Ace Your Share Our Strength Interview: Expert Tips and Sample Questions

Interviewing at Share Our Strength can be an exciting yet daunting experience. As a leading anti-hunger organization that partners with corporate sponsors, community organizations, and individuals, Share Our Strength aims to end childhood hunger by connecting kids in need with nutritious food.

With a meaningful mission and innovative programs like Cooking Matters and No Kid Hungry, Share Our Strength attracts passionate talent. That means the interview process is often competitive If you have an upcoming Share Our Strength interview, thoughtful preparation is key.

In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know to ace your Share Our Strength interview

• An overview of the Share Our Strength interview format and process
• Tips from Share Our Strength employees and managers
• Sample interview questions with example answers

Share Our Strength Interview Format

The Share Our Strength interview process typically involves two to three rounds:

Initial Phone Screen

• 30 minutes with a recruiter or hiring manager
• Questions about your resume and experience

In-Person Interview

• 60-90 minutes at Share Our Strength’s DC headquarters
• Behavioral and situational questions
• May involve a skills assessment

Final Interview

• For senior roles
• Meet with executives
• Address high-level questions

Some tips from Share Our Strength employees:

• “Come prepared to talk about why you want to work specifically at Share Our Strength versus other nonprofits.”
• “Have examples that showcase your collaboration and problem-solving skills.”
• “Be ready to address how you respond during times of change and ambiguity.”

How to Prepare for a Share Our Strength Interview

With practice and prep, you can tackle Share Our Strength interviews with confidence. Here are some top tips:

Research the Organization’s Mission and Values

As a cause-driven nonprofit, Share Our Strength prioritizes candidates who exhibit passion for their mission of ending childhood hunger. Study up on their programs and major initiatives so you can speak knowledgably about their work.

Reflect on Your Motivations

Share Our Strength wants to know what draws you specifically to their organization. Be ready to explain why their mission resonates with you.

Review Common Nonprofit Interview Questions

Expect questions about collaborating with diverse stakeholders, handling tight budgets, and driving innovation and results with limited resources. Rehearse responses drawing on relevant experiences.

Practice Discussing Your Skills

With its complex initiatives, Share Our Strength needs team players with relationship-building skills, project management abilities, and strong communication expertise. Make your competence in these areas shine.

Prepare Examples and Stories

Back up your skills with specific anecdotes. Stories that highlight initiative, problem-solving, and leadership abilities can really make you stand out.

Sample Share Our Strength Interview Questions and Answers

Let’s look at some common Share Our Strength interview questions and high-scoring sample responses:

Why do you want to work for Share Our Strength?

Sample Response: When I was growing up, my single mother struggled to put food on the table, even though she worked full time. No child should have to experience hunger in a country with so much. Share Our Strength’s innovative campaigns like No Kid Hungry align perfectly with my personal and professional goals to eliminate childhood hunger. I’m drawn to the challenge of mobilizing communities, corporations, and legislators to enact real change. With my background in nonprofit communications and project management, I know I could collaborate with stakeholders and help make programs like Cooking Matters even more impactful.

Tell us about a time you spearheaded collaboration across teams or organizations. What was the result?

Sample Response: As Communications Coordinator for HelpCells, I spearheaded our Cell Drive initiative, which engaged college student groups nationwide to fundraise for cancer research. I developed a project plan and timeline, then reached out to student leaders on 20 campuses to recruit them. Gaining their buy-in was crucial, so I organized an inspiring kickoff video call explaining the impact. I collaborated cross-functionally, partnering with our marketing, social media, and CX teams to make the launch successful. The result? We gained participation from 15 new campuses and increased fundraising by 35%. This showed me that with persistence and collaboration, you can rally diverse groups around a shared goal.

How would you respond if faced with a tight budget or limited resources on a project?

Sample Response: Having worked at high-impact yet underfunded nonprofits, I’m accustomed to achieving goals on a tight budget. For example, when our after-school enrichment program faced funding cuts, I got creative. I identified free venues like libraries and churches to host events. I partnered with a local college’s service-learning program to access volunteer support. And I worked closely with our Development team to identify and pitch to new donors. We ended up providing 95% of our original programming offerings despite the 30% budget reduction. This taught me resourcefulness along with the importance of leveraging partnerships and community engagement. Faced with limited resources, I’d tap into those problem-solving skills.

Tell me about a time you successfully managed multiple priorities with tight deadlines. What was your approach?

Sample Response: In my current Marketing Coordinator role, I often juggle competing campaigns and deadlines. Most recently, I was managing a website redesign timeline while also planning a major fundraising gala six weeks out. To stay organized, I used project management tools like Asana to map out all key tasks and owners across both projects. I had weekly check-ins with our web developer and event planner to assess progress and roadblocks. When unexpected issues came up that put deadlines at risk, I re-prioritized based on impact, pooling team resources to solve the biggest roadblocks first. We delivered both the new website and successful gala on schedule thanks to this collaborative, hyper-organized approach.

Our mission focuses on enacting sustainable change. How would you measure the impact and ROI of a program you managed?

Sample Response: Measuring impact has been crucial in my program management experience, from my time with the Nutritious Youth Initiative to my current role managing a workforce training program. I would start by working cross-functionally to identify key performance indicators aligned to the program’s core goals. For a nutrition program, this might include metrics like participation levels, knowledge gains based on pre- and post-surveys, and improved health indicators like BMI. From there, I would build reporting protocols into the program design and track quantitative and qualitative data in dashboards and via donor testimonials. I would analyze insights at set intervals to identify issues and opportunities to improve impact. And I would course-correct as needed to optimize results and communicate outcomes with all stakeholders.

Preparing thoughtful, targeted responses to common Share Our Strength questions can help demonstrate your passion and qualifications. With practice responding to situational and behavioral questions, you’ll feel more confident in your upcoming Share Our Strength interview. Remember to draw on specific examples, explain your motivations, and showcase the expertise that would make you a strong addition to the team working to enact sustainable change. You’ve got this!