The other UN career: Working with its nonprofit partners

The United Nations offers various career opportunities for people with international development backgrounds. But so do nonprofits supporting the global organization. Take, for instance, the United Nations Foundation, World for World Organization and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Philanthropist and businessman Ted Turner created the United Nations Foundation in 1998. A champion of U.N. causes and activities, UNF provides fiscal services for U.N. programs and agencies. Its initiatives include Nothing but Nets, a program to prevent childhood malaria by distributing bed nets in Africa, and the Better World Campaign, which works to build a stronger relationship between the U.S. and the United Nations. UNF’s mission is “like no other in the foundation community,” said Maxine Griffin Somerville, senior director of administration and human resources for UNF and Better World Fund. She added: “We are a platform for connecting people, ideas, and resources to help the United Nations solve global challenges. Through advocacy, partnerships, constituency building and fundraising, the foundation helps the United Nations take its best work and ideas to scale.” Currently, about 135 staff members work for the foundation, most of them in the organization’s headquarters in Washington. UNF posts employment opportunities on its Web site. UNF also offers full- and part-time internships in areas such as public affairs, partnership development and finance for undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent graduates. “The one aspect that ties all these opportunities together is the underlying passion for the mission and the work of the United Nations despite the type of opportunity available,” Somerville said. Staff salaries depend on experience; UNF benefits include 20 days of paid vacation, 12 paid holidays and three personal days per year. Employees are immediately enrolled in a 403(b) tax-advantaged retirement savings plan. UNF pays 100 percent of its employees’ medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance premiums, and 75 percent of medical and vision insurance costs for employees’ dependents. The organization’s headquarters is in a building that received a “gold” rating by the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization. UNF encourages workers to bring light bulbs from home to exchange for compact fluorescent bulbs, and provides a public transit subsidy to lower the number of cars on the road. World for World Organization and U.S. Fund for UNICEF Italy-based World for World Organization also works with the United Nations. It aims to increase public awareness of international development issues, and works with the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council and NGO Informal Regional Network. WFWO’s focus is on policy advice as well as development management and business operations. The organization’s practice areas include democratic governance, environment and energy, as well as poverty reduction. One current project involves teaching disadvantaged boys and girls in rural Cameroon about HIV/AIDS. Some 10 permanent staff members and more than 30 expert consultants work for WFWO. Although the nonprofit does not have any vacancies at the moment, it is collecting resumes for upcoming consulting positions for 2010 to 2015. Consultants usually work as entry- or mid-level managers for up to five years, depending on a project’s duration. There are other organizations supporting specific U.N. agencies, including the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. This nonprofit posts job openings on its Web site. Individuals who wish to apply for a vacancy should send a resume and cover letter indicating the position of interest to: Director of Talent Management, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 125 Maiden Lane, New York, N.Y. 10038. People can also e-mail application materials to jobs@unicefusa.org. The organization offers a small number of internships at its New York headquarters. Read more U.N. career advice: - Development Aid Careers in the United Nations System: What You Need to Know - UN Jobs: What You Need to Know - Five Insider Tips for Acing a UN Online Job Application - UN Job Perks: What You Need to Know - UN Salaries: What You Need to Know - UN Occupational Groups: A Primer - UNDP Seeks Experts to Work in Development Hot Spots - Network Your Way into the UN - Jobs at UN Programs: A Primer - Jobs at UN Specialized Agencies: A Primer - UN to Introduce Online Application Tool for Consultants - UN Association Offers Future Leaders a Chance to Test Their Skills - UN-Habitat Official: Urban Planners Must be ‘More Specialized’ - UNDP Taps Local Talent for Lebanon Projects - IOM Seeks Practical Skills in Volatile Locations - A Great Career Stepping Stone: UNDP’s Junior Professionals Program - Joining the United Nations Volunteers Read more career advice articles.