2026 Guide to Nonprofit Jobs & Careers [Complete Guide] | Novoresume
Want to find a job that makes a difference?
Then a career in the nonprofit sector just might be for you.
Working at a nonprofit organization gives you the opportunity to use your skills and talents towards a good cause.
Usually, they have a direct impact on the world and it can give you a real sense of accomplishment.
So, if you’re wondering how you can start working at a nonprofit - you’ve come to the right place.
Be sure to read on to find out:
Nonprofits 101 - Everything You Need to Know
5 Most Common Nonprofit Jobs
5 Biggest Nonprofit Employers
How to Find a Nonprofit Job - 4+ Job-Boards
Working in a Nonprofit - Complete FAQ
So, ready to start your nonprofit career?
Let’s get started!
Nonprofits 101 - Everything You Need to Know
To begin with, let’s get one thing straight: working at a nonprofit is NOT the same as volunteering.
When people think nonprofit, their mind often goes to volunteering at places like animal shelters and soup kitchens.
That is, however, not necessarily the case.
Sure, you CAN temporarily volunteer in a nonprofit organization, but you can also work there full-time (WITH a paycheck).
After all, a nonprofit is the same as any normal business, but with one key difference.
A nonprofit organization is, essentially, a company without ownership.
Businesses and companies have shareholders, and the goal of the business is to generate profits through whatever product or service they provide.
Nonprofits, on the other hand, operate based on a goal. i.e. prevent and alleviate human suffering, promote healthy development for the youth, and so on, depending on the organization.
All revenue generated by the organization is used to reach this goal.
As such, the company never actually makes a profit.
Now that we’ve explained what’s a nonprofit, we’ll teach you how to start your career.
Landing a Nonprofit Job
As with any other position, to get a nonprofit job, you need to go through the whole standard application process. I.e. make a resume, match it with a cover letter, etc.
Here are some of the best resources on how to do that
Using a resume builder is the biggest favor you can do to your career. With Novoresume’s 16+ job-winning templates, you can edit, adjust, and customize your resume for the ideal nonprofit job and have it ready in under 10 minutes.
You should pick your resume format depending on your work experience and where you are in your career right now. This guide covers the 3 main formats and when to use each.
Pro Tip: Most nonprofits organize volunteering programs. So, if you’re wondering how to get your foot in the door - you can start by volunteering and THEN apply for a job.
So, ready to dive into the deep world of nonprofit jobs?
Here’s what you can expect:
5+ Most Common Nonprofit Jobs
Because nonprofits work just like normal companies, they tend to hire all sorts of roles.
All the usual job ads you’re used to seeing in a standard organization? All of them apply to nonprofits as well.
There are, however, some jobs that are exclusive to the nonprofit sector.
This includes roles dedicated to nonprofit activities like raising funds, outreach, volunteering, and more.
The responsibilities of a nonprofit executive director are similar to that of a for-profit one.
An executive director sits on top of a nonprofit organization and is responsible for providing leadership, and reporting to the board of directors and its committees.
They oversee the heads of each department in a nonprofit and make sure everything is going on track.
The smaller a nonprofit, the more involved an executive director might be.
So, a lot is going to depend on the specific organization and how they do things.
An outreach coordinator typically works with a nonprofit, medical or an educational organization and is directly involved with public relations or fundraising work.
They’re primarily responsible for establishing connections with people or institutions in the broader community.
This can include creating sponsorship agreements and developing relationships with businesses, or other relevant organizations.
From setting budgets to managing volunteer committees and finding sponsors, you’d be relying on a lot of interpersonal and leadership skills to help the organization grow.
You would also be speaking on behalf of the NGO and be the voice of the organization by advocating for your projects in public campaigns.
The main role of a volunteer manager is to efficiently coordinate all the volunteers working at the nonprofit.
This can include everything from the screening process and interviews to managing volunteer paperwork and identifying where to put their skills to use.
Most volunteer managers will end up wearing many hats, depending on what’s needed for the project at hand.
But for the most part, they will be responsible for maintaining and managing a team of volunteers working under them.
They will be helping the volunteers grow by recording their progress, challenges, and results as the organization grows.
For the most part, when working at a nonprofit, you should expect the salary to be lower than in a corporate setting.
But on the bright side - you get to work for a worthy goal!
