Consider nonprofits when looking for next career move

Charles Desiderio doesn't understand why more people don't consider local nonprofit business when looking for employment, particularly when the country and a majority of its people are in such great need.

"There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction working for (a charity)," said Desiderio, director of development and marketing for the Clark County administration of the Salvation Army. "You go to a major food drive and then start handing out food to families that really need it. Then, when you go to bed at night and put your head on the pillow, you know that hundreds and hundreds of families will have dinner because of what you did that day."

And then you get to do it all over again. "Each day is different," he said.

According to Non Profit Employment, the average base salary for an administrative assistant at nonprofit agencies was a little more than $31,000 last year, on par if not slightly above the same median income for administrative assistants in the private business sector. The Urban Institute Research of Record reports that more than 1.5 million nonprofits were registered with the Internal Revenue Service in 2008. Public charities were the largest single category with more than 950,000 organizations accounting for three-fourths of nonprofit revenue.

While the economy is down, charities continue to thrive with less. In 2009 total private giving was $303.8 billion, down almost 4 percent from 2008. The Salvation Army has more than 200 employees and is constantly looking for applicants to fill positions quickly when turnover occurs.The nonprofit is currently taking applications.

"Right now we don't have specific positions that are open, but we may have an opening tomorrow," Desiderio said. "Just like with any other business, we have turnover all year long. If we lose someone in accounting or in the dining room, we'll go through the applications."

The Salvation Army helps families and individuals in need of basic living supplies, shelter, substance abuse counseling, work and other social or economic needs. It is an international organization and part of the universal Christian Church. It is the largest social service organization in the country and the world, he said. Its website is www.salvationarmy.org

"What a tremendous accomplishment that is, doing something concrete that is positive," he said.

There are more than 13,000 homeless in Las Vegas, and the Salvation Army reaches out to them throughout the year.

"We conduct interviews with every homeless person who comes in," Desiderio said.

The local chapter of the Salvation Army offers career courses and other social programs to assist the homeless in changing their life's path.

"When they say yes and we put them through culinary school, that's a 10-week program, and when they graduate and you are in the audience that is an incredible moment," he said.

There are many types of citations and accomplishments that the homeless receive through Salvation Army's programs, including adult rehabilitation programs and family services.

"That's the single best thing about working for a nonprofit," Desiderio said. "What you can do for others is tremendous."

And that is tied in importance with raising money for the organization, he said. Stations Casinos reached out to the Salvation Army locally after Hurricane Katrina hit the South in 2005.

"When Stations Casinos came to us and took a liking to us, and when they gave us a half-million-dollar check, I almost fell off my chair," he said. "Developing relationships with them and other organizations in the city, that's very important to what we do as a nonprofit. If you are going to work for a nonprofit, building relationships is everything."

Training is key for many roles at the Salvation Army.

"If our (potential) employees are going to be working with addicts, they have to be certified," Desiderio said. "If they are working in the dining room, where children are involved, families, mothers, fathers and kids, they have to have credentials that prove they went through child-protective courses and are good to work around kids."

When hiring, the organization looks at the applicant's personality.

"You have to be, number one, understanding," he said. "You have to understand about the homeless situation, and you have to realize we are going to have homeless forever."

The job can be rewarding, as well as difficult for someone who works diligently to assist each person who walks through the door.

"We try to take those negative issues away from the homeless and make them whole again," he said. "The truth of the matter is we do succeed sometimes, but, darn it, as soon as you succeed with one, three more homeless show up on your doorstep that have just moved here from somewhere else."

The largest event for the Salvation Army locally is scheduled on May 11, the annual awards luncheon.

"It's our way of acknowledging the wonderful people that have done things for us," he said.

Nevada Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Jackie Glass will be the guest speaker.

"We sent her a simple email and she sent an email back in nine seconds and said she would be absolutely honored; that's the type of person she is," he said.

The event will take place in the Dallas Ballroom at Texas station. Tickets are available at Station Casinos.

On May 14, the annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive arrives. It is the largest one-day food drive in the world, and the Salvation Army is the largest receiver of the canned and nonperishable food that the United States Postal Service employees pick up.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does all the boxing and mailing for the Salvation Army.

"This food drive is just an amazing event every year," he said.

Desiderio joined the Salvation Army 11 years ago after he was turned down at local casinos, which he contributed to being older. He had decades of experience. Since he was hired, the company has grown from $4.7 million to $18 million in revenue.

"I found that nonprofits look at people a little differently, they look at the experience and the heart," he said. "We have people with big hearts, intelligence and loads of experience.

The business aspect is just as important as the caring quotient.

"You have to treat a nonprofit just like you'd treat a for-profit business," he said. "But instead of taking care of cars or typewriters, we are taking care of people's lives."

Shannon Bentham, executive director for the Children's Heart Foundation, agrees.

