For service-minded or mission-driven individuals, the nonprofit sector can be a very inspiring and rewarding industry to start their careers. There are many nonprofit jobs available for interested job hunters of varying skill sets and interests. To run a nonprofit efficiently, it’s important to examine and understand the impact of individual contributors.

What are nonprofit jobs?

Nonprofit jobs are paid positions for those who work for social-good organizations to further a charitable cause. Just like in other industries, these workers play a role in day-to-day operations, management, finance, communications, and much more. By collaborating across various teams, nonprofit employees can utilize their skills and education to support their organization’s mission.

What are the main types of nonprofit jobs?

Management

Individuals that take management jobs in nonprofit organizations generally supervise the organization’s activities to ensure that it’s effectively moving toward its goals. These are some examples of management roles:

• Executive director
• Campaign manager
• Foundation director
• Volunteer manager

These individuals play a crucial role in helping nonprofits run smoothly. They deal with big-picture tasks that help their nonprofit progress in the right direction, and often leave the day-to-day responsibilities to others.

Administration, Finance, and Human Resources

From helping managers with their schedules to tracking the company’s finances to hiring new employees, these team members ensure the organization’s success by addressing the daily needs of coworkers and projects.

Some nonprofit positions in this area include:

• Administrative assistant
• Accountant
• Human resources manager

The work of these nonprofit employees tends to be more behind the scenes, but they are essential to the day-to-day functionality of the organization.

Development and Fundraising

Jobs related to development and fundraising typically involve planning fundraisers and donor events, as well as acquiring the necessary funds to achieve the organization’s goals. Here are a few jobs that fall into this category:

• Donor relations managers
• Grant writers
• Fundraising coordinators
• Major gift officers

This area is extremely important for nonprofits, because donations are essential for nonprofits to achieve their goals and make progress toward their missions. While donor management and outreach are extremely important, fundraising professionals will also look at other ways of generating funds, such as through grants or by partnering with businesses.

Marketing and Communications

Employees in marketing and communications roles often work alongside the development and fundraising departments to spread information about the nonprofit’s mission, impact, upcoming events, and goals. Here are a few examples of nonprofit communications jobs:

• Social media coordinators
• Community outreach specialists
• Marketing associates

These roles are responsible for attracting new supporters and donors, as well as making sure that current supporters and recurring donors are kept up-to-date on the nonprofit’s activities. Your donor communication should be thoughtful, transparent, and sent out regularly.

What other roles do nonprofit employees interact with?

Those who work in nonprofit jobs interact with a variety of stakeholders and constituents, such as the following:

• Volunteers
• Consultants
• Businesses
• Foundations

Connecting with these groups can be extremely beneficial for nonprofit organizations. For example, when a nonprofit’s leadership team isn’t sure what their fundraising strategy should be for a new year, they might hire a fundraising consultant to analyze their current plans and give them a more objective point of view. Or, if a nonprofit is looking for more funds, their grant writer might apply for a grant from a specific foundation.

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

How to Use Nonprofit Marketing – Learn more about communicating with your donors and supporters with this comprehensive nonprofit marketing guide.

Top 17 Fundraising Software Solutions for Your Nonprofit – This article highlights effective fundraising software solutions and their key features.

As a nonprofit, sometimes you need to refresh your campaign strategy to acquire donations from new communities. In that case, crowdfunding is a unique type of fundraising you should try.

What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a fundraising format in which large amounts of people each donate a small amount of money to fund a project or venture. It typically occurs via the internet, and because of this, it allows companies to reach a wider audience that they normally wouldn’t have connected with. Whether you are a family trying to raise money after a hurricane or a nonprofit trying to reach a goal, crowdfunding can be a nifty way to raise the funds you need.

Crowdfunding FAQs

What types of crowdfunding are there?

There are several main types of crowdfunding:

• Donation-based. When people donate and receive nothing in return, that is donation-based crowdfunding. This type of crowdfunding campaign is usually successful because individuals connect strongly with your mission or goal and want to support you.
• Debt-based. People give with the expectation that this money is being borrowed and will be returned at a later date.
• Reward-based. Commonly found on platforms like Kickstarter, donors of reward-based crowdfunding campaigns expect to receive something in return for their donations. For example, if supporters donate a certain amount, you could send them a mug branded to your nonprofit.
• Investment-based. Also known as equity-based crowdfunding, this type of campaign allows businesses to sell a part of their business in exchange for funds. People who fund this campaign personally invest, becoming shareholders in the campaign. This type of campaign usually cannot be used by nonprofits because there’s no private ownership allowed.

