acknowledgements
	foreword
	rewards & challenges of nonprofit work
	understanding the nonprofit sector   characteristics of nonprofit   work    traits of the bay area     nonprofit sector
	education
	who are you & where do you want to to go?
	managing the job search process
	getting your foot in the door
	gathering information
	informational interviews
	marketing yourself
	getting an interview
	the job interview
	negotiating
	following-up & staying in the loop
	appendix 1:  common nonprofit job titles
	appendix 2: assessment of nonprofit wages & benefits
	contributors

Nonprofit organizations generally fall into one of the following categories:

Associations: These are groups of businesses or organizations that form a nonprofit organization for the purpose of collaboration. E.g., The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) or the Union Square Merchant's Association.

Government: Social service and other programs run by city, state, or federal government bodies. E.g., The Department of Human Services.

Foundations: Organizations that focus on policy analysis, program development, and providing money and support to nonprofits. E.g., The Ford Foundation.

Social Services: Organizations that focus on providing a direct service to people, either through private funding or through contracts with federal or local government agencies. E.g., The YMCA.

Advocacy/Lobbying: Organizations that focus on working towards social or political change. Many of these organizations have a different tax status than other nonprofits because they use money to lobby the government or support political candidates. E.g., Greenpeace.

Consultation/Training: Organizations that support nonprofits by providing training, consulting, and other indirect services. E.g., Support Centers of America and The Management Center.

Characteristics of Nonprofit Organizations
Nonprofit organizations operate in order to serve others or advance a policy agenda, not to make a profit. By virtue of this public interest mission, they attract a different kind of staff than corporations, use different systems of management, and value somewhat different qualities in their employees. Nonprofit organizations are full of committed, well-meaning people, most of whom are driven by values similar to yours. However, understanding a few additional traits of nonprofit organizations will make your job search easier. The following are some important and relatively universal characteristics of the sector to keep in mind.

Mission Driven. Nonprofit organizations are organized around a mission whose significance is central to their work. In many cases, your understanding of - and demonstrated commitment to - their "cause " is of utmost importance when you are applying for a position, so be prepared to portray yourself as like-minded and experienced in supporting their mission.

Limited Resources. Limited Resources. Limited Resources. Limited Resources. Limited Resources. Most nonprofits operate with limited financial resources and under a great deal of stress. They frequently work within tough financial and time constraints and many take on short-term projects according to political or foundation grant cycles. Many nonprofits consider themselves understaffed, and unstable funding and below-average pay frequently lead to high turnover in jobs. A continual focus on keeping afloat combined with a very "external" mission - e.g., to serve as many homeless residents as possible - often leaves nonprofit directors with little time to focus on management and professional development issues.

Inter-Organizational Relationships. People who work in nonprofit organizations are often tightly networked with others in their particular field. They may be connected through collaborative projects, mutual funding sources, or a similar clientele. While there are frequently "political" divisions which divide groups that should otherwise be allied, in general these organizations are closely linked and are regularly in touch with colleagues doing similar work in other organizations. For job seekers, this is both a boon and a potential pitfall. The close links make it easy to gather names of contacts in your field of interest and make it relatively easy to learn about a field from talking with even one or two people in that field. The potential pitfall is that if you are unaware of a political division or age-old dispute, you may accidentally turn off a potential employer without even knowing you did it. It is essential to learn about these politics as soon as possible through informational interviewing and other research.

Multiple Stakeholders.  Nonprofit organizations are unique in that they consist of, and operate for, many different constituencies. This makes them interesting places to work, but also makes for competing priorities and "politics" Foremost are the external constituencies: the public and/or members or clients, for whom the organization exists. Additional external constituencies are often private funders and/or government agencies, without whose support the organization could not operate. Internal constituencies include board members, whose decisions direct the staff, and volunteers, whose commitment is frequently at the core of a nonprofit's work.

Newcomers to the Sector (A Note to Young Nonprofit Job Seekers).  People who work in nonprofit organizations are proud of their work and are generally very interested in sharing their experiences with others and involving new people in their work. Many nonprofit organizations try to focus on welcoming young people into their organizations because, in many cases, many staff people and activists of these organizations came of age thirty years ago as the sector was expanding. These groups often lack the resources to focus on outreach to young people, but they are aware that if they fail to recruit a new generation of nonprofit workers into their organizations, they risk extinction.

Traits of the Bay Area Nonprofit Sector
Competitive Job Market. Although the San Francisco/Oakland/Silicon Valley job market is generally very favorable to job-seekers, finding your ideal job within the Bay Area nonprofit sector remains far more challenging than finding one in the private sector. The Bay Area contains hundreds of nonprofit organizations with literally thousands of openings each year. However, the liberal nature of the populace and the area's reputation as the center of West Coast nonprofit activity draw many qualified and experienced job seekers into the local job market. In addition, the Bay Area's explosive economic growth in recent years has likely had less impact on the nonprofit labor market than on the private sector labor market. Anecdotal evidence from recent transplants suggests that there is much greater competition for nonprofit jobs in the Bay Area than in other regions. However, some of this might also be attributed to the dislocation costs of moving (e.g., the loss of a social and professional network makes job-seeking significantly more difficult, making it unclear whether it is the act of moving, or the act of moving TO THE BAY AREA that creates challenges!).

Diversity in Bay Area Nonprofits. Perhaps more than other businesses, nonprofits are interested in attracting diverse staff. If you are new to the Bay Area or to the nonprofit sector, you may find the following notes helpful as you think about diversity in nonprofit work.

Diversity is critical to the functioning of any good Bay Area nonprofit. Be prepared to answer questions about your ability to work with people who have backgrounds different from your own. Diversity encompasses race, class background, gender, sexual orientation, educational background, length of time people and their families have been in the United States, disability, personal experience, and more.

If you are new to the Bay Area, you will want to pay extra attention to the perhaps broader definition of diversity here than where you used to live or work. You may want to take diversity training to become more familiar with the cultural climate and the terms and theories people here may use. See below for some resources.

Many organizations may be seeking staff who have certain identities in common with the people that they serve, including race, sexual orientation, bilingual ability, immigrant status, and personal experience. While it is illegal to discriminate on the basis of most identity factors, many nonprofits can successfully argue that certain qualifications, such as familiarity with a particular community, are essential to the performance of the job.

As mentioned above, consider taking a training course or workshop in cultural competency. This will familiarize you with diversity issues in the Bay Area, help you develop a vocabulary in common with your colleagues, and demonstrate your openness to learning and commitment to diversity. Call these organizations for more information on training opportunities:

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