And for some, that’s more rewarding than a high salary.
Here are some more jobs you can expect at a nonprofit:
120+ Other Nonprofit Jobs
You can expect to see plenty of jobs with the same titles as their for-profit equivalent in an NGO.
Here’s a list of few other jobs you can find at a nonprofit:
47 Nonprofit Management Jobs
Administrator for Nonprofit Organizations.
Campaign Manager.
Business Office Supervisor.
Community Health Director.
Community Relations Director.
Development Director.
Project Manager.
Development Manager.
Directory of Family Shelter.
Director of Specialist Initiatives.
Director of Support Services.
Executive Director of Nonprofits.
Advocacy Director.
Chief Association Executive.
Compliance Director.
Critical Care Director.
Housing Program Manager.
Program Director.
Senior Program Manager.
Volunteer Director.
Volunteer Manager.
Volunteer Services Director.
Volunteer Program Manager.
Teen Service Director.
Program Services Manager.
Nonprofit Administrator
Nonprofit Executive
Planning Manager Director.
Team Leader.
Housing Coordinator.
Public Relations Manager.
School Director.
Corporate Giving Manager.
Foundation Program Officer.
Advocacy Director.
Critical Care Director.
Creative Manager.
Community Service Project Coordinator.
Membership Manager.
Member Certification Manager.
Member Services Director.
26 Nonprofit Fundraising Jobs
Director of Development.
Vice President.
Fundraising Manager.
Corporate Giving Manager.
Contracts Specialist.
Planned Giving Coordinator.
Grant Administrator.
Grant Coordinator.
Grant Writer.
Community Fundraising Manager.
Development Coordinator.
Development Associate.
Financial Aid Representative.
Donor Relations Manager.
Outreach Associate.
Program Coordinator.
Program Officer for Foundation.
Trust Fundraiser.
Head of Supporter Services and Fundraising Compliance.
Major Gifts Officer.
Fundraising Research Consultant.
Fundraising Community Manager.
Foundation Director.
Member Certification Manager.
Member Services Director.
Special Events Coordinator.
13 Nonprofit Communication Jobs
Communication Director.
Communication Coordinator.
Community Outreach Specialist.
Grassroots Organizer.
Public Relations Manager.
Program Manager.
Publicist.
Marketing Associate.
Social Media Coordinator.
Graphic Designer.
Lobbyist.
Online Activist.
Development Communications Specialist.
12 Nonprofit Technical Jobs
Chief Technology Officer.
IT Manager.
IT Specialist.
IT Systems Manager.
Programmer.
Data and Technology Associate.
Enterprise Cloud Architect.
Policy Analyst.
Web Developer.
Software Engineer.
Technology Consultant.
Multimedia Engineer.
8 Nonprofit Education Jobs
Teacher.
Teacher Assistant.
Education Coordinator.
School Director.
Youth Life Educator.
Education Policy Specialist.
Child Care Assistant.
Curriculum Developer
7 Nonprofit Human Resources Jobs
Head of Human Resources.
Human Resources Manager.
Event Team Recruiter.
Job Developer.
Team Leader.
Volunteer Coordinator.
Labor Union Organizer.
7 Nonprofit Health Care Jobs
Community Health Director.
Medical Assistant.
Nursing Assistant.
Licensed Practical Nurse.
Physician.
Therapist.
Pharmacy Technician
5 Biggest Nonprofit Employers
Already figured out what kind of job you want to do?
Good!
Now, here are some of the biggest nonprofit employers you can start applying to:
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is the largest American nonprofit organization center that focuses primarily on medical research.
For more than 100 years now, the foundation’s principle has been to provide patients with the best care based on research, training, and best clinical practices.
All income from the fund is used to upgrade services, train medical doctors, and support treatments for patients.
And in total, they employ up to 63,000+ people, including physicians, scientists, and administrative and allied health staff.
Feeding America
Feeding America is a nonprofit organization that focuses on ending hunger in America, through a number of member food banks spread across each state.
The nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization works to connect people with food and end hunger.
The organization has an estimated number of 700+ employees that work together with individuals, charities, businesses, and governments to end hunger.
Red Cross
The Red Cross organization is one of the most well-known organizations and networks all over the globe.
In short, the organization serves people who suffer from disasters around the world.
