Making the Leap from the Corporate World to the Nonprofit World

At a time when the world is facing so many challenges, you might be feeling the urge to do something to help solve the problems you’re reading about or seeing around you — homelessness, poverty, discrimination, lack of access to basic human rights like education or healthcare. Maybe, you’ve been in private sector for a while, possibly donated, or even volunteered at a nonprofit. Now feels like the right time to dedicate yourself to something more meaningful, something that gives you the opportunity to contribute to a better life for all.?Where do you start? What do you need to do before you making the leap?

Before you commit to this path, take time to understand and be clear on why you want to go into nonprofit sector. It’s important that you make the change because you believe in the nonprofit mission and want to serve others. Explore what areas motivate you the most and do an inventory of the skills and networks you can bring to a non-profit.

Here are some tips that might help you “make the leap”.

1. Plan ahead and be prepared.

Compared to corporate businesses, nonprofits might seem under-resourced and usually offer smaller paychecks.?Donations can be inconsistent, and qualifying for public funding is usually contingent on meeting predetermined benchmarks. It’s not unusual for nonprofits to be lean or even understaffed. Start saving now to ensure your household budget can handle a potential reduction in pay.???

People at nonprofits sometimes work long hours and are asked to fill multiple roles—but they also usually find greater autonomy and decision-making power. To demonstrate you’re prepared, highlight your leadership, public speaking, and delegation skills during the interview and in your resume. It will also be helpful to discuss what initiatives you’ve taken in former roles.

2. Build a professional dossier that spans a variety of work experiences.

Your application materials should emphasize your functional expertise and not just the industries where you’ve worked. Nonprofit organizations are interested in candidates who know a little about everything and wear more than one hat. People skills, in particular, are high in demand because most positions involve fundraising. Every employee at a nonprofit is an organization ambassador.

3. Volunteer for a cause you believe in.

If you don’t already have a target nonprofit in mind, talk to board members and volunteers in the community, look at the Council on Foundations website, which lists organizations by location, and GuideStar, which is a nonprofit database and reporting platform. Choose potential employers with a mission that aligns with your beliefs—any previous involvement in the cause is a discussion point with your candidacy. If possible, volunteer at the nonprofit to which you’re applying, or serve as a board member at a similar agency. After you’ve established a rhythm with a volunteer coordinator or other contact, ask about other ways to contribute.

4. Tailor your resume.

Skills like business development, sales, finance, and marketing are highly valuable in the nonprofit sector. You will, however, need to adapt your skills to this new context of social good. When you decide what information to include in your resume, it’s important to highlight the below.?

• Examples of your work with multiple stakeholders.
• Details about revenue generation.
• Clear value proposition that’s specific to your target organization.
• Specific metrics that describe the range, scale, and frequency of your work.
• Superb communication skills and emotional intelligence.
• Showcase volunteer experience either as a separate section or as work-related experience (if your volunteering experience is related to the job you're applying for). List your main achievements in volunteer work in the same way you list your professional experiences. Use as many action verbs and metrics as possible.

5. Network, network, network and find a mentor who already works with nonprofits.

Reach out to staff at new organizations and drill deeper to develop relationships with those individuals who are strong prospects for helping you with your search. Know in advance that this will take more time than you expect and make sure you are willing to commit to ongoing networking. If not, you need to seriously consider if this is the path for you.

The nonprofit network is small but welcoming if you prove your commitment to the cause. Working with a mentor can help you make connections and generate new opportunities. A mentor can also help you understand, for example, 501(c) tax law, donor acquisition, and what it’s like to work for a nonprofit.

While I’m currently consulting with nonprofit organizations, I led a nonprofit for 7 ? years and would be happy to share my experiences transitioning from for profit to not-for-profit. Please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. I say, “Go for it! ?Life is too short to not do meaningful work”.

If nonprofit work is not for you or not for right now, there is a happy medium like contributing from your current vantage point in private sector — volunteering, donating (don’t forget gift matching), raising funds for a cause by playing in a golf tournament or running a race, or making your business practices more socially conscious by hiring opportunity youth. Another option is to consult, which is what I’m doing right now. Just do something. It counts.

“Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at all the times you can, with all the zeal you can, as long as ever you can.” ~ John Wesley