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Sample Job Description

Center for Nonprofit Excellence:
Administrative & Research Assistant

Agency/Firm's Mission:

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNPE) is a nonprofit entity that serves as a management service organization to other nonprofit agencies in the Greater Louisville area. Its mission is to "serve regional nonprofits in their quest for management and service excellence through education, consultation and services that lead to improved effectiveness and efficiency." CNPE has over 300 nonprofit agencies among its membership, offers 40+ seminars annually, arranges for group purchasing savings, customizes consultation, conducts research assistance and serves as an information clearinghouse for nonprofits.

CNPE has 5 paid professional staff, graduate interns and a volunteer faculty of over 50 area professionals.

Value of the internship to the Agency/Firm:

The value of the intern to the organization includes: 1) improved capacity of CNPE to assimilate and analyze client data and research knowledge; 2) expanded view of trends among similar agencies (i.e. other MSOs throughout the country); 3) increase level of communication with member clients regarding their satisfaction with services and other needs and aspirations that CNPE should consider to better serve them.

Value of the internship to the Intern:

Interns are exposed to the inner workings of a small nonprofit as they attend CNPE staff, board and committee meetings, both observing and interacting with planning and improvement discussions. Weekly one-on-one supervision is provided to assure opportunities for additional learning, clarification, and feedback. Interns will gain a unique blend of depth and breadth observations about nonprofit work that span education, the arts, human and social services, the humanities and healthcare. Knowledge gained includes the development and measurement of training programs designed for nonprofit leaders, consultation in the areas of board development and strategic planning and key information and research needs associated with management, finance and governance.

Job Description:

Business hours for CNPE are 8:30 - 5, M-F. Although negotiable and flexible to a degree, these are also the standard work hours for advanced internships.

Assist CNPE so that it may achieve maximum utilization of leading trends in capacity-building endeavors across the country, past and current patterns of customer preferences with CNPE services, and ongoing data gathering and report preparation for review and analysis
Assist the Director of Training with a variety of service delivery work including: preparation and set up of training room; communication with participants of training by way of phone, email and personal contacts to determine the usefulness of training participation and how to better address their training and development needs; and assist the compilation and analysis of training activities.
Assist Membership Service Director with data management analysis and with membership communication.
Assist with CNPE library services to members through review an organization of currently maintained publications and to identify other periodicals and publications of potential value.
Under direction of Executive Director or other team members, conduct specific research based on member request or other informational needs associated with CNPE business.
Attends staff and, where appropriate, committee and board meetings.

A typical day at CNPE would likely involve the following: planning, preparation and analysis of seminars; conducting special research requests for member clients; reviewing and discussing client data analysis of CNPE services and their interests; compiling feedback and other service evaluation information; talking with nonprofit members to learn more about their needs and response to current services; planning consultation visits with Director of Consultation.

Management Goals:

Weekly one-hour sessions with Executive Director, or occasionally designee, to determine if the experience is mutually beneficial and to build opportunities for maximum enjoyment, learning and productivity. Supervisor is full time.

Expectations are that the intern be fully prepared for the workday with questions and ideas which should be asked and offered with as much spontaneity as possible. Dress code is business casual for the most part with occasional requirements for more formal business attire and, on occasion, dress down days. Punctuality is important. Opportunities for working off-site, library research or other flexible arrangements may also be made on occasion. Some reading beyond the standard workday may, from time to time, be needed. In all, the intern is fully a member of the CNPE team which will appreciatively welcome and embrace his or her addition to the team.
All organizational goals deal with how to better serve nonprofit organizations. Every activity is designed to support this goal.
1) Improve knowledge of customer's needs, values and aspirations;
2) Use best practices currently employed by leading management service organizations;
3) Design, implement and evaluate consultation, training, information and other key services.

Special Job Requirements:

Special requirements: Computer skills with knowledge of Access are very important; Ability to meet people and an interest to engage them in conversation about their needs a must; No other special skills or requirements are required.