Nonprofit Careers (read time: 15 min)
Eight entry-level pathways at nonprofits
Fundraising or Development Associate
Communications Coordinator or Associate
Volunteer Coordinator
Research or Policy Associate
Operations, Administrative, or Programs Associate
Human Resources Associate
Finance or Accounting Associate
Direct service roles
So you want to work at a Nonprofit
If you’ve opened this guide, you want to give back to your community, learn a great deal, and fight for a mission you believe in. In other words, you’re interested in working at a nonprofit. Nonprofits work in partnership with governments to form the social safety net, provide services to people in need, and establish mission-driven communities across the globe. The benefits of a career in the world of nonprofits are formidable, but they are often overshadowed by the drawbacks. Namely, many believe that finding a job at a nonprofit is difficult and that you’ll get paid less than other industries. This career guide is here to demystify the process of finding a job in the nonprofit sector and to sort out the truth from fiction when it comes to nonprofit careers. To inform our work, Second Day has spoken to dozens of experts in the field and gathered the best information out there for upcoming and recent graduates. This guide is an overview guide, where we will briefly discuss a range of opportunities, while linking out to more detailed guides for the areas that you are interested in. Let’s get started!
This guide was written by Phil Dearing in partnership with the Second Day team.
Eight entry-level pathways at nonprofits
These following entry-level roles are meant as examples, but there are thousands of other roles that exist based on what a nonprofit organization does (e.g., advocacy organizations, service providers, cultural institutions, etc.). Ultimately, we believe that, in the majority of cases, the organization matters more than the specific role. Getting your foot in the door of an organization is often harder than pivoting to a different job title or shifting your responsibilities to fit your growth goals. When deciding on these roles, it’s important to think about what marketable skills you’ve developed that might help you stand out for one of these roles and how the job can help you build towards your career goals. We’ll go into depth on the nuances of this throughout this guide and in the role guides linked out from here.
Fundraising or Development Associate
Development + Fundraising (read time: 14 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Contacting and developing relationships with donors and sponsors
Tracking fundraising/donations and reporting progress to management
Writing and applying for grants
Hosting events for potential and current donor
Administrative support for organizing/maintaining records, managing calendar of events, and communicating with donors
WHY START IN FUNDRAISING
Demonstrated fundraising ability is one of the most marketable roles in the social impact space. It’s also a key piece of most executive director’s roles一there is typically a clearer promotion pathway to director of development and then organizational leadership this way. If you want to lead a nonprofit one day, the job will almost always have a focus on raising money for that organization. Building that skill set early can help distinguish you throughout your career. Because many people shy away from asking people for money and yet fundraising is critical to the existence of nonprofits, these roles are some of the most plentiful for entry-level folks in the sector.
HOW TO GET THE JOB
Fundraising jobs are posted regularly since raising funds is always a priority in the nonprofit space. Getting a job will rely on a combination of networking, mission-alignment, and prior experience. When networking, find the organization’s Director (or VP) of Development, and reach out for an informational interview. As with any nonprofit role, selling your commitment to an organization’s mission is crucial to getting the job. This is especially true in fundraising, where your job involves convincing others of the importance of your mission (and why they should donate). Have your “why this org” elevator pitch ready. In terms of experience, you can build development credentials in either an internship context or as a volunteer. One excellent way to get involved is in development at your university. You could take on part-time paid work making calls to alumni, or serve as an alumni representative for your class.
To learn more about working in Fundraising, check out the Second Day guide here.
Communications Coordinator or Associate
Communications (read time: 14 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Creating marketing materials that are distributed to customers and clients, such as newsletters, emails, brochures, etc.
Working on messaging/public relations
Distributing marketing materials online and offline for maximum exposure
Track and report on marketing campaign performance
Planning events (usually 1-2 large fundraisers/launch events and other small events)
Managing and developing content for your organization’s social media
WHY START IN COMMUNICATIONS
If you are at a small organization, you’ll often be given a lot of ownership over the organization’s external brand, with the opportunity to launch new campaigns and create avenues to expand the reach of the organization. If you are at a larger organization, you may be involved in helping to steer massive online campaigns, mail campaigns, TV ads, and other initiatives, often within an apprenticeship setting. If you enjoy writing or marketing, this can be a really fun and exciting role to get more people engaged in missions that you care about.
HOW TO GET THE JOB
To best position yourself for a job in Communications, you’ll need to build a combination of hard skills and prior experience. Depending on how reliant your job is on designing original communications graphics, you may need a basic understanding of design tools like Photoshop, Canva, and Indesign. If your role focuses more on producing written materials like action alerts or newsletters, organizations will be looking for someone with proven experience with clear, short, persuasive writing. In each of these cases, you can invest time into building out a design portfolio/writing samples to showcase those skills. Social media is also fundamental to many entry-level communications roles, so it’s helpful to have proven your success at increasing engagement on an organization’s social media platform (even through a club or internship). To prepare for the event management aspect of your job, you can work the back end of events part time to build connections and experience.
