The nonprofit world has seen its share of downsizing and outsourcing in recent years. Many of these displaced workers chose not to return to someone else’s employ. The American Association of Museums 2003 annual report documented the scope of these phenomena: of individual members, five thousand sixteen are museum staff; two thousand one hundred seventy-two are independent professionals. Approaching half! These independent professionals fill all sorts of temporary staff roles. This technical leaflet provides a framework for independents to build a better consulting practice, whether you intend to create a post-retirement practice to keep a hand in, a mid-career shift of substance, or to develop work responsibly while looking for another full-time job.
For eighteen years, I, Mary Case, enjoyed a steadily increasing salary, with benefits, in the nonprofit world. The jobs included a set of admirable colleagues, alliance to mission, the efficiencies of routine and structure, challenging work, and readily supplied equipment and office space. Actually, I found myself having achieved well beyond my own imagination and highest expectations. The obvious question—what’s next?—lived in my head for months.
I am a typical American type. I’m drawn to the next new thing, the next challenge. I love to work. I had skills, reputation, courage, curiosity and drive, but I was struggling with what to do next. My internal dialogue finally came to clarity in three points:
• Nonprofits, especially museums, were in my blood.
• Teaching and learning were central to my happiness.
• Fulltime employment meant I could work at the top of my form too infrequently. My time as an employee was often taken with duties I was competent to do, but that didn’t hold much interest, let alone creativity or passion.
Open this document to see the lessons I learnt, and to use some of the tools that have helped me in my consulting practice.
