WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 2008 Nonprofit Human Resources Conference to be held in Washington, DC on September 28 – 29, 2008, hosted by Nonprofit HR Solutions, is the first of a series of annual events designed to bring together nonprofit human resources practitioners, executives, thought leaders, and researchers from diverse organizations nationwide. Attendees will address the significant human resources challenge facing the nonprofit sector and collaborate to identify resources that can advance the missions of nonprofit organizations.
Senior executives from organizations including the Society for Human Resource Management, AARP, Girl Scouts of the USA, Teach for America, The Urban Institute, The Johns Hopkins University, and New York University are among the conference speakers. Throughout the event attendees will share best practices about workforce development, succession planning, talent recruitment and retention, benefits and compensation, and legal issues – from a perspective unique to nonprofits.
Some experts believe human resources may have eclipsed fundraising as the biggest challenge for the nonprofit sector. “Many people think that being able to raise a lot of money is the greatest barrier to scale in the social sector. However, I believe an even more important challenge is being able to “scale” your talent pool — and hire enough good people to fulfill your mission. Great nonprofits demand great talent, and we need to find new, innovative ways to recruit, retain, and develop leadership within our sector,” according to Heather McLeod Grant, Conference keynote speaker and author of “Forces for Good.”
Rania V. Sedhom of Buck Consultants adds, “Not-for-profits are in a particularly precarious position when it comes to hiring. The war for talent is making it harder than ever to attract the best people for their organizations and not-for-profits have little resources to stay abreast on the ever-changing bodies of law that affect employment. This conference will walk them through what is necessary and advise them on how to stay on top.”
Lisa Brown Morton, president and CEO of Nonprofit HR Solutions and brainchild of this event, feels the timing and location of the conference couldn’t be more critical. “The nonprofit sector is being forced to address pressing workforce development and human resources issues that affect the industry nationwide,” says Morton.
In addition to the conference, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in a Pre-Conference Forum led by internationally-recognized professor and researcher, Dr. Lester Salamon at The Johns Hopkins University.
Nonprofit HR Solutions is the host of the 2008 Nonprofit Human Resources Conference: Advancing Mission through People, which is being sponsored by Avilar and Buck Consultants. For details about conference registration or to see the full agenda, visit www.nonprofithrsolutions.com/ConferenceOverview.html.
About Nonprofit HR Solutions
Since 2000, Nonprofit HR Solutions has worked exclusively with the nonprofit sector, generating results for organizations supporting advocacy, health and human services, arts and culture, education and the environment, faith-based missions and more. The company’s senior partners bring a collective 75 years of human resources experience. For more information about Nonprofit HR Solutions, visit the web site at www.nonprofithr.com.