To learn more about working in Communications, check out the Second Day guide here.
Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteer Management (read time: 12 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Developing and implement goals for a volunteer program that reflect the organization’s mission
Recruiting, organizing, and managing volunteers for various committees/departments
Create training programs and keep records of volunteers
Create reports to determine needs for volunteers and programs
Partner with other departments (such as programs, development, and community engagement)
WHY START IN VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
If you are someone who wants more opportunity for intrapreneurship and creative energy, volunteer coordinators often have the space to create new processes and programs to mobilize volunteers. Working with volunteers is rewarding, interesting and often fun. In addition, the crossover between volunteer programs and other departments makes it a great place to learn about the entire nonprofit structure. It can be a great way to launch your career, establish some critical skills, and position yourself well for a future role.
HOW TO GET THE JOB
Being a volunteer, even on a limited basis, is the single best way to get your foot in the door as a coordinator. You can volunteer/work at a traditional direct service organization, but there is also lots of overlap between working/volunteering on an electoral campaign. Highlight your ability to stay high-energy, support the organization’s mission, and keep track of small details. If you have the financial ability, starting with Americorps or a different service year fellowship is a common pathway into volunteer management.
To learn more about working in Volunteer Management, check out the Second Day guide here.
Research or Policy Associate
Policy & Research (read time: 12 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Sorting and validating data from public databases
Analyzing data using statistical and technical analysis to predict future results
Producing charts, tables and figures for reports, newsletters, etc.
Presenting analysis to managers
A range of other tasks dependent on the kind of research
WHY START IN RESEARCH
A research role provides an opportunity to become an expert on some particular topic and to build up a sought after skillset. While the role and responsibilities vary widely on who you are working for and what you are researching, this can create a great platform for you to join an organization working on the issues you are researching or even start your own organization/initiative if there is a clear gap.
HOW TO GET THE JOB
The keys to getting a research role are previous research experience, hard data analysis skills, and population-specific experience. You can start out building research experience at school (ask your professors if they need a research assistant since lots do), or an internship. Try to cultivate a polished writing sample to show off your writing skills since most applications will require a writing sample. In addition, the more you can do on the analytic end of research, the better. Learning the basics of a few programming languages (R, Stata, SQL, etc.) through courses or self-teaching will set you apart as an applicant, and help you succeed starting out on the job. Lastly, if the nonprofit has a topic-based or population-specific focus (such as education, youth etc.), make sure to highlight any relevant experience.
To learn more about working in Research, check out the Second Day guide here.
Operations, Administrative, or Programs Associate
Operations and Admin (read time: 12 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Scheduling or preparing meetings for senior leaders or large teams
Handling office operations, vendors, and internal communications
Project managing on anything and everything needed for the operations or programs of an organization
Assisting with data entry, grants management, ongoing reporting, and communications
WHY START IN OPERATIONS
This role varies dramatically depending on the organization. In general, larger organizations will have more rigid roles, while smaller organizations will provide more opportunity to take initiative and work across teams. Working in operations means you will gain a deep understanding of the gears and mechanisms that drive an organization, which is critical in determining how to direct the rest of your career. Some of these roles can lead to rapid mobility, while others don’t have many paths to promotion or growth, so it is important to understand the culture of each organization. If you are passionate about a specific mission/organization, but don’t know what role is best, this can be a great opportunity to learn more about the range of roles across the organization.
HOW TO GET THE JOB
All of the general application tips you’ve heard probably apply for these roles. Networking is essential for these roles, both so that you’ll actually be considered for places you apply to and also so that you can learn more about whether you want that role. For these jobs, it is often helpful to read exactly what skills are called for in the job description and then weave that into your resume or cover letter verbatim. For example, if they want someone with “attention to detail,” you can include that character trait in your cover letter or even share a story about how that skill helped you in the past. Generally, hiring managers will look for clear examples of your organization and systems-building skills. The good news is that this is a role that is commonly accessible to graduating seniors!
To learn more about working in Operations, check out the Second Day guide here.
