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Numerous myths relate to the nonprofit sector. Unfortunately, many of these myths dissuade job seekers from exploring opportunities with nonprofit organizations. Ten myths in particular discourage individuals from seeking job and career opportunities with nonprofits:
Myth 1: Nonprofits offer few job opportunities.
Reality: Employing nearly 10 million people, nonprofits serve as employers for nearly 8% of the American workforce. While many nonprofits are very small and only employ one or two full-time people, many other nonprofits employ over 100 individuals. Many job seekers overlook nonprofits as sources for employment not because they offer few job opportunities but simply because they know little about these organizations and thus do not automatically come up on their radar screens. One of the major reasons they don't know much about nonprofits is because they don't fit neatly into standard thinking about a job market being divided into business (private) or government (public) organizations. Nonprofits are neither but sometimes they may be both.
Myth 2: It's difficult to find information on opportunities with nonprofit organizations.
Reality: In addition to this book, you will find many useful printed resources on opportunities with nonprofit organizations published by Barricade Books, Gale Research, Macmillan, Planning/Communications and the Taft Group. You'll also find a wealth of information on the Internet about individual nonprofit organizations as well as job vacancies with nonprofits. Within the past three years, most nonprofits, including small ones in rural areas, have created their own Web sites that include information on their operations as well as job listings. With the help of a few key books and Web sites, the whole nonprofit world will unfold before you in a matter of hours. The biggest problem you will probably face is the fact that you have too much information on nonprofits!
Myth 3: Nonprofits are primarily volunteer organizations involved in charitable activities.
Reality: Many nonprofit organizations depend on volunteers, but many of these same organizations have large full-time paid staffs. It is inappropriate to stereotype nonprofit organizations as charitable organizations made up of volunteers. Nonprofits consist of a wide range of different types of organizations, from educational groups to foundations. Volunteers play important roles in only some types of nonprofit organizations.
Myth 4: Nonprofits lack good entrepreneurial skills and a sense of productivity and accountability. Like government employees, they are used to drawing salaries unrelated to performance.
Reality: By definition, nonprofits must be entrepreneurial, productive and accountable. Their funding operations require recruiting members, acquiring donations, receiving grants and operating profitable commercial enterprises. Indeed, they must be entrepreneurial in order to raise sufficient funds to survive and grow. Like most government and business operations, they work within annual budgets. Similar to thriving businesses, nonprofits must increasingly advertise their activities and vigorously market their products and services. However, nonprofit entrepreneurism differs from private sector entrepreneurism. Nonprofit entrepreneurism disproportionately centers on raising funds and recruiting members. Nonprofits also must be productive and accountable in relation to board members who set policies, approve budgets and oversee operations. Nonprofit productivity is measured differently from business productivity. Similar to government productivity, nonprofit productivity is measured in reference to organizational goals. Nonprofits are increasingly under pressure to clearly state their missions in terms of measurable goals as well as be more and more accountable to their boards.
Myth 5: Nonprofit organizations are primarily located in the metropolitan areas of Washington, DC, New York, Chicago and Atlanta.
Reality: Many of the large nonprofits, which are national and international in scope, are headquartered in these major metropolitan areas. The organizations have large full-time staffs that offer excellent job opportunities leading to career advancement within the nonprofit sector. However, more than 90% of all nonprofits operate at the local level as community-based organizations. While these groups have smaller staffs and fewer positions than the large nonprofits headquartered in major metropolitan areas, nonetheless, the local nonprofits generate millions of job opportunities.
Myth 6: It's difficult to break into the nonprofit world.
Reality: It is usually easier to enter this employment arena than to find jobs in government or business. Many nonprofits offer entry-level volunteer and internship positions through which individuals can acquire experience and skills with nonprofit organizations.
Myth 7: Most nonprofits are liberal groups that hire do-gooder, social-action types.
Reality: While many nonprofits attract individuals with such political and social orientations -- especially liberal social advocacy groups -- many other nonprofit organizations attract conservatives and those who do not have social action agendas. Nonprofits fall all along the ideological spectrum, from liberal environmental and abortion rights groups to conservative religious right and pro-life groups. Both types of groups attract individuals who have a passion for taking action related to a particular social issue. Other groups, such as professional associations, are relatively apolitical as they seek to promote the collective interests of their members. Nonprofits need public relations specialists, marketing managers, accountants, fundraisers, researchers, writers, communication specialists, administrators and managers who have the necessary skills to develop organizations and maintain day-to-day operations.
Myth 8: Nonprofit jobs tend to be dead-end jobs.
Reality: This is a huge employment arena where many individuals develop long-term careers and report high levels of satisfaction. Career advancement often takes the track of moving from small to larger nonprofit organizations that offer increasing responsibilities, larger operating budgets and better salaries and benefits.
Myth 9: Nonprofit organizations offer low salaries and few benefits.
Reality: The level of pay and benefits can vary widely, depending on the nature of the nonprofit organization. It's true that many nonprofit organizations, especially charitable and social service organizations, offer low-paying jobs because of the volunteer nature of the work and their shoestring budgets. But many nonprofits, especially health groups, research organizations, foundations, and business and professional associations, offer excellent salaries and benefits.
Myth 10: The best way to find a job with a nonprofit organization is to respond to vacancy announcements in local newspapers and to jobs listed on various Internet employment sites and on the home pages.
Reality: Many positions are advertised in local newspapers and professional journals, such as Access's Community Jobs and the Journal of Philanthropy, as well as on the Internet. Since more and more nonprofits advertise jobs on the Internet, you are well advised to visit their home pages or regularly check several key employment Web sites. Better still, visit several Web sites that specialize in nonprofit job listings.
Many of these sites have search engines that enable you to select your specialty field and desired work location. However, not all jobs appear through these print or electronic sources. Many jobs also are found through direct application or by networking through friends and acquaintances. For a comprehensive review of hundreds of international, national, state and local job vacancy resources, see the latest edition of Dan Lauber's The Nonprofits and Education Job Finder (Planning/Communications).
Excerpted from Jobs and Careers with Non-Profit Organizations
by Ron and Caryl Krannich, PhDs
Copyright - Impact Publications 1999
Reproduced with permission from Impact Publications
9104 Manassas Drive, Suite N
Manassas Park, Virginia 20111-5211
(703) 361-7300; (800) 361-1055; info@impactpublications.com
