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Matt and his family pose for a quick picture.

Matt- Customer Service Representative

After spending two years on a mission trip in Mexico working with Scouts on service projects for people and groups throughout the country, Matt, a Customer Service Representative who is also fluent in Spanish, knew that he wanted to help others in every capacity he could.

“I think that human kindness, family, and good friends are one of the main purposes of life and that we should all strive to be kind to one another. I know it sounds cheesy, but when kindness, respect, and love are present, it makes all the difference,” he says.

“I still do many service projects for people who otherwise could not do them on their own, but causes that support children are my top priority. Children should not have to suffer, and any cause that helps educate them, feed them, care for the disabled, tend to the sick, or provide for under privileged kids is important to me,” he explains.

“I also love environmental causes though; nature has given me lots of joys and I want the same for my kids. One of my favorite memories growing up is being on the nose of my dad’s surfboard paddling out at Malibu, and it’s important to me that they are able to make memories that are just

as impacting.”

An avid outdoor enthusiast, Matt spends as much of his free time as possible outside with his family and lists Yosemite, Malibu, and Rincon among his favorite places to be.

“In my time away from work and church, I love anything outdoors—surfing, skiing, or even just being at the ocean or in the mountains. They’re all great places to spend time with my family and friends outside, and that’s what I call the ‘ultimate fun.’”

Want to share surf stories with Matt? Tweet him @USTTrust with the hashtag #MeetUSTMondays.

Nonprofits connect communities.

A study by the John Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies (@JHUCCSS) has found that nonprofits are a significant and growing source of jobs and economic activity worldwide.

The study, The State of Global Civil Society and Volunteering: Latest Findings from the Implementation of the UN Nonprofit Handbook, found that if both paid staff members and volunteers are counted, nonprofits employ 7.4 percent of the total workforce—on average—in 13 nations for which this information was available.

Furthermore, because nonprofits are growing so quickly, it was found that their ec

onomic activity is outpacing that of the national average of economic growth in many of the nations studied.

Does this ring true at your nonprofit and in your community? Does it make a difference? Let us know!

Want more about the findings? Read this overview.

Read more about the study’s findings here.

Megan C.- Customer Service Representative

A sunset Megan captured outside her house last week! How gorgeous is that?!

After starting out with UST’s Accounts Payable department, Megan C. was excited to be offered a position as a Customer Service Representative in February. “I was excited about helping nonprofits potentially save money on their operating costs after having volunteered with nonprofits in the past,” she explains.

“I worked with MDA and helped with their Fill the Boot and Winter Wine Down campaigns. And although I still haven’t had the chance, I’ve wanted to work with the Make-A-Wish foundation since they helped my cousin, who was battling an unknown cancer, ”* she says.

“My cousin was 19 when he passed away and really into gaming, so the Make-A-Wish foundation redid his room and decked it out with all sorts of entertainment and gaming systems that he was then able to play. It made a big difference to him.”

Growing up with a large family, Megan treasures her memories of summers on Cape Cod and at the beach, Thanksgiving with her whole family present, and her grandparents’ stories of growing up in Greece. “Being half Greek, and hearing their stories throughout my own childhood, my grandparents have easily convinced me that I want to visit and experience the culture first hand.”

Have questions for Megan? Tweet her @USTTrust with the hashtag #MeetUSTMondays!

*About 5 percent of those diagnosed with cancer have a previously unrecognized form.

Know your priorities before you begin negotiating.

The end of our mnemonic prioritizing what you want most in your benefits and salary package at a new nonprofit is often the hardest. It requires that you legitimately sit down and determine which benefits are the most important to you and where you have the most wiggle room.

For instance, the title of your position more important than the amount of money you make a year? Is an extra $3,000 or $5,000 of salary a make or break issue for a position that you would love to have?

Prioritize

If you get too hung up on a single point in the negotiation process, it can slow everything down and create issues that may haunt you later down the line.

And remember, if you do anything out of line in the negotiation, or if anything in your package is seen as excessive, controversial, or deemed “special interest” there may be problems down the line when it comes to managing your team and working with other stakeholders throughout the organization. So, if you don’t think something in your package is worth fighting for long after negotiations are over, consider leaving it out.

What other tips do you have for negotiating a nonprofit compensation package? Are there things that you can’t live without? Tell us about them on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!

