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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: Kerri Day Keller, 785-532-1691, kdkeller@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-6415, bbohn@k-state.edu

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

K-STATE'S KERRI DAY KELLER CONTRIBUTOR TO NEW BOOK ON CAREERS IN THE NONPROFIT SECTOR

MANHATTAN -- A career option that is finding growing interest at Kansas State University is the subject of a new book that includes a contribution from K-State's Kerri Day Keller.

Advice from Keller, director of K-State's career and employment services, is included in "The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference." The new comprehensive guidebook was written by Shelly Cryer and was jointly released by publisher Fieldstone Alliance and American Humanics, a national alliance of colleges, universities and nonprofit organizations that educates, prepares and certifies the next generation of nonprofit leaders.

The book, for anyone considering a career in the nonprofit sector, provides an overview of the types of nonprofit organizations in the U.S., profiles some of the leaders of these organizations, and details some effective strategies on how to prepare for a career in the nonprofit sector.

Keller is the only college career services professional to be featured in the 300-page book. Her contribution, about a page and half, is on using the "elevator pitch," a special networking technique.

Keller said she was asked to contribute to the book because of her advocacy regarding nonprofit career opportunities. K-State offers a nonprofit leadership focus through the university's popular leadership studies minor. The focus prepares students for careers in the nonprofit sector and includes an American Humanics certification option, as well as the opportunity for scholarships from American Humanics.

"It has been a real asset for K-State to be associated with American Humanics through the nonprofit leadership focus," Keller said. "K-State is the only American Humanics campus in Kansas."

Keller said the nonprofit sector includes a number of organizations that hire K-State graduates.

"In the past year, nonprofit organizations including the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts Of America, Girl Scouts, Kansas City Zoo, Peace Corps, Rock Springs 4-H Center, Sunflower State Games, U.S. Public Interest Research Groups, Wildwood Outdoor Education Center, Yellowstone National Park Lodges, area school districts and the YMCA of Greater Kansas City have recruited at K-State for jobs and internships," she said.

The nonprofit leadership focus is attracting a variety of students, according to Olivia Collins, director of American Humanics at K-State.

"Students from across the university are involved in the nonprofit focus in the leadership studies minor at K-State," Collins said. "More and more, we see students who want specific preparation to lead nonprofit organizations in the community, including as a volunteer, board member or employee. The American Humanics national certification option K-State offers also provides a value-added credential to the leadership studies minor that gives students a unique advantage in their job search."

The nonprofit sector currently employs 14 million people in the U.S., or about 11 percent of the work force, but may need as many as 600,000 new leaders over the coming decade as today's leaders from the baby boom generation retire, according to Cryer.

"Having the nonprofit leadership/American Humanics focus helps expand our base of employers interested in recruiting at K-State," Keller said. "Another plus is that nonprofit jobs can be appealing to students in any major. You can be accounting, engineering, marketing or any other major and still have the skills to work in nonprofit sector."

Keller said plans are being made to bring the guidebook's author, Cryer, to K-State this fall for program with students and community nonprofit professionals. In addition, career and employment services will continue to offer such activities as the Common Good Internship/Career Fair and "How to Make a Living Making a Difference" program to help students learn more about nonprofit sector careers.

Cryer is the founder of the Initiative for Nonprofit Sector Careers, a research and advocacy project started in 2002 and now is housed at American Humanics. Additional information about her new book is available at http://www.fieldstonealliance.org