Is a degree in nonprofit management necessary in order to work in a nonprofit organization?

Hi Hannah,

Great question! There are many avenues to working with non-profits. Working on a degree in this area is often going to be your best bet, because just like a job as a lawyer, accountant, doctor, etc. it is also helpful to learn more about the non-profit world and how to help others best. It seems simple sometimes, especially growing up volunteering (which is awesome by the way), but it can be a complex world! Experience definitely helps, but the skills you learn through education are important too. Hannah, all of that to say it depends on your goals. You will, unfortunately, find it challenging in the non-profit world to get a job that will support you financially without an education. That is not to say it is impossible by any means, but more challenging. I got my bachelors and masters degree in social work, which is a great degree to have entering into the non-profit world and the cool thing about it is that they make it to where you learn in the classroom and also get great practical experience through internships. I worked in mental health and with foster care youth in my two internships. What may be best for you right now since you are no sold on college yet (any it may not ever be the thing for you) is to get your feet wet and get an entry level position at a local non-profit you care about and are passionate about. Maybe it is even just a summer internship to start and go from there. You will learn more about yourself, the population you are passionate about, and the leaders in those organizations will hopefully be able to guide you into becoming a non-profit professional. Ask professionals that you volunteer with. Learn from their journey! Ask a lot of questions, it is the best way to get to where you are going. Don't be shy, professionals love to help people who are just starting out... I had many people help me along the way. I hope this helps, and let me know if I can help in any other way! -Joshua

Hey Hannah!

I'm writing to you from the UK but thought an international perspective might be helpful for your question. I have worked both for nonprofits and corporates (in social impact / corporate & NGO partnerships) across Europe and myself, as well as most people I meet do not have a degree in nonprofit management....in fact I meet such a broad subset of people with really diverse backgrounds who have all found their way into the nonprofit world.

My biggest piece of advice to you would be to pick a major that you enjoy and are passionate about (for me that was Anthropology!) and alongside your studies find ways to gain experience with the nonprofit community through volunteering - this could take many forms, it could be skills-sharing based, fundraising, event management, copywriting or simply mentoring a younger student, or meeting an senior for a cup of coffee once a week. I volunteered as a mentor, and also volunteered in an Oxfam store while researching for my dissertation.

Volunteering across a broad section of skills, topics, and cause areas could also help you identify which part of a nonprofit, or which cause area you'd like to work on the most. I'd have a look at volunteermatch for opportunities, but you can also email your local nonprofit or community organisations that take your fancy. It's likely that your college/university will have a volunteering society that you could join too.

Good luck and maybe our paths will cross in the nonprofit world one day!

Holly