Three New Podcasts: a Nonprofit Leader, a Sector Switcher, and a Job Seeker

Posted as part of Nonprofit Career Month, featuring the diversity of career opportunities in the nonprofit sector.


From Flickr user Hryck. via Creative Commons Here are three new episodes we hope you enjoy:

1. Nonprofit Leader: Mac Bennett of United Way
Since March 2005, Mac Bennett has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of the Midlands in Columbia, SC. He is also a founding director of the South Carolina Association of Nonprofit Organizations (SCANPO) and has served as Executive Director of the Central Carolina Community Foundation.

Idealist's Amy Potthast chats with Mac about making a difference while making a living; how Mac got started as a volunteer in the sector; the variety of ways to serve your community; and Jim Collin's book Good to Great and the Social Sectors.

Click here to listen.

2. Sector Switcher: Arlene Siegel Cogen, Applying Financial Planning Skills in the Nonprofit Sector
Arlene Siegel Cogen is a Charitable Gift Planner with The Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) in Portland, OR. At OCF, Arlene’s main focus is individuals, families, professional advisors, and businesses who would like to establish current or testamentary charitable funds or deferred gifts.

Arlene entered her nonprofit career after 20 years of working in the corporate sector. As a Certified Financial Planner, Arlene worked for companies such as West Coast Trust and Allen Trust, Citibank, US Trust and First Union before finding her "dream job" with the Oregon Community Foundation. Amy talks with Arlene about the process of changing careers at mid-life, the crucial role of networking, and finding work that aligns with your financial goals as well as your values.

Click here to listen.

3. Job Seeker: Abby Flottemesch, a Mid-Career Development Professional
Abby Flottemesch is a Minnesota native who is currently engaged in a job search. Abby recently completed a year-long fellowship with Atlas Service Corps. As a fellow, she traveled to Bogota to work with the Saldarriaga Concha Foundation – a Colombian foundation that provides resources to organizations that work with disabled individuals and the elderly.

Prior to her Atlas Corps Fellowship, Abby worked for five years in program and fund development in Minneapolis and in Washington, DC, with The Campus Kitchens Project (CKP). Abby also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member, organizing community development efforts in Puerto Rico. Amy speaks with Abby about the important skills required in a fund development role at a nonprofit; her recent Atlas Corps Fellowship, and her job search strategies.

Click here to listen.

You can browse the entire directory of Idealist.org podcasts here.