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From for-profit to nonprofit
10 strategies to help you jumpstart
your transition
Presented by: Heather Krasna, Author/Career Coach For: IdealistCareers.org @IdealistCareers
About Heather Krasna
• Assistant Dean of Career Services, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
• 16 + years experience as a career coach
• Author, Jobs That Matter: Find a Stable, Fulfilling Career in Public Service
• Director, Candidate Services, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
Overview of the nonprofit sector
Facts & figures
National Center for Charitable Statistics http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413277-Nonprofit-Sector-in-Brief-2014.pdf
Types of nonprofits • Grassroots
• Start-up
• In Transition
• “Corporate Style”
• Steady/Stable
• In-Decline
• Founder-Led
Job functions/skills needed: Nonprofit-specific jobs
• Program Management • Program design, delivery; stakeholder outreach; evaluation;
volunteer coordination; event management
• Program Evaluation • Survey design, statistics, metrics, writing
• Fundraising • Grant writing/institutional fundraising • Individual giving (annual giving, major donor) • Events, planned giving and other specialized fundraising fields
• Policy/Advocacy • Government relations, grassroots organizing, policy analysis
• Executive Director • Fundraising, strategic planning, board governance, financial
management, supervision of staff, program planning
Job functions/skills needed: Less-nonprofit specific
• Accounting • HR • Operations • Communications/PR/Marketing
• Writing, editing, media relations, social media etc.
Jumpstart your job search!
Tip #1: Be clear about what you want and why • Why now?
• What mission area speaks to you, and why?
• What skills do the organizations you care about need?
• What job functions/skills do you enjoy using?
• What other lifestyle factors are important to you? (salary, work-life balance, benefits, geographic location)
• How will you prioritize?
Tip #2: Check your misconceptions of the sector • All nonprofit employees are saints.
• Nonprofits are lucky to employ whomever they can find.
• Working in nonprofits is not challenging.
• Nonprofits are all flat organizations.
• Nonprofit jobs are secure.
• Nonprofit managers always know how to manage.
• All nonprofits are alike.
Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
Tip #3: Overcome misconceptions employers might have about you • ASSUMPTION: “You expect to be rewarded handsomely for your work
while having plenty of support staff.” SOLUTION: Mention in your cover letter that your salary requirements are flexible; or that salary is not as important to you as mission impact; and mention in your resume that have handled small budgets/small staff sizes, and have a “roll up your sleeves” attitude.
• ASSUMPTION: “The impact of your work on the bottom line is the only appropriate gauge of success/You think that nonprofits or government agencies should be run like businesses.” SOLUTION: Learn about nonprofit program evaluation; ensure you use appropriate wording in the application; network
• ASSUMPTION: “If you really cared about the mission, you wouldn’t have sold out to the for-profit sector so many years ago.” SOLUTION: Volunteer! Show your commitment to the mission.
Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
Tip #4: Understand what nonprofits need
• Read a lot of job descriptions
• Read a lot of LinkedIn profiles
• Go to Idealist.org and Guidestar.org to research relevant organizations
• Use Wordle.net Program Manager word cloud
Tip #4: Understand what nonprofits need
Fundraising Word Cloud
Tip #5: Identify your transferable skills
Talk to a friend, career counselor, recruiter; and use your research to identify when you have used skills such as: • Leadership and influence • Managing up, down, and sideways • Delegating with kindness while demanding accountability • Adaptability and openness in management style • Ability to manage a broad portfolio of responsibilities • Knowing how to get to “yes” • Managing dotted line relationships • Delivering impressive results • A long term view • Working with a client population or context similar to your chosen mission
area Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
Tip #6: Fill the gap between where you are and where you want to be
gap Current role Future role
• Volunteering • Board memberships • Classes/ New degrees • Internships • Networking
Some common degree programs
• Master of Public Administration; Master of Public Policy (MPA/MPP) • Master of Science, Nonprofit Management (MS) • Master of Social Work (MSW) • Master of Public Health (MPH) • Master of Education (MSED, MED) • JD, MBA, PhD, EdD etc.
Source: Laura Gassner-Professionals Advisory GroupOtting, Nonprofit
Some common technical skills
• Grant writing (classes at Foundation Center Library) • Fundraising software (Raiser’s Edge, Donor Perfect, Salesforce etc.) • Program evaluation/design • CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive)
Tip #7: Use the language of the sector in your application
…work for a company. …work for an organization/agency.
…earn a profit. …generate revenue.
…achieve a return on investment.
…achieve impact from donated funds.
…sell a certain number of goods or services.
…serve # community members/clients/students etc.
…rely upon staff. …rely upon volunteers and champions and partners.
…develop sales leads. …research potential funders, stakeholders, and partners.
…create customer-focused marketing campaigns.
…advocate to impact social change.
Business Lingo Nonprofit Lingo
Examples: Corporate to nonprofit resume bullets
CORPORATE (Investment manager): • Lead all marketing and client
services activities for Fixed Income Division which manages over $200 billion in assets, including investments in healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, etc.
CORPORATE (attorney): • Drafted and negotiated wide range
of contracts related to the sale and distribution of software, including end-user license agreements, hosting agreements, reseller agreements, OEM agreements, strategic partnership agreements, and professional services agreements.
NONPROFIT (Philanthropy management OR fundraising) • Establish and maintain relationships
with domestic and international, institutional partners, such as philanthropies, university endowments, retirement funds, city governments/municipalities, and international firms.
CORPORATE (grant writer) • Reviewed Requests for Proposals
(RFPs) from government and private sector prospects and effectively advised clients on how to respond to operational, financial and legal questions.
• Conducted prospect research and established new relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.
Tip #7: Other nonprofit resume strategies
• Write a nonprofit-focused summary/profile section at the top of the resume.
• Move your board memberships to the top of the resume (after contact information and summary).
• Re-order your bullet points so that your nonprofit-specific skills come first.
• Delete all corporate or other jargon that would not be relevant/comprehensible to your new employer.
Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
Tip #8: Network!
The # 1 way to get a job—especially for career-changers. Don’t ask your resume to do all the work for you! Networking sources: • An alumni association • LinkedIn • A neighborhood coalition • A church, synagogue or mosque • A political campaign • A local music ensemble • A sports team • A nonprofit board • A parent-teacher association • Volunteering • Don’t discount your corporate contacts
Source: Laura Gassner-Otting, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
Tip #9: Go on informational interviews and leverage your network
GOALS: • Research • Referrals (to new people, resources, organizations) • Read your Resume • Be remembered positively/recommended
TIPS: • Build rapport • Show sincere interest in the other person • Listen • Ask how you can be helpful • Stay in touch • Ask if you can use the person’s name in your cover letter when applying
Source: The Savvy Networker, Ron and Caryl Krannich
Tip #10: Determine your bottom-line numbers and other factors
Helpful resources: • Guidestar.org 990 tax returns • Foundation Center Library • Glassdoor.com • Networking • Nonprofit salary surveys
What else is important to you? • Benefits • Work-life balance • Office culture • Check back with your priorities
Idealist
Thank You!