As a nonprofit interested in crowdfunding, you will probably be creating a donation-based or reward-based campaign. When a nonprofit has a compelling mission and a clear goal, a donation-based campaign can work very well. However, there’s nothing wrong with a reward-based campaign where you give supporters some form of branded merchandise, such as a mug or a t-shirt, in exchange for their support.

What are the benefits of crowdfunding?

Here are some of the benefits of crowdfunding:

• Greater outreach. Since crowdfunding campaigns tend to take place on the internet, they allow you to reach a wider audience of supporters than you normally would have.
• Efficiency. For the duration of your campaign, all donors will be funneled towards your fundraising page. This helps you streamline donations and makes your process more efficient.
• Access to new ideas and feedback. Often, crowdfunding pages will have sections where supporters can write comments and questions. This will give you access to your supporters’ ideas and immediate feedback, which you can use in the future for more effective fundraising.
• Supporter-driven marketing. Most crowdfunding platforms make it easy to share pages to social media. When your supporters share your page, they are marketing your campaign for free, since they are taking the initiative to spread the word. When they do this, they are both promoting your campaign and endorsing your organization.
• Proof of interest. Having a successful campaign means that a large amount of people are supporting you and believe in your cause. You can use this proof to convince corporations to partner with you through matching gift programs or volunteer drives.

Naturally, crowdfunding has its downsides as well. The biggest drawback is that there is no guarantee that people will donate to your campaign, which makes crowdfunding more suitable for nonprofits that already have a large base of supporters. However, by staying organized and marketing your campaign appropriately, you can mitigate a lot of the risk.

What features should you look for in a crowdfunding site?

Picking a suitable crowdfunding site is crucial to the success of your campaign. When choosing a crowdfunding platform, keep the following features in mind:

• Easy page setup
• Customization options
• Online payment processor
• Social media integration
• Commonly hosts similar campaigns
• Platform fee

When it comes to crowdfunding sites, GoFundMe and Kickstarter are the most popular options.. However, just because it’s popular doesn’t mean that it’s the best fit for your nonprofit. Make sure to check out other great crowdfunding alternatives.

Tips for a successful crowdfunding campaign

Here are some things to keep in mind for a successful crowdfunding campaign:

• Prepare thoroughly for your campaign. Remember that the inherent risk of crowdfunding is that people might not want to donate. Ensure that you do thorough research on your audience to learn how best to conduct your campaign.
• Clearly communicate your campaign’s purpose and goals. Make sure that donors know what their money is going to be used for. For example, if you are an animal shelter, you could say that you’re raising money to help cover the costs of caring for a recent influx of puppies.
• Share compelling and relevant marketing materials. Whether it is videos of volunteers or anecdotes from people you’ve previously helped, make sure you show potential donors why your mission is important. Include emotional appeals in your marketing materials, such as an image of a puppy that you’re helping and his/her story.
• Spread the word through social media. Your crowdfunding campaign should be cross-linked with your website and your other social media platforms for ease of access. You can also post on social media about your campaign every couple of days to maximize exposure.
• Thank your donors. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, remember to show your gratitude to your donors, such as by sending them a donor thank you letter. Express your genuine appreciation for their help, as without it, your campaign would not have succeeded.

Although the prospect of creating a crowdfunding campaign may seem intimidating, it can be very helpful for generating large amounts of funds for your nonprofit. The key aspects to remember are that you must pick an appropriate crowdfunding site, prepare thoroughly for your campaign, and create compelling content that makes potential donors want to support your cause.

If you’d like to learn more about nonprofit fundraising and marketing, take a look at the resources below!

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Best Fundraising Ideas – If you’re looking for fundraising ideas, this website is a great resource to help you brainstorm.

40+ Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits to Spread Your Mission – Bringing awareness to your mission is crucial for nonprofits, and the best way to do so is through marketing and promotion.

Donations are the foundation of the nonprofit industry. Without them, nonprofit organizations wouldn’t be able to reach their goals and create positive social impact. That’s why it’s crucial to have compelling donation requests.

