Individuals that work in the nonprofit sector are purpose and values-driven. Nonprofit organizations hire across the spectrum of disciplines, which include education, counseling, organizational management, advocacy, and social impact, to name a few. Nonprofits hire on an as needed basis, with a variety of roles being available, depending on the mission of the organization. Typically, recruitment happens in the spring semesters, but this can vary. To be competitive in the nonprofit search, make sure to volunteer or work within a campus organization that serves a similar population, e.g., if I want to work for a nonprofit that mentors at-risk kids, I might want to get involved at our Campus Y. Coursework on racial justice, human rights, communications, and sustainability, to name a few, can help you develop framework to understand the complex systems that nonprofits support. No matter the setting, nonprofit organizations connect students to mission-driven work on an individual, community, and global lens.
The good news about nonprofits is there are a few places that maintain rather comprehensive lists! Below are some resources to help you build targets.
A great place to begin thinking about nonprofit work on a national level is idealist.org . Personally, I think the organizations section, under find a job, is helpful in building a target list that spans our country. Work For Good is a wonderful tool that organizes by job function, which is quite vast in the nonprofit world.
The Rome Group is STL’s local Idealist! This is a great way to keep on top of who is hiring in the STL area. St. Louis, in general, is a wonderful city to get your feet wet in the nonprofit world. The Clark-Fox Family Foundation has a great workforce mapping ecosystem to explore opportunities and targets in St. Louis. A great activity is to develop your own mapping ecosystem of organizations that you are interested or involved in during your time at WashU. Remember, a lot of your work can start on campus, so get involved here to start!
Another site that lists nonprofits by location is causeIQ . And, Charity Navigator is another good resource. On a global scale, 80,000 hours is a great website to explore what is happening on an international level in the nonprofit realm. They have a career guides section, too, that is impactful.
- Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN)– Activates emerging leaders by connecting them with resources, people, and ideas.
- Service Year – Service Year Alliance is an organization relentlessly pursuing a bold vision – making a year of paid, full-time service – a service year – a common expectation and opportunity for all young Americans.
- Candid – The leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed.
- The Bridgespan Group – Nonprofit advisor and resource for mission-driven organizations and philanthropists.
- National Council of Nonprofits – Trusted resource and advocate for America’s charitable nonprofits.
- The NonProfit Times – The leading publication for nonprofit management.
- NonProfitReady.org – Free online training in nonprofit topics
This is just a small sample of organizations that have multiple locations or offer remote work.
- Accion
- American Red Cross
- Habitat for Humanity
- Human Rights Watch
- Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
- Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
- Nonprofit Finance Fund
- Peace Corps
- U.S. PIRG
Check out this list of organizations compiled by Harvard’s Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship. There are a wealth of city-specific nonprofits to choose from!