Creating Connections
The start of the new year is a great time to connect with your constituents, grantees and those you work with. Our Communication Committee co-chair Joanne Jacobson interviewed Ruby Dorsery (above), career coach at Center for Working Women, and her colleague Jen Patterson, director of development and communications for Housing Opportunities for Women, to see how they make the most of networking opportunities.
Tell me in your own words the mission of Housing Opportunities for Women (HOW).
Patterson: Our mission is to empower women, children and families to permanently break the cycle of homelessness.
What is the Center for Working Women?
Dorsey: The Center for Working Women [which is part of HOW] is funded by the Eleanor Foundation. We help working women making between $10,000 to $40,000 to improve their situation through education, financial counseling, housing workshops and other programs. A lot of our women are single moms. For example, they might be making $8.25/hour right now, but if we help connect them to classes for a certificate, they could start making $10 or $12/hour. We get them on a path towards self-sufficiency.
Do you have tips for making the most out of a networking opportunity?
Dorsey: I love talking to people. I always make a point of rotating and meeting as many people as I can, and exchanging business cards. I like how CWIP's networking event is a lively breakfast, and we always get to serious conversation about how we can help the women and families in our programs. If there's a need I know about for my clients that we don't have a program for, I like hearing about other nonprofit programs I can connect them to.
I also like to listen as much as possible at first before chiming in. I find that if I don't listen enough first, I may miss a great opportunity to link to another organization.
Do you have advice for after the networking opportunity?
Dorsey: Email is really important. Email the people you meet, connect with them on LinkedIn or Facebook immediately afterwards.
Jen, how is networking important to you as a Director of Development for a nonprofit?
Patterson: We have a wildly successful Community Partners Board in which our career team brings together 25 organizations that help people living in poverty and facing homelessness, including vocational schools, city colleges, career services organizations. We get together and share resources. This type of networking is beneficial not only to staff but also to the clients we serve. By networking, we make services more accessible to collectively provide the most good to the client.
If you want to learn more about HOW and the Center for Working Women, find them online!