What is a donation request?

A donation request is fairly straightforward—it’s a letter, email, or other type of message asking for a donation. When you receive a call asking you to donate to help fund animal shelters, or when you receive an email detailing how your money would help build houses for families in need, there is a donation request being made of you.

How do you make a donation request?

Making a donation request can be a daunting task. Convincing people to part with their hard-earned money can be challenging. However, doing some research ahead of time to develop a clear outreach plan can greatly improve your chances. One of the first things you should look into is who you can request donations from.

Who to request donations from

Here are the most common groups that nonprofits request donations from:

• Individuals. Reaching out to as many interested individuals as possible is important for a successful fundraising campaign. Donations from individuals can vary in size, but you should make sure to show your gratitude regardless.
• Corporations. Corporate giving and corporate social responsibility are on the rise, so reach out to corporations for donations. Companies can offer workplace giving programs such as matching gifts or volunteer grants to incentivize donations from their employees.
• Foundations. In 2021, foundations donated a total of $90.88 billion. A critical source of nonprofit funding, foundations often require applications to consider giving to a nonprofit. When you research foundations, look for those whose missions align with yours.

Each of these overarching groups is made of individuals with unique motivations and interests. For example, foundations will tend to give grants to different types of organizations based on their unique charitable mission and goals. Some corporations will be more likely to offer a matching gift program than others. Make sure that your research is robust and you have a sufficient understanding of each prospective donor group.

When to make donation requests

There are no hard and fast rules about when donation requests can be made—in fact, you can ask whenever you want. However, there are certain times during the year when donors are prepared to make larger gifts. Take the opportunity to make your request during these times:

• Events. Make the most of your fundraising events by including a clear donation request. Ensure that your attendees know how to make a gift to your organization, whether that’s through an online page or a physical collections box.
• Year end. It’s estimated that 30% of annual giving occurs in December, with 10% occurring in the last three days of the year. If you have a yearly goal, consider reminding donors about it sometime at the end of the year. Or, follow FundraisingIP’s suggestion and host a year-end fundraising event!
• Giving Tuesday. This annual event is a global day of giving centered around positively transforming communities and the world. This day celebrates generosity and all donations. Take this opportunity to request monetary or in-kind donations, such as asking for supplies for your volunteer program!
• Cause months. Every month has specific social good causes tied to them. For example, October is famously the breast cancer awareness month. If your cause has a month associated with it, ensure that you promote your nonprofit during that month and request donations.
• After crises or urgent challenges. For example, if your nonprofit helps find loving homes for shelter animals, you could ask for donations after receiving a surprise influx of 100 new animals. Supporters will be motivated to donate to help mitigate your organization’s most pressing challenges.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to limit your donation requests to just special days like Giving Tuesday or other major event days. You can ask for donations all year round to help fund your nonprofit’s ongoing projects and programs. You know your donors the best, so make sure that you pick times when they are more likely to make gifts.

Ways to make donation requests

There are numerous ways to make donation requests. Here are a few:

• In person. Making an ask in person is especially effective at fundraising events. Remind attendees that they can make a donation, and guide them through how your donation system works. You may also make in-person donation requests during one-on-one meetings with major donors. Since you’re asking for significant contributions from these individuals, setting up a one-on-one meeting shows that you’ve put time and thought into your request.
• Email. Email donation requests are very simple to set up, and you can even personalize them to include the recipient’s full name. Include eye-catching graphics and information about tangible goals that the donors’ gifts will go towards.
• Phone calls. A tried-and-true method for donation requests, phone calls are a great way to contact donors who value human connection. Consider using them to connect with demographics that might not use technological devices often, such as older adults.
• Social media. Making a donation request through social media can help you reach a wider audience. People from all over the country (or even the globe) can easily access information about your campaign. Make sure to post on popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and ensure that your online donation system is easy to use and accessible.
• Letters. A handwritten letter speaks to the effort a nonprofit is making to connect with its donors. Some donation request letter best practices include having an emotional appeal and incorporating information on how to donate.

Ensure that you are communicating with your donors outside of donor requests. If donors perceive your nonprofit as only reaching out when you want donations, they will feel that your efforts aren’t genuine, and will be less likely to make gifts. Keep your communication with donors thoughtful and focus on strengthening your connections.

