So You Want To Work In Nonprofit?

When I started in this industry in 1997, degree programs in nonprofit management didn’t exist. Now they’re abundant. But I’ll let you in on a few secrets in this post, the first one being… you don’t need one.

First, decide what causes you’re really interested in. This may take some soul searching, but to me, that’s always a good exercise regardless of what you’re wanting to do with your career. It is essential for me to work for an organization in which I can get behind the mission. I know this because I have worked for some that didn’t appeal to me and it was difficult for me to find the passion I’ve had for others.

Jot down the most important causes to you in order. Start with the first two and do some research - for every cause there are likely several different organizations. I would begin with LinkedIn, it’s a great resource. (And having brought up LinkedIn, make sure you have an updated profile, with an updated picture. State clearly what you’re looking for in the description section and pair it with your current experience.) 

Network through LinkedIn to find people in the industry and more specifically, who work for the organizations in which you’re interested. Maybe your dream organization doesn’t happen at first, but you can gain experience at another, or smaller, organization. 

I’m probably one of the few people who will tell you that it is not necessary to volunteer with the organization for which you want to work. I’ve heard people suggest this and I’m here to tell you, it’s simply not necessary. I’ve had volunteers apply for staff positions throughout the years and I’ve only hired one. The reasons are varied and in the interest of time, I won’t go into them here.

I would also not spend a lot of time volunteering for different organizations in order to “gain experience”. There are differences in staff and volunteer roles and many times they do not overlap. I’m not saying that it hurts you to volunteer, I’m just saying that it’s not necessarily what will get your foot in the door.

A more productive exercise would be to spiff up your LinkedIn account, compose a creative description of your skills and what you want to do, then network like crazy! Look up organizations you're interested in working for and "friend" a director level staff or above. Send them a private message and ask if they wouldn't mind answering a couple of questions about how they got into nonprofit. Be short and concise. I would try this with 5 or so people to start with and if you don’t receive any responses, keep plugging away. Eventually someone will respond. In fact, one of the reasons I added mentorship to my services is because I have had a few people interested in nonprofit reach out to me and ask to be mentored. People love to be asked for advice and you may as well benefit from the experience of others (especially when it's free!)

Nonprofit work is not without its challenges, but it's worth it once you find your "home". 

I hope this helps! Let me know your thoughts in the comments. And for you veterans, what advice would you give about how to break into nonprofit?

Stephanie