[ladygreek]

I have worked both for corporate America (including 10 years with IBM) and nonprofit America (for the last 12 years). I have an MBA and can honestly say I utilized what I learned while attaining my degree more in nonprofit than in corporate. Currently, I am an adjunct instructor at a local university in its Graduate School of Business, Center for Nonprofit Management.

What I can tell you right now is that the nonprofit sector is not very stable, especially after 9/11 because they have lost much of their corporate funding and are receiving reduced government funding. Also, their foundation funding has been impacted by the economy and the depreciation of foundation endowments. Layoffs are occuring in nonprofits the same as they are occuring in corporate.

While there is a certain gratification from working for mission-based organizations the bottom line is still critical. And as the funding dollars shrink, there also seems to be more "creative" bookkeeping occuring. Since nonprofits are governed by volunteer boards of directors--many of whom are there because they believe in the cause-- there is a lack of diligent oversight. So what you end up with is powerful executive directors/presidents/CEOs making six figures while line staff are paid low five figures which causes low morale and negatively impacts the fulfillment of the mission.