Donation request best practices

Now you know the who, when, and how of donation requests. But before you make your request, make sure you keep these best practices in mind:

• Research your donors. Not all donors are interested in the same thing. Make sure that your donation requests match the donor to increase your chances of getting a gift. Consider creating a donor segmentation cheat sheet to make sure your communications are appropriate for each donor.
• Be genuine and transparent. Donors want to know that you’re earnest about your cause and they want to make sure that their money is being used for good. In your request, let them know how you plan to use their donations, then follow up later with updates that show you’re using their gifts how you said you would.
• Accept rejection gracefully. Not everyone has the means or desire to donate to your organization. Make sure to accept rejection politely and thank them for their time.
• Show your gratitude. When donors do make a gift, show them your appreciation and gratitude. Consider sending a handwritten thank you letter. Make sure that your writing is personable, specific, and grateful.

Make sure that you have robust fundraising software that fulfills your fundraising needs. The right fundraising software will make donation requests a breeze by allowing you to automatically input donors’ names and ask amounts into your requests. Plus, it can even help you attract more donations by offering a user-friendly, mobile-optimized donation process.

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Writing Fundraising Letters – Interested in writing a fundraising letter? Check out Fundraising IP’s templates that you can use for inspiration.

Nonprofit Marketing – Marketing for nonprofits extends beyond simply making donation requests. Learn more from this beginner’s guide to nonprofit marketing.

Maintaining a strong employee base is critical to keeping your business or nonprofit strong. Your business’s hard-working, dedicated employees are your greatest assets, and ideally, you want them to stay with your company for a long time. After all, the hiring and training processes are expensive and time-consuming, so high employee retention is essential.

What is employee retention?

Employee retention is the ability of an organization, such as a business or nonprofit, to keep its employees year after year. Maintaining high levels of employee retention means that your organization is doing an effective job of appealing to employees’ needs and interests.

In order to calculate your employee retention rate, subtract the total number of employees who left your organization from your total number of employees. Then, divide by your total number of employees and multiply by 100.

Benefits of a strong employee retention rate

You may be thinking: what’s the point of having a high employee retention rate? After all, you could simply fill those vacant roles again. However, a high employee retention rate has many benefits for your organization, including the following:

• Reduced costs for your organization. Hiring new employees is expensive, and so is training them. While a new employee is in training, they will take time to become familiar with your systems and procedures, making your organization temporarily less efficient. By retaining your employees, you won’t have to spend as much time and money on the hiring and training process.
• Stronger employee skillset and greater organizational efficiency. Having been trained in your organization’s systems and after fulfilling their job duties for years, your employees will be more experienced in their roles. They will have spent their time practicing the skills they need to succeed at their job. Retaining these employees will make your organization as a whole more effective and efficient.
• Greater employee morale. No employees want to work at an organization where their coworkers leave on a regular basis. Knowing that your company has a high employee retention rate will lower your employees’ stress, increase their morale, and reduce instability at your workplace.

Having a strong employee retention rate may even set your organization apart from others. This means that if you do have to hire new employees, more people will be happy to work for you and your applicant pool will be much larger.

How to strengthen your employee retention rate

Improving your employee retention rate starts with creating a better experience for employees and investing in their long-term growth. Consider using these employee retention strategies at your organization:

1. Invest in employee engagement

To inspire employees to stick around, you need to create a positive work environment. Invest in the right tools to engage your staff members, such as:

• Appreciation software like a digital greeting card creator
• Feedback surveys that allow employees to share their thoughts about the company, workflow, or anything else
• Training programs or coaching courses that help employees grow their professional skills

These tools will make it easier to connect employees with the engagement opportunities that appeal to them. In addition, you can track employee engagement using these software solutions to determine which employees are taking advantage of your engagement opportunities and which opportunities are most popular among your staff. 

2. Help employees set professional goals.

Professional goals for an employee might look like achieving a promotion or advancing their skills. When you help employees set meaningful goals, it gives them something to strive for and look forward to. Make sure that the goals are aligned with your organization’s overarching objectives. Also, schedule follow-up meetings to check progress, offer additional guidance when needed, and let the employee weigh in on the process.