Human Resources Associate
Human Resources (read time: 10 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Planning and coordinating presentations and new employee onboarding and training sessions
Assisting with the recruiting process for job postings internal and external
Processing new hire forms, payroll data, employee files, benefits and other individual information of employees
WHY START IN HR
If you are passionate about the future of the social sector and working to improve organizations, HR is a surprisingly potent force. Entry-level roles are generally available and the team is usually quite small, so there is often opportunity to take on bigger initiatives. You get exposure to the inner struggles and accomplishments of roles across the organization, and this can help you plan what department you find most interesting. More importantly, HR provides an opportunity to advocate for more inclusive practices, invest in talent, and build up a sector that has suffered from historical lack of investment (nonprofits).
HOW TO GET THE JOB
To get a job in HR, you’ll want to look for HR generalist roles like an HR Associate or HR Assistant at an organization where you align with the mission. In your application, highlight a combination of interpersonal skills (which correspond to the parts of work that require building relationships with employees and communicating about difficult issues) and administrative skills (which are necessary for the back-end tasks like managing payroll and benefits). Previous experience working in an office setting or customer service jobs are also important to mention in your application. Since a lot of people end up stumbling into HR, having a couple informational interviews where you make it clear your specific interest in HR work will set you apart as a candidate and help you get your first job!
To learn more about working in HR, check out the Second Day guide here.
Finance or Accounting Associate
Social Impact Finance (read time: 12 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Assisting with tax returns or audits, cash management and reimbursements
Providing basic accounting and bookkeeping to support clients
Monitoring and verifying company expenses and accounts payable and receivable
Budgeting and scenario planning
WHY START IN FINANCE
Financial accounting is an essential capability of any organization. Though building up the right skills can be difficult, once you have them, you’ll be incredibly employable since finance professionals in the social impact space are highly sought after. This is another area where it is relatively straightforward to move your way up within organizations towards a CFO-type role. Having a mastery in an organization’s finances provides a bridge into other areas of organizational leadership as well, such as operations or HR, as part of the budgeting process. In addition, the finance skills you build in the social impact space are transferable across different companies and different sectors (e.g., government or private sector).
HOW TO GET THE JOB
Finance is a part of an organization where hard skills are necessary to do the job. Therefore, the best way to get the job is to leverage a finance major or finance and accounting classes from school. If you are interested in doing this work but don’t have the skills, many professionals will pivot by getting a Master’s in Finance or Master’s in Business Administration to gain the necessary expertise. In addition to hard skills, employers will value any demonstrated experience in finance. A creative way to build this experience is to serve as treasurer for a club you’re involved in and understand the process of managing a budget. Lastly, if you’re open to volunteering and are hoping to pivot from the private sector, websites like Catchafire and Taproot provide a platform for skilled volunteers to match with organizations so you can establish experience and connections.
To learn more about working in Finance, check out the Second Day guide here.
Direct service roles
Direct Service (read time: 18 min)
OVERVIEW OF DAY TO DAY WORK
Handling the day-to-day care and programming for clients experiencing housing instability, addiction, or mental illness
Working with clients to coordinate and advocate for their access to external services (housing, food, job training, etc.)
Providing specialized support for legal or healthcare services
WHY START IN PROGRAMS
If you are hungry to work on the ground, face to face with social issues and injustice, this can often be a great opportunity to see the impact of an organization first-hand. Direct program work is increasingly harder to manage as you get older, so if you want this first-hand experience, direct service roles can be a great place to start your career. This experience will be incredibly valuable whether you build a career in direct service or transition into research or policy work.
HOW TO GET THE JOB
A popular place for recent graduates to start a career in direct service work is a range of service fellowships including but not limited to Americorps, Jesuit Volunteer Corps, City Year, Avodah, and FoodCorps. Each of these fellowships involve a service placement as part of a structured fellowship program. If you are not interested in a fellowship program or pursuing a master’s degree, you may decide to go directly into service work as a direct care worker/client service aid/residential aid or a case manager. If you do apply immediately, showing your roots in the community and past relevant work experience is more important than flashy internships or credentials. Service year positions often only pay a stipend, while entry-level direct service roles will be slightly higher paying.
To learn more about working in direct service, check out the Second Day guide here.
Final thoughts on working in nonprofits
If this has helped clarify a specific role (or few roles) that you want to target, you can use those titles to anchor your search. However, if you still feel uncertain, it may make more sense to anchor your search on organizations first while remaining open to a wide range of roles. Across the eight positions mentioned, the pay typically ranges from $35K-$65K, with the salaries on the higher end coming from larger organizations and bigger cities. There isn’t much of a pay discrepancy between these roles, except that direct service roles typically pay a lower salary (~$30K), and fundraising roles may pay a bit more ($50K+).
As a final important note, these guides were written with an eye towards working at a nonprofit, but the descriptions of these roles apply broadly across industries. The description of working in Finance or HR is largely similar whether you are in the social sector, public sector, or private sector.
Last updated: July 2021