the Effects of Professional Development on Program Quality and Youth Outcomes. Accessed from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED539187.pdf. 
Fund the People. (2017). Accessed from http://fundthepeople.org/toolkit/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Investment-Deficit-by-the-Numbers.pdf.
Garret, M.S., Porter, A.C., Desimone, L., Birman, B.F., & Yoon, K.S. (2001). What makes professional development effective? Results from a national sample of teachers. American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 915-945. 
Landles-Cobb, L., Kramer, K. & Smith Milway, K. (2015). The nonprofit leadership development deficit. Accessed from: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_nonprofit_leadership_development_deficit