"I think most people strive to do something bigger, to set in motion events that change lives and our community," she said. "Working for a nonprofit allows a person to take what they are passionate about and give their talents to that cause."

Children's Heart Foundation is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of children with heart conditions throughout Nevada.

"We empower heart families through emotional, educational and financial support to inspire a higher quality of life for all. It's an honor to serve this community through Children's Heart Foundation. I feel very blessed to have this job."

Children's Heart Foundation is currently examining its budget for program and staff expansion. However, those decisions are still being made. The foundation accepts applications and looks for more than the position to fill.

"We examine the employee's skills based on the job that we are hiring," she said. "However, we always look for passion and true willingness to help children. We want our employees to care about Nevada and its children and place that passion into their work."

As to the pay scale for nonprofits, everything is relative.

"I have found there to be no average. If the organization is large and the job description considerable, $100,000 may be low," she said. "For a small, startup charity, $35,000 may be a lot.

The foundation is looking forward to one of its biggest fundraising events.

"We have a wonderful event on May 29 called, 'We Heart Maggie,'" Bentham said. "It's a golf tournament at Black Mountain Golf and Country Club that has sold out each year.

"This special day celebrates the life of little Maggie (Stewart). She passed away in July 2008 due to complications during a procedure to correct a congenital heart defect. Her parents, John and Mollie Stewart, put their heart into making this a wonderfully successful event that keeps growing."

Go to www.Weheartmaggie.com for more details.

Working for a nonprofit can make a difference in your life, said Brian Patchett, president and CEO of Easter Seals Southern Nevada.

"With Easter Seals, or something that is based on trying to make a difference, the work you do goes directly to the people you are trying to help."

There's also room to work around your specific skills, family priorities and personal needs.

Easter Seals is constantly changing and growing and is almost always hiring. Care workers, therapists, physical speech and occupational therapists, new directors and new managers and maintenance positions are currently open.

There are many myths that surround nonprofit employment, he said.

"There's a stereotype of nonprofits of being a mom and pop shop where it's more of a charitable thing, mostly donating your time and that there's not a lot of money," he said.

"But when working for a nonprofit such as Easter Seals, Opportunity Village, Goodwill or someone like that, or even a museum as a nonprofit, or if you get into Green Peace, these are usually pretty well run nonprofits that can feel more open than a big corporation. But still, the bottom line for any organization is that you want to run a good business."

Just as with any large corporation, Patchett looks for long-term employment when interviewing applicants.

"For me, it's the consistent services we offer, benefits package and other things that people will want in order to make a career out of working for Easter Seals," he said. "Some jobs are very specific, but more than that, for a lot of positions, we are looking for skill sets or people who have the ability to be trained in some cases to do certain things."

An ability to grow into other positions is important for the organization.

"I'm looking for somebody who has attributes to work with people with disabilities, a solid work ethic, who is not afraid to acknowledge their skills and grow," he said.

On April 23, Easter Seals will have its annual Walk With Me event and an Easter event the following day at Wayne Bunker Park.

"It's a wonderful event with our partner Vons, which has already started raising money for (Easter Seals)," Patchett said. "We have a lot of events to look forward to this year." Go to www.sn.easterseals.com for all of the event details.

April is sexual assault awareness month, and one local organization dedicates its services all year long to those who have encountered a traumatic event.

The Rape Crisis Center has been the only nonprofit provider of sexual assault intervention and prevention in Southern Nevada since 1974, said Lu Torres, executive director of the Rape Crisis Center.

"We provide 24-hour advocacy to victims of sexual assault to both adults and children, serving over 700 victims last year. This is in addition to a 24-hour hot line service for primary and secondary victims," Torres said. "Victim advocacy includes immediate hospital services, follow up, referrals, support groups and court accompaniment."

Torres enjoys the job and understands that while it can be an emotionally difficult job for some, it is a lifesaver for so many, and personally rewarding almost daily.

"I am able to give back to the community, and at the end of the day the organization can make a difference in the life of a community member," Torres said. "Another aspect is that since we are involved in current issues, we have the ability to make change in the Nevada."

The center is planning a luncheon in partnership with Leadership Henderson. (Go to www.therapecrisiscenter.org for the full details.)

"We have a luncheon for two reasons," Torres said, "To raise awareness about sexual violence in our community (and to) raise money to purchase clothing for the victims when their clothing is taken for forensic evidence."

A giant pastry fundraising fair, "We Knead the Dough," will happen Sept. 25 at The District at Green Valley Ranch.

The Rape Crisis Center plans to fill one position and is open to applications.

"The training I would look for would be to specific positions such as accounting, or development (and) I would look for training in grant management," Torres said.

As with any nonprofit, it comes down to personal skills that mean more than a resume.

"For the most part, since we deal with victims of sexual assault, look for 'words from the heart,' the maturity to deal with confidentiality and sensitive stories," Torres said.