Have a Way with Words? Find a Nonprofit Job for Writers

Are you the person your friends and colleagues turn to when they want to make sure an email is perfect? A presentation will captivate the audience? A report will wow the boss?

If so, social-impact organizations are looking for you! There are a million different nonprofit organizations working on a million different problems, but they all have something in common: they all need writers capable of communicating their missions, achievements, and needs (usually funding!) to the communities they serve.

“But isn’t it hard to break into the nonprofit sector?” you may be asking. Not if you know where the doors are. Regardless of your level of experience or current position, here are some ways to make the shift toward writing for a nonprofit organization.

Highlight your transferable skills

If you’re working in journalism, corporate communications, or advertising, you already have a skill set that is highly sought after by nonprofit organizations. Do you work in advertising? You’re probably a great fit for development or PR jobs. Journalists make amazing advocacy bloggers, and corporate communications folks can easily move into internal or external nonprofit communications roles.

When applying for jobs, make sure you use your cover letter to draw the connection between existing experience and the requirements of the position you’re applying for. Writing about the economy for a local paper may not immediately seem like it qualifies you to write about LGBTQ+ rights, but a journalist’s skills—the ability to connect with people, to understand and synthesize complex information, to meet tight deadlines—are all important in a social-impact setting. It’s important for you to connect those dots so the hiring manager doesn’t have to.

Develop writing experience from the ground up

No professional writing experience yet? Don’t be discouraged. Writers who are at the beginning of their careers can often work their way into paying social impact writing positions by blogging or volunteering part time. Some organizations even offer writing internships or fellowships to help professionals grow their skills.

If you're looking to move into a nonprofit communications role, here are some additional ways to build the experience and land the job.

One key to landing writing positions is to treat your cover letter as a work sample, because that’s how the hiring manager or volunteer coordinator will see it. Let your style shine through, but keep it professional and appropriate. You want to show that you can write in a voice that's a fit for the organization you’d like to work for.

And as long as you're transparent about whether something was paid or unpaid, you should also feel comfortable listing any unpaid work that you're proud of. Maybe you drafted fliers advertising a local demonstration or created the copy for an advocacy Facebook page. No project is too small if it highlights your skills and commitment. Most importantly, don’t forget to proofread; polish your application as carefully as you would an article going off to the printer.

Look for writing opportunities everywhere

A lot of people who already work at nonprofits in other capacities would prefer to write. If you fit into this category, consider seeking out opportunities within your organization to help with writing projects!

If your organization has a communications director or a managing editor, start with them. Let them know that you’re interested in contributing, and offer some samples of your relevant work. Make sure to confirm you’ll be able to include results and deliverables in your portfolio before agreeing to create anything on an unpaid basis.

With each project, you’ll increase your confidence and continue to grow a portfolio that will one day be the key to landing that writing job you’ve always dreamed of.