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Career Corner: What the Economic Downturn Means for Nonprofits

These days, the economy is obviously a huge factor in any career search. How exactly it’s affecting the job search is the subject of a myriad articles on what job seekers should do to get a job in the for-profit sector, but there hasn’t been the same flood of information about nonprofit hiring. However, there are a multitude of factors that make this a more multifaceted topic, including the new administration’s agenda to expand Americans’ engagement in national service, individuals’ growing desire to have careers with a social impact, and the continuing innovation in the nonprofit sector.


By Flickr user SOCIALisBETTER So while there hasn’t been a lot of talk about the nonprofit job search, there are three articles that I’ve read lately that offer interesting insights into what’s to come in the sector, the growing interest in nonprofit careers, and what to consider if you are applying for nonprofit jobs.

1. The first, an interview called "Climate Change," appears in the Stanford Social Innovation Review. It's an interesting overview of how Paul Light, a governance and nonprofit effectiveness expert at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service, sees the sector changing and adapting in the future in response to the current economic situation.

2. The second article, “Nonprofit Gigs Get Competitive," is from Forbes.com and provides interesting anecdotal information about the increase in interest in nonprofit sector careers, with a particular focus on MBA students and alums.

3. Finally, in the most recent issue of Fast Company, Nancy Lublin wrote a great article called “Nonprofits? Not a Recessionary Refuge for Job Seekers.” This is one of my new favorite articles because of the overall message, but also because it has some fantastic lines, including a description of the multitude of meetings she’s been having lately with friends and friends-of-friends who are interested in nonprofit careers:

I ask, "What kind of thing are you looking to do?" They reply, "Oh, anything in the not-for-profit sector. I just want to make the world a better place." This is like me by saying, "Oh, anything in the for-profit world would be fine. I just want to make money."

Note: To avoid offering a similarly vague response about why you want to work in the nonprofit sector, check out past blog posts on crafting your personal mission statement, and the Four Lens and Career Tracks self-assessment exercises. Also, check out Chapter Three of The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for more tips on figuring out specifically why you’re looking for this kind of work right now.

While these three articles won’t provide any easy answers, silver bullets, or job search panaceas, they’re worth reading because they’ll either confirm what you already know or provide some new insight into the nuances of nonprofit hiring. Or a little of both.

And understanding nonprofit hiring nuances like the necessity of networking, the value in ‘speaking the language,’ and the importance of demonstrating a commitment to the mission is what will differentiate you from all of the other applicants flooding the nonprofit job market.


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This entry was written by Meg, who would love to hear what you’re reading these days to make sense of your job search, the economic crisis, and how the nonprofit sector will adapt and innovate moving forward. Leave a comment!