6 answers
Anjali
Student
Schaumburg, Illinois
5
Questions
Asked
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How to get involved in the non-profit sector?
I plan to apply to jobs in the nonprofit sector post-graduation for my gap year. Should I do unpaid internships before then? #internship #internship #nonprofit #job-search
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6 answers
Matt Shandera
Program Manager
4
Answers
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Updated
Matt’s Answer
Anjali,
First of all, way to go! I've found that aligning my career and my passion have been extremely fulfilling. It surely makes it much more joyous to wake up for work everyday.
While you can enter into the nonprofit space directly, as a hiring manager at my last two nonprofits, I was always on the lookout for candidates with relevant experience. I especially looked for experience as a volunteer for the following reasons.
1. Volunteering for a cause prior to seeking a career in that field shows commitment to the cause or mission. It tells the organization that you really do care about the mission they are currently dedicating their lives to and can create a sense of "in it togetherness".
2. In my experience, there is always more work to do than there is time and resources at any nonprofit. If you have experience, even something similar, it makes you more hirable.
3. Nonprofits often (not always) hire from within their volunteer ranks first. If you have a passion for a cause, starting with an unpaid internship or just simply showing up to volunteer gets your name on the lists of the teams that will be hiring. For positions I've hired in the past more than 75% have been hired from current volunteers.
Take an inventory of your passions.
Find a cause that aligns with your passion.
Volunteer with that cause!
First of all, way to go! I've found that aligning my career and my passion have been extremely fulfilling. It surely makes it much more joyous to wake up for work everyday.
While you can enter into the nonprofit space directly, as a hiring manager at my last two nonprofits, I was always on the lookout for candidates with relevant experience. I especially looked for experience as a volunteer for the following reasons.
1. Volunteering for a cause prior to seeking a career in that field shows commitment to the cause or mission. It tells the organization that you really do care about the mission they are currently dedicating their lives to and can create a sense of "in it togetherness".
2. In my experience, there is always more work to do than there is time and resources at any nonprofit. If you have experience, even something similar, it makes you more hirable.
3. Nonprofits often (not always) hire from within their volunteer ranks first. If you have a passion for a cause, starting with an unpaid internship or just simply showing up to volunteer gets your name on the lists of the teams that will be hiring. For positions I've hired in the past more than 75% have been hired from current volunteers.
Matt recommends the following next steps:
Gurpreet Lally
CareerVillage.org TeamSr. Community Manager at CareerVillage
86
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Gurpreet’s Answer, CareerVillage.org Team
Hiya Anjali,
I applaud you for wanting to get involved with non profits and wanted to piggy back off of what has already been said.
1. Volunteering and interning with an organization is a great way to get your foot in the door and get a feel for what working there would be like. It also enables you to make connections with individuals who work there which can go a very long way when you apply to work there later. Volunteer experience, whether that be with the organization you want to work with or another non profit, is a must! Most non profits will ask you which organizations you have worked with previously as they like to see that you have some sort of experience in that type of work. Volunteermatch .org is something I've used in the past and it has connected me with some great opportunities (including remote ones!)
2. I also agree with Hayley's suggestion about considering AmeriCorps or any other type program like it, such as City Year or Peace Corps to name a few. I was an AmeriCorps member last year and worked at the American Red Cross. It was a very valuable experience for me and allowed me to better understand how non-profits work and gave me insight on my own career goals. In addition, many orgs will try to keep members on board and extend them job offers. Since you mentioned this being a part of a gap year, this would be perfect as it is normally a 10.5 month commitment!
3. In terms of finding job opportunities, I would suggest hopping onto any job board (such as Indeed) and looking up non profit jobs in your area. There are also some job boards that are specifically designed for non profit organizations which is another good place to start.
I wish you all the best in finding an opportunity! Please feel free to reach out should you have any further question
I applaud you for wanting to get involved with non profits and wanted to piggy back off of what has already been said.
