Here's how you can gain philanthropy experience as a recent graduate.

I graduated from university in a recession so it was difficult to find a job. I took what I could get but I also volunteered for a workforce development nonprofit. I had the opportunity to meet others and to understand the community challenges during that time period, especially how the recession was impacting those without a college or high school diploma. Mostly, I found that people wanted to be seen and heard. I listened and learned from those wiser and with more life experience than me. I encourage all recent grads to volunteer their time and talent if they can as it's a great exercise in listening, being humble but also about learning your community. It can also be great to network with others especially if you are looking for a job.

In the original Greek meaning, the word philanthropy is the “love of humanity.” Love what you do and share your care for others are great foundations of working in the non-profit sector. If you have trouble getting started in the field and finding it difficult to get job offers or even secure interviews, start volunteering with nonprofits that interest you to explore if they are the right fit for you and to market yourself to their leadership teams. Offer your skills to them as a volunteer to get your foot in the door and get to know the right people. For example, if you're a good writer offer to help with marketing and PR efforts; if you know your way around a camera help out creating a video or powerful social posts.

Jump into a local organization as a volunteer and support a special event committee. Get to know the organization and the recipients of their services. I find it is most meaningful to connect with an organization that speaks to your heart. Secondly, I found that becoming an intern was a very effective method for me to gain skills that were immediately transferable to a future job. Find a mentor and keep open communication throughout your career!

Your entry into non-profit begins early at University. Find a community that's engaging a particular series of service projects that you're interested in. If you're there for recognition, you're not going to get much out of it. But, if you'll engage a club at the University that deals with something that impacts people or things you're passionate about, go join and find ways to help. I'd also recommend keeping it local. International philanthropy is good work too, but local needs are real. Find a club that does real work in your city, county, or similar, and get involved. Those are the clubs that show up do the constant work, rather than the big projects that take place somewhere else. In that, you'll find a role, and you'll network.

Be open to all opportunities within Philanthropy, don't base your search on organization names, but more so on the role you want to take on there. What can you gain from this role? What will you learn? All experiences are opportunities to learn and network. When you're starting off, it's important to gain experience in a variety of roles to see what your strengths and skills are. Be grateful for experiences that come your way, and stay open-minded as you begin your journey.

This is a hidden gem of an opportunity that can open doors and allow you to start building a professional network. During my decades in higher education only 2-3 students or recent grads have ever reached out to offer to be a volunteer or ask to create an unpaid internship. Some universities have volunteer clubs and those are a safe way to see if your interested, but don’t be afraid to request a meeting to talk to the alumni or development office about crafting a role that will provide you time to interact with staff, board members and donors. Remember -it’s who you know.

Internships are volunteering with the internalization of the organization's mission, values, statute, policies, methodologies, best practices, and history in your own way of working from then on. For this purpose, truly research your institution and improve it.

Internships are the hidden gems of the philanthropy world! They provide an exclusive backstage pass to the professional realm of charitable organisations and foundations. Snagging an internship means diving headfirst into program development, grant writing, and donor relations. Internships are your golden ticket to showcase your unwavering commitment and passion, supercharging your resume, and catapulting your career prospects in philanthropy to new heights!

UNESCO, one of the most important educational standards institution worldwide, recommends lifelong continued learning for the improvement of our own lives and our communities. Apart from your personal area's technical knowledges, philanthropic work requires a minimum understandment of nonviolence communication, rule of law, regulatory compliance, humanitarian aid, social service, solidarity economy, fundraising, ethical banking, heritage safeguard, and intercultural diplomacy. And don't forget to add your online courses certifications to your Linked In profile and resume.

If you are weak in one area, whether it's writing or events, it never hurts and can only help to find a course or certificate program to beef up your skills. Look for a course taught by someone with a lot of solid experience. Lifelong learning keeps us current.

Networking is a must in every professional area, as it is in philanthropy. By finding other like minded persons, you will have the opportunity to learn from their experience, share points of view, and gain knowledge. You can either look for : - geographical network in your area for in-person meetings, - thematic network depending on the cause that is dear to your heart (WASH, human rights,...) - general philanthropic groups online to learn more about action, funding, or impact measurement for example. Keep in mind what you have to offer, and share it with others.

Cooperate the most you can to promote the networks that implement, safeguard, and promote your interests proficiency, technical unions, and the common good.

Forge a razor-sharp skill set! Philanthropy isn’t just about having a heart of gold—it’s about matching that with essential skills like project management, communication, fundraising, and strategic planning. Enhance your abilities through Public Speaking Workshops offered by Toastmasters, boosting your advocacy and stakeholder engagement. Also, connect with the Centre for Social Impact at UNSW or Swinburne to develop innovative solutions to social challenges

Don't try to start at the top...take on a junior position, gain experience, build relationships, listen, and most of all, soak in all of the years of knowledge your co-workers are willing to share with you!

Being true ambassador of organization is an essence of philanthropy. It's essential to develop skills how to advocate, how to fundraise or deepen knowledge of how non-profits works.

Beware that you already have countless skills that you've learned from your families, practiced with your friends, and have vast experience assisting in your community since you were a kid. Value, nourish, and thank those who have teached you also by sharing how your skills have developed in your professional life because this may lead to even more learning.

The most fundamental skill you can acquire to become a true philanthropist is to be humble. To think of yourself less and about the well-being of the world and all living things more. Why it matters ? Humility allows you to recognize the needs of others without seeking personal gains. It fosters genuine empathy and a deep understanding that your contributions, no matter how small, can make a significant impact. By being humble, you open yourself up to learning from those you aim to help and collaborate with others more effectively, creating a more meaningful and lasting change.

You can't be a good fundraiser if you aren't a donor. Practice what you preach! Use your social media contacts to benefit a cause you care about and start your own online fundraiser. It gives you the opportunity to post your feelings and your motivation to support the cause. Your passion will show through and others will want to follow through too. But it's not always that easy is it? When you do this, you'll learn about follow up and reaching out to seal the deal!

The best way to gain philanthropy experience is to be a philanthropist. While the usual concept of philanthropy includes the donation of large sums of money, thats not the totality. Donating time, skills, resources and money of any amount to advance the mission of a non profit and allows you access to other donors to give you ideas on crafting your own philanthropy journey. Being a champion of a cause will give you experience with finance, operations, volunteer management and fund development.

You could work with a local temp company, sometimes nonprofits will hire temps to fill an open role quickly, you may be offered a perm position. That is how I got started.

I would agree with the other commenters that being a philanthropist in your own right is the best experience! Join a giving circle where you can pool your dollars with others to have a bigger impact. It also helps you learn about the process with other folks, sharing passions, preferences, and ideas/lessons learned!

Chinese word for philanthropy is 慈善 (císhàn) that translates as Goodness and Kindness. That embodies a vision that goes beyond traditional charity or "love of humanity". As new philanthropists, embrace this principle to nurture the world's well-being by fostering your inner world of goodness and kindness. Focus on cultivating compassion, integrity, and altruism to create a Culture that benefits both people and all living beings.