Undergraduate Students

Exploring Careers

Career Paths for Business Students Interested in Nonprofit Organizations

Career Description

Nonprofit organizations perform a wide array of functions and are at the forefront of getting major issues, such as health, education, child labor, auto safety, homelessness, AIDS, civil rights, housing, cancer and environmental degradation, on governments' policy agendas.
At least 35,000 nonprofit organizations offer full-time job and career opportunities; more than 5,000 organizations have full-time staffs of 10 or more people and operate large volunteer programs. There are a number of business opportunities within nonprofits organization, as well as unique opportunities to service nonprofit organizations in a consulting manner. Nonprofit organizations hire financial managers, general business managers, and accountants. There are a number of consulting firms specializing in nonprofit services, providing business development, auditing, and marketing strategies.

Nonprofits offer a chance to work for organizations aiming to make a difference, and there are a number of benefits to working for a nonprofit. Nonprofit organizations tend to offer more diversity in the workforce, with women and minorities highly represented. The environment tends to be less bureaucratic and more casual and laid back in nature. Additionally, in a nonprofit organization, employees often have the chance to take a lead on projects from the start and/or be involved with multiple aspects of the organization’s overall operation.

Sample Career Opportunities

Financial Manager – financial managers in nonprofit organizations assist financial directors with cash handling, record keeping, journal entry prep, audit prep and various other financial matters.

Auditor – auditors check nonprofit financial statements for accuracy. When auditing a nonprofit entity, auditors must consider the limitations placed on the audit by donors and other funding sources, as well as the risks associated with the use of volunteer personnel, in-kind services and volunteer board of trustees and tax considerations resulting from unrelated business income.

Marketing Associate/Manager – marketing managers at nonprofit organizations function similarly to marketing managers at private organizations, running advertising and promotional campaigns focused in different regions. Such mangers serve as key communicators between the organizations they represent and the general public, as well as a liaison to the donors of the organization. In nonprofit organizations, marketing personnel have the opportunity to make traditional marketing decisions very early on in their careers.

Controller – controllers at nonprofit organizations perform a variety of business functions, such as managing the financial accounting system, establishing and maintaining internal controls and accounting policies, preparing financial statements, and overseeing cash management, financial reporting, and disbursement activities.

Business Manager – business managers formulate the policies and direct the operations of nonprofit organizations.

Consultant – consultants working for private consulting firms provide a wide array of services to nonprofit agencies. Consultants can be strictly financial in nature, providing auditing and accounting services to a number of nonprofit organizations. Or, consultants can provide more strategic services to nonprofits, such as developing marketing plans or offering public relations expertise.

Skills Needed

Following are some skill sets that nonprofit employers will commonly look for during interviews:

• Communication – both written and oral communication skills
•  Leadership
• Teamwork – must be able to work with a diverse group of people united under a common cause
• Multi-Tasking abilities

Resources for Further Research

Online Resources

• http://www.nonprofits.org/ - The Internet Nonprofit Center publishes the Nonprofit FAQ, a resource of information provided by participants in many online discussions about nonprofits and their work.
• http://www.quintcareers.com/volunteering.html - offers online job searches, the opportunity to post your resume, and various career tools, such as article tutorials, and resume services.
• www.nonprofit.careerbuilder.com - search for thousands of nonprofit jobs on the Internet’s largest career website.
• http://www.ceoupdate.com/ - CEO job opportunities is the premier source for up-to-date information on senior level nonprofit jobs in trade associations, professional societies, cause-oriented organizations, and foundations.
• http://www.opportunityknocks.org/ - Opportunity Knocks is the Internet's leading source of nonprofit jobs and career opportunities. To find your perfect job, do a quick keyword search or use our Advanced Search to see job listings by city, state, organization or position type. Currently, OpportunityKnocks.org has 483 nonprofit job listings.

Print Resources

• Richard L. Edwards, John A. Yankey, Mary A. Altpeter. Skills for Effective Management of Nonprofit Organizations.
• Lilly Cohen and Dennis R. Young. Careers for Dreamers and Doers: A Guide to Management Careers in the Nonprofit Sector.
• Richard M. King. Nonprofit Careers for Business Professionals.
• William Lewis and Carol Milano. Profitable Careers in Nonprofit.

Nonprofit Employers at Smith