[Special Feature: 20 Years of NPOs] Human Resource Development in NPOs

2018/11/05

It has been 20 years since the NPO Act came into effect. During this time, more than 50,000 NPO corporations have been established across the country, carrying out activities to realize their own missions toward solving diverse social issues and creating new social value. However, while new organizations are being established, the number of corporations dissolving is also on the rise. Of course, there are cases where a mission is achieved and the organization dissolves after fulfilling its role, but an increasing number of groups are suspending activities or dissolving because there are no successors to take over the activities or organization, or because funds are insufficient. In this way, it has long been said that the two major challenges for NPOs are human resources and funding.

"The non-profit organization exists to bring about a change in individuals and in society. The 'product' of a non-profit organization is a cured patient, a child who learns, a young man or woman grown into a self-respecting adult; in short, a changed human life." (P.F. Drucker, "Managing the Non-Profit Organization")

For NPO organizations that support people in changing and are supported by people, the most important issue is "people." How to recruit, place, motivate, develop, and retain human resources who empathize with the mission and work or act with passion. Effectively managing human resources with diverse activities and working styles, such as volunteers and paid staff, and developing and producing human resources who will lead the non-profit sector in the future are urgent issues for the sustainable development of NPOs.

It has been 10 years since the author started an NPO seminar at Tohoku University. In the seminar, along with presentations and discussions on themes given in textbooks, we emphasize learning through practical experience regarding NPOs and social issues. To bring out student initiative, we have also implemented guest lectures inviting NPO practitioners planned by students, NPO site visits, volunteer activities, and NPO surveys.

For example, a student who is a sexual minority came out in the seminar, shared their concerns with other seminar members, and everyone discussed how to engage with the issues. We also held a public lecture inviting an NPO active in that theme. At that time, wanting many people to know that they are a familiar presence, the student disclosed their sexuality in front of general participants and expressed their determination to continue active involvement. Through this series of processes, not only the student themselves but also the surrounding students inspired each other, developed a sense of ownership, and grew significantly.

In addition, in the basic seminar for all first-year students, "Collaboration between NPOs and Government: Thinking of Ideas to Solve Regional Issues in Sendai City," we collaborated with NPOs and Sendai City to have them present actual regional issues. Students then proposed solutions from the perspective of students and youth through fieldwork and workshops.

Furthermore, in the graduate NPO seminar, mainly international students and working adult graduate students are conducting research on a wide range of NPO-related themes such as welfare, environment, local currency, leadership, collaboration, and social capital. Also, the "NPO Theory" course offered in English is taken by international students from all over the world, where they learn theory and conduct case analyses of NPOs in various regions. It is also worth noting that there is high interest in NPOs and volunteering related to recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake, and many international students actually participate in these activities.

What have these students gained by learning through contact with NPOs? It can be said to be problem discovery and solving skills, initiative, the ability to influence others, the ability to accept diversity, flexibility toward diverse ways of working and living, and interest in and commitment to society.

However, even after receiving NPO education, very few people find employment at NPOs as new graduates. That said, some plan and operate collaborative projects with local governments and NPOs at the companies where they work, or are involved with NPOs as civil servants in earthquake recovery, welfare, or learning support projects for low-income families. Others continue NPO activities as their life's work in their private lives.

Survey results also show that those who experienced and learned about volunteers and NPOs during their student days have more opportunities to understand, empathize with, and get involved with NPOs from time to time even after becoming working adults. In my classes, I try to provide many such opportunities. One student who interviewed an NPO introduced in a first-year seminar continued volunteering at that NPO for the four years until graduation and even became a leader managing volunteers. Even after entering the workforce, they expressed their enthusiasm to stay involved with that NPO in some way.

So, what is the situation in North America, where NPO education and human resource development efforts preceded those in Japan? In U.S. universities, NPO education has spread mainly in graduate schools rather than undergraduate programs. Among these, it is often incorporated as part of "public" programs such as public policy, public administration, and public management, or "business" programs.

At the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, where the author studied "Public and NPO Management," the student body was diverse, ranging from recent university graduates to working adults in their 30s to 50s considering a career change to NPOs, and NPO staff. Thirty percent of its graduates work in NPOs. Some have quit being lawyers to establish NPOs for poverty relief. Some staff members attended graduate school while working, receiving tuition assistance from the NPO where they were employed. Additionally, the university's business school also focuses on social entrepreneurship education, with NPOs at its center.

