December 7, 2006 | Read Time: 3 minutes
Q. I have more than 12 years of experience in nonprofit administration and have spent five of those years as a program officer and program director for a nonprofit organization that re-grants to other charities. I would like to get further into grant making and move to a foundation, but it seems like those positions require at least a master’s degree. I do not have one, and my family obligations won’t permit me to pursue one full time. What do you advise?
A. You are correct that program-director positions at large foundations typically require a master’s degree, says Norman Howard, director of human resources at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, in Battle Creek, Mich.
In fact, in some cases, depending on the position’s purpose, foundations seek candidates who have a doctoral degree, he says. A job that focuses on grant-making to colleges, for instance, or one where expertise in a particular subject is necessary for credibility among the organizations seeking support, would certainly require someone with an advanced degree, he says.
That said, a master’s is not the only qualification that large foundations seek in a candidate, and your years of experience would certainly be welcome at many organizations, says Mr. Howard.
“Because we focus on serving the community, it is particularly important to us that staff members have experience and demonstrated success on the ground, as well as professional network connections with a wide array of institutions and organizations,” he says.
For that reason, the Kellogg Foundation has become more flexible in terms of educational qualifications, though, he notes, “we still value the depth of knowledge that an advanced degree can provide.”
Sherri Killins, director of personnel and operations at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, in Baltimore, says that the same holds true at her organization.
“A master’s is not an absolute essential qualification for a grant-making program officer,” she says. “But it is only in rare instances that selected candidates do not have an advanced degree.”
She adds that having a master’s can also aid an employee’s career advancement at the foundation, whereas the lack of a degree might hinder it.
If your family obligations prevent you from enrolling in a full-time master’s degree program, perhaps consider attaining your degree on a part-time basis or via an online program, suggests Mr. Howard. Also, some foundations, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, offer tuition assistance programs, so you might apply for a lower-level position and then earn your degree while on the job.
Another tactic is to focus your job hunt on smaller foundations which may be more open to hiring someone without an advanced degree.
Gary Pollock, executive director of the Moyer Foundation, in Seattle, says he would certainly consider hiring an experienced program officer or director who doesn’t have a master’s. “Over the years, I have met some remarkably accomplished and professional staff who had never received an advanced degree,” he says.
Mr. Pollock acknowledges that a master’s degree program is a great place to learn things like how to create a program budget and how to navigate the relationship between board members and management, but adds that such skills can also be acquired through years of practical application and experience on the job.
Also, he notes, just because someone is highly educated, it does not mean that they possess good interpersonal skills. Says Mr. Pollock, “If a professional is not able to effectively work and communicate with his staff, board of directors and donors, whether a person has a master’s degree or not will be of little importance.”
