A few years ago, the environment was everyone's favorite cause; today, it s been beaten out by a number of health-care issues. At the top of the list is AIDS. Sadly, AIDS had to reach epidemic proportions before major dollars were funneled into NPOs caring for AIDS patients-and, more important, into research for a cure. As with any popular cause, it took fanfare, public outcry, and support among high-profile public figures-from politicians to household-name celebrities.
Who's to say what tomorrow's cause will be-the homeless, improving the plight of third-world countries, crime in the streets, the elderly? It really doesn't matter. Unlike the ephemeral fads of the profit-making world, the good work of NPOs endures. The world is improved because of them.
NPOs Don't Give a Hoot How Old You Are
The great news is NPOs aren't hung up about age, unlike PMOs. According to the Independent Sector, employees between the ages of 55 and 64 make up approximately 11 percent of NPOs, compared with 8 percent of PMOs. The reason is that NPOs are gobbling up thousands of downsized professionals. And many intuitive PMO managers who see the writing on the wall are jumping ship and moving to NPOs. It's a win-win situation all around. Fiftyish workers are taking jobs in organizations delighted to get seasoned pros.
No Stigma against Job Hopping
Whereas job hopping has only recently gained respectability among PMOs, NPOs never frowned upon it. In fact, NPOs regard job hop ping as an excellent tactic for getting experience. The more organizations for which you've worked, the more you bring to the table. The ideal candidate is someone who's worked for both large and small organizations. Well rounded, he or she can function in any kind of organization.
Rapid Advancement...Lower Salaries
The bad news is nonprofits don't pay as well as PMOs. Among professional specialties, salaries range about 10 to 25 percent below those of PMOs. And despite dramatic growth, most NPOs are underfunded and understaffed. They're constantly slashing budgets and forced to function under tight budgetary restraints. They're masters at scrimping.
The good news is that pay is inching up and there is a constant need for flexible, hardworking people willing to pitch in. Skills honed in the profit-making world can be easily transferred to the nonprofit sector. Rather than consider it a career change, think of it as a new direction.
Equally compelling, you can move up quickly. NPOs are always looking for talented people. Yet the traits they're looking for are not very different from those demanded by PMOs. Uppermost, NPOs depend upon smart, articulate, grounded idealists bursting with energy who can get things done. The more commanding your presence, the better your chances of going to the top.
Among the top Jobs, NPOs are desperate for fund raisers. These are the folks who bring in the bucks, keeping the organization running and the salaries paid. If you were a top salesperson in your last job, odds are excellent you'd make a dynamite fund raiser-provided you're totally committed to the NPO's cause. Some high-ranking NPO executives would balk at this analogy; nevertheless, top-notch fund raisers are masterful salespeople.
Raising money is an art. It's sophisticated selling of the first order. Rather than pushing a product or service, you've selling a cause or ideal. Getting people to buy in and reach for their check book to support that cause is a challenging and gratifying job. Designing the materials and strategies to accomplish this end takes creativity and insight. Whereas selling is the fast-track skill leading to a corner office in a PMO, fund raising can be the steppingstone to the top NPO slot-executive director.
STRATEGIES FOR LANDING A JOB
Two strategies are recommended for landing a job with an NPO. The first and obvious tactic is to simply apply, the same way you'd approach a PMO. If you have contacts or, better yet, know an insider who can recommend you, you've lucked out. This is the fastest way to get your foot in the door. However, not everyone is so fortunate.
Many NPOs have a reputation for being quirky, open-minded, and ultraliberal. But the sobering truth is most hire people the same way as PMOs do. They insist upon experience. It's the Catch-22 charade all over again. How do you get experience if no one will give you a job? Before you sprint toward the nearest open window, the answer is; it's a lot easier getting experience in an NPO than it is in a PMO.
The second job-getting strategy is to volunteer to help out. It's that simple. NPOs depend on volunteers. Many are desperate for them. According to the Independent Sector, approximately 98 million Americans volunteer an average of 4 hours per week, totaling 20.5 billion hours a year. The estimated value of this volunteer time is well over $170 billion. Practically every major nonprofit agency from the American Cancer Society to the Boys and Girls Club of America utilizes a small army of volunteers who pitch in and help.
Another plus is that volunteerism has jumped dramatically. New York City's Voluntary Action Center, for instance, reported that volunteering rose 30 percent between 1994 and 1995. Many authorities attribute the sudden interest in volunteering to rampant downsizing and the recession. I lean more toward the former reason.
Corporate refugees can find new skills, purpose, or just something to do. Keep in mind that every volunteer is not after a job. Deeply committed people see volunteering as a social duty. Some professionals deem it an impressive notch on their resumes, as well as an elegant networking avenue. Still others use it to kill time because they have nothing better to do.