1. Volunteering and interning with an organization is a great way to get your foot in the door and get a feel for what working there would be like. It also enables you to make connections with individuals who work there which can go a very long way when you apply to work there later. Volunteer experience, whether that be with the organization you want to work with or another non profit, is a must! Most non profits will ask you which organizations you have worked with previously as they like to see that you have some sort of experience in that type of work. Volunteermatch .org is something I've used in the past and it has connected me with some great opportunities (including remote ones!)
2. I also agree with Hayley's suggestion about considering AmeriCorps or any other type program like it, such as City Year or Peace Corps to name a few. I was an AmeriCorps member last year and worked at the American Red Cross. It was a very valuable experience for me and allowed me to better understand how non-profits work and gave me insight on my own career goals. In addition, many orgs will try to keep members on board and extend them job offers. Since you mentioned this being a part of a gap year, this would be perfect as it is normally a 10.5 month commitment!
3. In terms of finding job opportunities, I would suggest hopping onto any job board (such as Indeed) and looking up non profit jobs in your area. There are also some job boards that are specifically designed for non profit organizations which is another good place to start.
I wish you all the best in finding an opportunity! Please feel free to reach out should you have any further question
Angie Thomsen
Supervisor
5
Answers
Alpharetta, Georgia
Updated
Angie’s Answer
Hello Anjali,
A great way to start to get involved in non-profits is to volunteer with an organization that is in the field that interests you. If you are not sure what non-profit to work with, there are a lot of great websites where you can search for names, locations, or even type of non-profit. A good starting point would be Charity Navigator - charitynavigator.org You can get a lot of information there and I would recommend starting there. Once you know what you want to work on, the next step would be to reach out and express your interest. A great way to get your name recognized is to volunteer first and see if they have options for an internship. I have volunteered at a few different non-profits and it really about sharing your interest and what you are wanting to do to help them be successful. I hope this helped!
charitynavigator.org
A great way to start to get involved in non-profits is to volunteer with an organization that is in the field that interests you. If you are not sure what non-profit to work with, there are a lot of great websites where you can search for names, locations, or even type of non-profit. A good starting point would be Charity Navigator - charitynavigator.org You can get a lot of information there and I would recommend starting there. Once you know what you want to work on, the next step would be to reach out and express your interest. A great way to get your name recognized is to volunteer first and see if they have options for an internship. I have volunteered at a few different non-profits and it really about sharing your interest and what you are wanting to do to help them be successful. I hope this helped!
Angie recommends the following next steps:
Haley Nemeth
Graduate Fellow
17
Answers
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Updated
Haley’s Answer
Hi Anjali!
One way to get paid non-profit experience is through AmeriCorps. They usually have part-time and short term opportunities at non-profit organizations where you can get paid for your work and also receive an education award toward future education. This way you can be compensated for your contributions.
I am in an AmeriCorps year right now in Austin, TX.
https://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps
One way to get paid non-profit experience is through AmeriCorps. They usually have part-time and short term opportunities at non-profit organizations where you can get paid for your work and also receive an education award toward future education. This way you can be compensated for your contributions.
I am in an AmeriCorps year right now in Austin, TX.
Haley recommends the following next steps:
Donna McGuire
Risk Operations
15
Answers
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
Updated
Donna’s Answer
These are all fantastic answers! I found personally that volunteering in multiple areas I was passionate about gave me a fantastic sense of joy and opened new areas I had not even thought I was interested in. This is such a time of unrest that you could consider any type of volunteering to help the community you live in either with a crisis in food delivery, loneliness (take a ride by a Sr. Center and wave or dress up silly), if you are of the religious sort, seek out guidance from your place of worship - there are usually many opportunities. Any type of volunteerism is always greatly appreciated and will help to hone in the specific Non-Profit sector you would most want to put your heart and soul into. Way to go!!! The world definitely needs more of this right now.
Steven Steinfeld
Professional Career and Job Search Coach
1
Answer
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Steven’s Answer
Good answers unless you are an international student. If yes, the answer is more complicated. Check out 3 Steps to Your Job in the USA for a complete answer and much more needed advice and guidance.