Yesterday we began by explaining how research can give you a better idea of what negotiations will be like—and what items you most want to negotiate—during the pre-hire stage, so today let’s “Focus on the Future.”

Because, as you know sometimes jobs come along that are simply too good to turn down, so in these cases it’s even more important that you recognize the difference between what you need, what you want and where the difference is.

Focus on the future in your negotiations to make sure you don’t get stuck in your financial past.

Focus on the Future

If you can, evaluate the non-monetary points of the compensation package to determine if they help fill the gap. Maybe you are able to take a leave of absence every year, or you can create flexible working hours that allow you to work during the times that make the most sense for your life. Since the monetary portions of any compensation package are often the most stringently reviewed—and the least likely to pass muster—look at the amount of value that is gained from other components of the proposed compensation package.

If even this doesn’t pass your compensation test, consider whether you (and the organization) would be interested in revisiting the package a few months down the line when you have shown your worth. It’s possible that the decision makers may be more inclined to offer you better perks if you have proven yourself a valuable member of their organizational team.

What other tips do you have for negotiating a nonprofit compensation package? Are there special things that you don’t think you’d be able live without in the future? Tell us about them on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!

If you’re like many people the idea of having to sit down and negotiate a compensation package—of any kind—dulls the thrill of finding a new job and learning that you’re the right fit. But by preparing yourself for the conversation you are better positioned to come to a happy medium with your potential employer.

If they’re fighting this hard, chances are they didn’t do their research!

As a starting point, make sure that you’ve gotten far enough along in the interview process that you’re questions are appropriate. The standard suggests that asking in the first meeting is too forward, but by the second or third interview you should have some idea of whether or not the salary fits your expectations and living standards.

Once you have an idea of what the salary may be, and are firmly knowledgeable of the fact that the organization (and you!) have decided you’re right for the position be “Ready For Practice.”

A short mnemonic you can easily remember to help you better retain these principles, “Ready For Practice” translates to: Research, Focus on the Future, and Prioritize.

Let’s start with “Research.”

Research

If you don’t already know them, research the standard compensation benefits for specific nonprofit jobs. Often nonprofits review their executive compensation packages annually against peer organizations, but if you aren’t looking for an executive position you may have more hurdles to jump.

Often nonprofit positions outside of the executive suite are more heavily influenced by internal structures and the current compensation of peer positions. The better you understand these ranges, the more leverage you can create to tailor a request close to the standard that the Board or CEO will accept.

Also look at the financial history of the organization you are interested in working with. If you notice that they have had a rough time for the past 5 years, it may not be in your best interest, or in theirs, for you to ask for $500,000 a year. But, if you look at their financial history and see that they have the right combination of stability and growth that would merit a larger salary for your position, ask for it.

What other tips do you have for negotiating a nonprofit compensation package? Do you have any little known (or best used) research practices others can use? Tell us about them on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn!

Lisa (in red) poses with Laura, Megan, Angela, Robin, and Kim (from left) with their UST mugs.

Lisa- Customer Service & Enrollment

When Lisa started working with the Unemployment Services Trust (UST) in May of 2012, she was revving to go. “I was excited about the opportunity to finally—after many years of working—be doing something that actually makes a difference,” she explains.

As a Customer Service & Enrollment Specialist, Lisa spends the majority of her time talking to nonprofit organizations all around the U.S. to  explain how the Trust can help lower the cost of unemployment, and to get them the information they need to make an informed decision. She prides herself in being a gateway for each new organization; helping each agency weigh their decision about whether to stay with the State UI system, opt out and reimburse on their own, or join the Trust.

“I have volunteered at retirement homes, as well as in the critical care unit working for new babies, and I feel very strongly about both the elderly and infants/children. They are the most vulnerable and innocent populations and I love helping them,” she says.

“But in my time off, I’m such a homebody,” she laughs. “I read, watch movies, do cross-word puzzles and spend time with my family and friends…and dance in the living room. In fact, if I could dance for a living, I would. I love to dance on my own to music, just expressing whatever I feel. But my absolute favorite place to be is curled up on my couch on a rainy day with a great book, my kitties around me, and someone I love next to me.”

As much as Lisa’s cats and her couch may call her name though, she’s still been bitten by the travel bug: “For years the Beatles were an enormous part of my life, and I adore them, so I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to go to Liverpool, England, and see where they began.”

Have questions for Lisa? Want to talk about why the Trust makes sense for so many different orgs, or tell her about your own Beatlemania? Tweet her @USTTrust!

