Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Looking at a Nonprofit Career?
Transitioning to a Nonprofit Career won’t be easy, but it could be worth it.
Key Takeaways
- Transitioning to a nonprofit career requires hard work and finding a mission that resonates with you.
- Inventory your skills, focusing on program skills, business equivalents, and unique nonprofit skills.
- Utilize resources like Nonprofit.Courses for career and technical content to aid your transition.
- Building a network is essential; consider organizations like Great Careers/BENG for support and job hunting skills.
- Expect differences in culture and pay, and prepare for a learning curve as you enter the nonprofit sector.
It’s time for something different. It’s time for a job that has meaning. It’s time for using your skills for good! It’s time to look at a nonprofit career.
You’ve always been generous. Anytime you’ve seen a need, especially in an area that connects to who you are, you’re there, ready to help.
Plus, you’re willing to work hard, maybe in less-than-ideal conditions.
- Maybe it was when you walked in the rain to raise money for cancer research after your best friend went through chemotherapy?
- Or were you at the town meeting when your favorite tract of land, the one that you hike with your kids, was threatened with development?
- Are you there to help your school because you got so much from it, and you see even greater need in the kids, today?
Its time to look at making a full-time job of it. But where do you start?
This is a perfect time to explore Nonprofit.Courses.
Table of contents
Find a Mission
First and foremost, nonprofits are mission driven organizations. You’ll find that a lot of people hired by nonprofits are extremely dedicated to the missions they serve.
So, your first step is to identify missions that resonate with you. (Get your free Nonprofit.Courses List of Missions.)
It won’t include absolutely everything (what list can?) but it will give you a solid start on eliminating what mission you can’t imagine working with, which you’ll consider, and the ones you love.
Inventory Your Skills
Skills you need to work in a nonprofit can be classified into three categories.
Program Skills. These are the skills or professions that directly serve the mission of the organization. For example, if you work at a homeless shelter, you will find rehabilitation counselors. If you work at a private school, you’ll find teachers. If you work at a health clinic, you’ll find nurses.
While some people who come from the business sector have the education and certifications in areas that are mission related, most don’t. That doesn’t mean you can’t get an education and certification in these areas. It’s just that it will take more time, and usually some amount of money. (though subscription platforms like Lorman Education can make this much more affordable)
But you may not be out of luck. Some skills don’t require certifications, or better yet, will train you on the job. They tend to be lower level positions, or because the barrier of entry is lower, less well paid.
Skills that have equivalents in business. Accounting, human resources, marketing, information technology and others you can find in business and nonprofits. Yet as similar as they are, they’re different, too. As someone new to nonprofits, you need to get versed how they compare, and begin to educate yourself.
Skills that are unique to nonprofits. There are a few things that you simply won’t find in business. Top among them are fundraising, grant proposal writing, program evaluation, volunteer management and if you’re in education, student recruiting. If you’re coming from the business sector, especially sales, you may find that you have a lot of transferable skills in these and other areas. Just know that you’ll face a bit of a learning curve.
See the Content
If you’re breaking into the nonprofit sector, there are two kinds of Content you want to consider on Nonprofit.Courses.
Career Content. This is content created by professionals in nonprofits that targets career issues. These are great “words of wisdom” videos that give you insider perspective on the work, and discuss advancing your career once you have a position.
Technical Content. If you know which skill you want to bring to your nonprofit job, or want to explore which skills are right for you, then start binge watching the content related to that (or take specific certificate courses from MindEdge Learning).
This can be very important if the top level title has a lot of sub-specialties which require different skill sets. Take fundraising as an example. Yes, there are generalist fundraisers, but most people gravitate to the sub-specialty that’s comfortable for them, like direct mail, planned giving (wills and trusts) or major gifts (personal solicitation for significant gifts).
Get started finding that Nonprofit Career!
Successful transition from business or the government sector to a nonprofit job won’t always be smooth. We didn’t talk about pay (sometimes lower, but not always), cultural differences (which can be frustrating) and building a network that will lead to an offer.
For these and other job hunting skills, check out a great networking/job transition organization, like Great Careers/BENG, and its Nonprofit Career Network. Its a great way to meet others, create collateral like resumes and bios, and explore your options.
Good luck!
Matt Hugg, President and Founder, Nonprofit.Courses
(One more thing! Make sure you sign up for New Course Alerts so you get notice of current content on Nonprofit.Courses to move your career ahead.)
Frequently Asked Questions: Transitioning to a Nonprofit Career
The first and most critical step is to Find a Mission (or several). Nonprofits are mission-driven organizations, and most employees are hired because they are deeply dedicated to the cause. You should identify which missions (e.g., environmental, educational, healthcare) resonate with you and eliminate those you cannot imagine working for.
Yes. The guide suggests using platforms like Upwork to find remote, part-time, or freelance opportunities. This allows you to explore different missions and organizational cultures without the risk of a full-time career change immediately. You can also volunteer, but know that volunteer experiences can differ greatly from professional ones at many nonprofits.
Skills in a nonprofit are generally classified into three categories:
Program Skills: Direct mission service (teachers, nurses, counselors).
Business Equivalents: Roles common in both sectors, such as Accounting, HR, Marketing, and IT.
Unique Nonprofit Skills: Roles specific to the sector, like Fundraising, Grant Writing, and Volunteer Management.
Many roles in the business sector have direct equivalents in nonprofits, specifically Accounting, Human Resources, Marketing, and Information Technology. While the core functions are similar, the guide notes that there are sector-specific nuances you will need to learn through education and training. Of course, the bigger the nonprofit, the more likely they will have these “in-house.” Smaller nonprofits may outsource these skills.
If you are coming from the business or government sectors, you may face a learning curve in areas such as:
Fundraising (AKA: Development or Advancement)
Grant Proposal Writing
Program Evaluation
Volunteer Management
Student Recruiting (for educational institutions)
It depends. While roles like nursing, counseling or teaching require specific certifications, many entry-level program positions offer on-the-job training. However, keep in mind that positions with lower barriers to entry may also have lower starting pay.
Not necessarily, but it is a common factor. The guide notes that pay can be lower in the nonprofit sector, though this isn’t a universal rule. Other challenges include cultural differences and a potentially different pace of work compared to the corporate world.
You can use learning platforms to educate yourself on the nuances of the sector. The guide mentions Nonprofit.Courses for video content, as well as, Lorman, Coursera Plus and MindEdge Learning for more formal certificate courses.