In U.S. graduate schools, research and activities at NPOs are actively incorporated as part of the curriculum. For example, there are classes where students form teams to solve management challenges faced by NPOs, such as improving staff motivation, fundraising, and collaboration with government and business. Based on theories such as organizational theory and NPO theory, they actually provide consulting to NPOs as a team and present solutions. The emphasis is on learning through both theory and practice of NPOs while also contributing to solving NPO challenges.

Furthermore, even at the undergraduate level, educational programs in collaboration with NPOs, next-generation NPO leader programs where students can receive scholarships and mentoring, and social enterprise education are also spreading.

Next, in Canada, it can be said that NPO networks and collaboration with other sectors such as universities, government, and business function organically. Multiple small NPOs with small budgets gather to hire management and HR consultants. Some organizations develop capacity-building and human resource management tools for small organizations and provide them for free online. They create networks among NPO managers to share challenges unique to managers and exchange opinions on solutions. In addition, efforts are in place for human resources to stay and grow at each stage, such as staff mentoring systems and peer exchange programs where leaders and staff can share concerns and consult. Furthermore, human resource exchanges take place, such as national civil servants interning at community-based grassroots NPOs (rather than large national NPOs). There are also opportunities for many corporate personnel to act in NPOs through volunteer programs for employees implemented by companies in collaboration with NPOs.

In this way, it can be said that in Canada, systems and environments are in place that make it easy to get involved in NPOs and volunteering regardless of which sector one is in.

Based on the situation of NPO education and human resource development in North America and Japan, I would like to consider what skills will be required for future NPO personnel. General skills such as fundamental competencies for working adults, communication skills, and management skills are necessary. Furthermore, the following four can be cited as skills characteristic of NPO personnel.

It was about 10 years ago when the author heard the discussion about the "deficit" of NPO personnel who will lead the next generation in the United States. It was said to be a shortage of human resources due to the mass retirement of the baby boomer generation. In Japan as well, due to various factors such as the wage gap with other sectors, the human resources working in NPOs continue to be in a state of deficit. So, what should be done to turn the NPO human resources who will lead Japan's future into a surplus?

Things that NPOs, universities, government, and companies can do in collaboration include identifying and bringing together the resources they have (people, goods, money, information, expertise, social capital) and matching them with needs. It would also be effective for diverse organizations across sectors to engage in dialogue and discussion regarding social issues and solutions, and to promote human resource exchange and movement across sectors for that purpose. For NPOs, to produce results and realize their missions, it is also important to recognize the value of human resource management and development and invest in it. Measures are also required such as organizations that are small and lack budgets cooperating to have staff actively receive training, or providing opportunities for diverse human resources to interact according to their career stage and organization size.

Furthermore, how can we broaden the base of human resources involved in NPOs in the first place? There is a tendency for people who have experience in volunteer activities when they are young or during their student days to participate even after becoming working adults. In other words, the power of education is great. It is essential to increase opportunities to come into contact with volunteers and NPOs at an earlier stage, not just in university.

For example, at Okinawa Shogaku High School and Junior High School, all students engage in volunteer activities to foster citizenship and humanity. Such efforts will lead to the expansion and development of the base of NPO personnel who will lead the next generation in the long term.

The era of 100-year life. The number of people who enter society and finish their entire working life in a single organization will decrease significantly in the future. In fact, for various generations, getting involved with NPOs is becoming a familiar part of life at various milestones. People who have fought on the front lines of companies and government are working in NPOs, moving to other sectors, returning to their original workplaces, or working in multiple sectors simultaneously.

They view NPOs as a place to express their values and beliefs and utilize their expertise, such as by active involvement in NPOs on weekends or evenings while working at companies or local governments, having side jobs, starting new businesses after retirement, or serving as volunteers or board members.

In this way, it is required that it becomes easier to choose more flexible ways of working and living according to one's own career stage and life stage. If that happens, not only paid staff but also a wealth of human resources who have gained diverse experiences in various forms—such as volunteers, donors, members, directors, auditors, and advocates—will be involved in NPOs, grow, and continue to change people.

And the development of NPO human resources will, in turn, lead to the development of human resources who will lead society. I also have great expectations for the role of NPOs as "citizenship-creating" institutions and "humanity-developing" institutions as advocated by Drucker.