In order to help ease their suffering, Red Cross calls for support of volunteers, sponsors, and partners on a wide network - which includes 19,000 paid employees and up to 300,000 volunteers.
From donating blood to protecting universal human rights, the organization is devoted to providing assistance to victims of conflict and violence everywhere.
United Way
United Way is a nonprofit organization with a worldwide reach, and a goal to provide people with the tools, education, and health to explore their own potential.
On a more practical level, the organization is a fundraiser and a social service provider.
Each United Way is locally managed across 1,8000 communities in over 40 countries and territories worldwide, with an estimated number of 111 employees in total.
They raise money primarily by workplace campaigning and then distribute the money raised to local nonprofits or their own social service programs.
Through this, they’re fighting for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community.
Charity: Water
Charity: Water is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 that is set on ending the water crisis in our lifetime.
Their goal is simple. They’re dedicated to bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries all over the world.
And the way they go about doing this is what’s noteworthy.
They track every project and dollar they raise and make sure that 100% of the donations go to funding water projects.
Meanwhile, private donors cover their operating costs and keep their finances an open book.
In total, the organization has up to 80 employees and has helped fund up to 25,000 water-related projects in 24 countries.
Now, there are thousands of other great nonprofits out there and this is by no means a comprehensive list.
If you’re looking for other potential organizations, we put together this long list of 150+ other nonprofit employers by the sector.
There’s a lot to cover here, so let's get started!
Most nonprofits use the same job boards to source talent as other companies.
But there are also job-boards dedicated solely to nonprofits.
Here are 4 of the most popular nonprofit job boards you can start using to find the right job.
4 Nonprofit Job Boards
Most websites are going to have alert settings or allow you to filter your searches based on the job type, position, location, and more.
So, once you have an idea of what you want to do, you can start with the following job-boards:
Idealist
Idealist is a nonprofit board that features up to 10,000 jobs at social enterprises, government agencies, and other organizations around the world.
The site has job listings, internships, actions, and volunteering opportunities.
Keep in mind that sometimes volunteering can lead to a paid nonprofit position, so, don’t be afraid to get involved directly!
Encore
Encore is a job board for individuals over the age of 50 who want to work in the nonprofit sector.
Its job listing page also offers an Encore Career Finder service that looks for more than 5 million encore-friendly job listings by field and location.
Work for Good
Work for Good is a simple nonprofit job board that lists up to 300 different nonprofit careers.
With more than 100,000 monthly visitors, the site is the go-to place for people looking to start a new career, transition to a new one, or simply move up the ladder in a mission-oriented organization.
The site has it all - local, foreign, as well as remote jobs in just about any career field.
You can filter by position type, salary, experience, and willingness to travel.
But the site also has a ton of other different types of jobs - from starter positions to executive directors.
To access the job listings though, you may have to subscribe to the Chronicle.
But if you’re planning to pursue a long-term nonprofit career, it might be best if you do so as there’s a lot of valuable content you might find there.
Working in a Nonprofit - Complete FAQ
Have some more questions?
Discover answers below in our nonprofit FAQ!
Key Takeaways
To recap, the journey to a nonprofit career is exciting.
The key is to put effort into finding the right sector and role, depending on what you’re passionate about.
If there’s a cause you’re passionate about and want to start your career at a nonprofit, consider these main key tips to help you out:
Working at a nonprofit is NOT the same as volunteering - you still get paid, as with a regular job. Keep in mind though that It’s just going to be lower than in a for-profit organization.
A lot of the job-search process steps are the same. Be sure to check out our other guides in the table of resources if you need help with using a resume builder, writing a cover letter, and acing the job interview.
When thinking of what you want to work in a nonprofit organization, you’re bound to see some unique jobs that are only in the nonprofit sector. But there are also other job roles you see just about anywhere else.
Getting hired at a nonprofit works the same way as in any other for-profit company.
Once you have an idea of what you’d like to do, you can then look at the list of nonprofit employers and job boards to kickstart your nonprofit career.
Finally, if you decide that working at a nonprofit is the right decision for you, be sure to think about what motivates you and start making a difference in the world!
Andrei combines academic knowledge with over 10 years of practical experience to help job seekers navigate the challenges of resumes, interviews, and career growth. Through the Novorésumé Career Blog, he offers actionable advice to simplify and ace the job search process.
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