Made available to us by the National Council of Nonprofits (as featured in their March 11 issue of Nonprofit Advocacy Matters), the following infographic helps illustrate the true human impact of the sequestration.

Sequestration infographic

Over the past three decades the Federal Reserve has remained historically true to its primary goal: keeping inflation low as a path to economic prosperity.

But in the last four years the Federal Reserve has slowly shifted away from this path and begun implementing measures in an attempt to shape the labor market, including tying billions of dollars of stimulus money to the health of the labor market. The central bank has also vowed to keep interest rates at historic lows until the unemployment rate drops to at least 6.5 percent—a 2.2 percent decrease from the February 2013 jobs report.

It has yet to be determined how much influence the central bank will actually wield over unemployment, however, since it is unable to direct businesses to hire more employees or inspire entrepreneurs to create jobs.

Even if the Federal Reserve is able to decrease unemployment rates and get more people working, it is possible that the new dedication to reducing the unemployment rate could have unintended consequences; namely stoking inflation that a generation of central bankers worked tirelessly to tame.

Yet, the general consensus is that the gamble will be worth it. What do you think?

Read the original Washington Post article here.

by Guest Blogger Douglas J. Holmes, President of UWC- Strategic Services on Unemployment & Workers’ Compensation

The US Department of Labor has released instructions to states in response to the federal sequester that became effective March 1, 2013.

Changes to UI, as announced in the recent UI program letter, could affect your organization. Have you read the full letter yet?

Regular state unemployment compensation amounts are not directly impacted by the sequester. However, the details of the impact on funding for UI administration at the federal and state level and  in sorting out the reduction amounts for individual weekly Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and Extended Benefit (EB) claims will be confusing for claimants, state agencies and employers and will likely result in higher error rates due to the short time to respond with programming, lack of training for staff, and misunderstanding of changes.

Sequestration specifically applies to

1. UI state administrative grants under Title III, Social Security Act
2. Administrative funding for UCFE, UCX, and administrative funding for TRA, ATAA, and RTAA benefits under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act
3. Reemployment and Eligibility Assessments (REAs) for regular UI program claimants
4. UI national administrative activity funding
5. Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits and administrative funding
6. EUC related Reemployment Services and Reemployment  and Eligibility Assessments
7. Federal reimbursements of state Short Time Compensation benefit costs
8. The federal share of extended benefit reimbursement

The DOL has asked that states make adjustments necessary to implement the reductions as soon as possible, and that EUC weekly benefit amounts and total EUC benefits payable be reduced by 10.7% effective with the week of March 31, 2013. However, recognizing that there may be some states that are not able to implement the reductions on March 31, 2013, states may delay implementation but the applicable percentage reduction will increase with later implementation.

The DOL has prescribed a notice to be sent to claimants explaining the reason for the reduction in EUC payments.

Impact on charges to state UI trust fund and employers in federal share of Extended Benefits

Of particular concern to employers in states that have triggered regular Extended Benefits (EB) is that the federal share of the EB payment will be reduced from the temporary 100% federal reimbursement, increasing the share to be paid through charges to employers and the state unemployment trust fund. Alaska is currently the only state triggered, but this cut in reimbursement should be noted as a concern in other states as well. A state may pass legislation detailed in the DOL program letter to reduce the EB Weekly Benefit Amount by the percentage of the cut.

A number of states enacted optional EB trigger provisions due to or conditioned on there being 100% federal reimbursement for the payments. The federally promised 100% reimbursement is now being cut, raising the policy and legislative issue as to the impact on laws requiring 100% reimbursement and states that assumed 100% federal reimbursement when enacting the optional triggers.

State administrative complexity will cause overpayments

Instead of simply reducing the total amount payable in EUC, the Office of Management and Budget and DOL have decided to implement the reductions with respect to individual weekly claims as well as in reduction of the total. The result of this decision will be difficult programming and administration by states with very little additional administrative funding ($40,000 per state). The determination of the amount of the reduction on a weekly basis, the relationship to state weekly benefit amounts, overpayments and a host of other issues are likely to result in significant numbers of overpayments and confusion on the part of claimants.

Employers and states should review the program letter (linked below), specifically with reference to EB considering measures to avoid increased charges to state unemployment trust funds resulting from a reduced federal share reimbursement.

The full program letter may be viewed at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=4985.