Not for profit skills crisis? Stay passionate!

At my recent “Creating the Working Life you Love” workshops in Melbourne, we discussed the enormous growth of the not-for-profit or community sector in Australia and the commensurate need for skilled employees. Add to this the growing reporting requirements by stakeholders and everything is headed towards two things (at least!): A review of NFP salaries to attract skilled workers and the need for updated technology systems to enable improved communication to donors, supporters and the community about the progress our organisations are making.
It made us all comment on the increasing professionalisation of the sector and while this was in many ways a good thing it also represented the passing of the age of what I termed the ‘socks and sandal brigade’, those passionate individuals who were all about the cause, all about the passion, all about making a difference, whatever their skills.
While skills and talent are going to add hugely to the value and outcomes the sector can deliver, we don’t want to lose our passion.. after all, that’s what makes life worth living.
Yours passionately….