Career Options

Careers in the Nonprofit Sector

Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Make a career of humanity. ... You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”
Although King was talking specifically about the struggle for human rights, there are many careers that can give you the opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Tag and Catherine Goulet
[ 2007-03-12 ]

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Tag and Catherine Goulet
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For a significant number of job-seekers, the best place to look for careers that make a difference is the nonprofit sector. This sector consists of a variety of organizations in such diverse fields as arts & culture, education, environment, health, religion, sports & recreation, and social services.

These organizations offer many rewarding career opportunities such as:

  • Executive Director/CEO
  • Fundraiser/Fund Developer
  • Volunteer Management
  • Program Director/Coordinator
  • Communications/Public Relations

 

According to the Institute for Nonprofit Studies at Mount Royal College in Calgary, the nonprofit sector is “arguably the most dynamic, challenging and rewarding facet of our nation’s economy -- and one that is growing at an exceptional rate.”


Economically, the nonprofit sector is enormous. Over 2 million people, or 12 percent of all working Canadians, are employed by nonprofits. A 2005 report (The Canadian Nonprofit and Voluntary sector in Comparative Perspective) says this is equivalent to the number of employees within all branches of manufacturing throughout the country.

For anyone who wants the opportunity to make a difference, there has never been a better time to consider a career in the nonprofit sector. The sector will be affected by the retirement of the baby boomer generation, especially those who are leaving executive and management positions.

In addition, the nonprofit sector is feeling the impact of losing workers to higher paying positions. Recently the Calgary Sun ran a story by Shawn Logan reporting that many workers have been leaving the nonprofit sector for higher paying jobs in private industry.

Ruth Ramsden-Wood, president of Calgary’s United Way was quoted in the story saying: “Our staff are paying the same rents, the same real estate prices, the same everything as everyone else but they’re not being paid the same.”

Similar challenges for nonprofits exist in other Canadian cities. However, while the nonprofit sector can be expected to continue lobbying for increased funding, for workers there are many advantages to a nonprofit career beyond salary.

In their book Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em: Getting Good People to Stay, authors Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans found that while “fair pay” is important to workers (it ranked fourth in a survey of why employees remain with an employer), there are many other factors that are important to workers including: exciting work, career growth, working with great people, meaningful work and making a difference.

These are exactly the types of benefits that a career in the nonprofit sector offers.

The Institute for Nonprofit Studies at Mount Royal College reports that rewards of nonprofit sector employment cited by various employees include:

  • Satisfaction felt from contributing to the betterment of people’s lives and the community as a whole.
  • The ability to believe whole-heartedly in the work one is partaking in. Meaningful work that aligns with individual belief and value systems.
  • The passion and dedication of those working within the sector is inspiring and rewarding.
  • Everyday, duties and responsibilities are different. There is a great deal of variety that keeps employees satisfied and challenged. The work is never boring.

 

So if you want to make a difference, consider a career in the nonprofit sector.

Tag and Catherine Goulet are founders of FabJob.com. This article is an excerpt from their book Dream Careers. Visit www.FabJob.com to discover your dream career.



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