3. Offer ongoing opportunities for training and professional development.

When employees stagnate or don’t feel like they’re growing, they may seek employment elsewhere to help facilitate that growth. According to NXUnite, offering ongoing opportunities for training and professional development helps employees avoid burnout and advance in their career path. These opportunities could be in the form of online training modules, professional coaching, or mentorship.

For example, let’s say you’re looking to offer more professional development opportunities for your nonprofit’s employees. You can consider hosting seminars or a lunch-and-learn program to help employees brush up on their fundraising-related skills.

4. Allow employees to attend relevant conferences.

Conferences can be an excellent opportunity to learn more about industry trends, pick up new skills, and make connections with fellow industry professionals. Relevant nonprofit conferences can be found easily through web searches or on social media platforms like LinkedIn. If you’re worried about travel costs, you can search for virtual or hybrid conferences.

5. Offer workplace giving opportunities.

Corporate social responsibility has become increasingly important, and workplace giving is integral to that. In fact, 71% of surveyed employees say it is imperative or very important to them to work at a place where the culture is supportive of giving and volunteering. That’s why you should have programs in place that allow your employees to give back, such as:

• Matching gifts: A matching gift program shows employees that you care about the causes they care about. Invest in their philanthropic endeavors by starting a matching gift program in which your company will match employees’ donations at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio.
• Volunteer grants: Some employees may donate their time and efforts to a nonprofit, and your company should support that, too! Establish volunteer grants through which your organization donates a set amount to a nonprofit when an employee reaches a certain threshold of hours volunteered.

You can even decide which programs to implement based on your employees’ preferences. If you want to learn more about your employees’ charitable giving habits (or anything else), you can always ask them directly through feedback surveys.

6. Ask for and incorporate employee feedback.

Employees want to feel like their voices are heard and that their opinions matter. Listening to them will help you improve their experience and may give you insight into issues you didn’t realize existed. Send out regular employee surveys and make a plan to incorporate their input.

7. Recognize your employees’ hard work.

Did you know that 80% of employees would work harder if they felt more appreciated? That’s the power of positive workplace morale! By recognizing your employees’ hard work, you indicate that you care about their contributions and are happy that they’re succeeding, which can lead to improved retention and satisfaction rates.

A few ways you can recognize your employees’ hard work include:

• Personalized thank-you notes
• Public praise
• Employee wall of fame
• Employee appreciation day

Another great strategy is to send your employees a token of your appreciation. This method is so popular that there are companies dedicated to helping your organization send gifts to your staff members. A gift such as a branded mug, flowers, or even an eCard gives your employees a tangible reminder that you see the work that they’re doing. This appreciation will encourage your employees to remain at your organization.

8. Encourage a healthy work/life balance

Work-life balance means that employees can strike a healthy equilibrium between time spent at the office and time spent outside of work activities that bring joy and fulfillment. 

If your organization operates with a hybrid or fully remote model, finding the right work-life balance can be more challenging for employees. Encourage them to step away from their computers and silence their notifications at the end of each workday to provide clear boundaries between work and home life. 

According to Double the Donation’s employee engagement guide, “a culture of work-life balance should be cultivated from the top down.” That means your company’s leaders and managers should emulate good work-life balance habits by avoiding contacting employees outside of their regular working hours, encouraging employees to take paid time off, and taking time off themselves to recharge. 

9. Promote inclusivity in the workplace

An inclusive workplace is one where all employees feel accepted, welcomed, and celebrated for who they are. 

Inclusivity doesn’t just support employee engagement and retention — it can lead to tangible benefits for your organization. Studies have shown that organizations with high levels of diversity financially outperform organizations without high diversity. 

Foster inclusion and diversity by adopting a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy that includes:

• A clear declaration of your organization’s DEI commitment 
• Inclusive hiring guidelines
• Training resources
• Mechanisms for addressing policy violations

Share your policy with employees to gather feedback and workshop the document until it fully encapsulates your DEI commitment. 

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

The Top 5 Benefits of Workplace Giving for Companies – Learn more about workplace giving and how it can help you retain employees.

Fundraising Professional Development: Top Tips & Resources – Not sure where to start with professional development? Read this article for more advice.

A Spotlight on Top Impact Investors Driving Social Change – Engaged employees are just one part of growing your company’s impact. Learn about impact investing and how the right investor can help mission-driven businesses accomplish more.