Deciding which path to take next in your career can be quite tough. There are some people that are destined to work for corporations until they retire. Others might want a change of pace and switch from working a corporate gig to one at a nonprofit. Taking the time to figure out whether a nonprofit is for you is one of the most important decisions that you might make. Any career transition needs to be thought about in an intense fashion as it can impact your life for years to come. You do not want to shift to a nonprofit due to anger at your corporate job or to show a former boss you are more versatile. Do not let your ego dictate any decisions in your career as this can be a very slippery slope for some professionals. You do not want to threaten to leave a great job only to be told to do so.
A rewarding career is something that you enjoy and can provide for you in a financial manner. The ability to look forward to each day of work is something that is possible when working for a cause you truly believe in. Take the time to make sure that you are passionate about the nonprofit you are working for. The following are things that you will likely need to realize when working with a nonprofit.
Don’t Expect To Be Paid As You Would At A Corporation
You will likely need different skills when working with a nonprofit versus a corporation. Getting something like Blackbaud training can help you immensely in terms of standing out at a nonprofit. There are plenty of people that make the shift from corporate to nonprofit at one point in time in their career. You need to be aware that the monetary rewards likely will not be like that when working at a company with massive amounts of sales.
Building Rapport With Volunteers Helps Immensely
The rapport that you build with volunteers can help you take some work off of your plate from time to time. You want to be as supportive of the volunteers as possible as they are truly the most valuable asset any nonprofit can have. Current volunteers might encourage others that they know to volunteer as well. You might have families that are dedicated to helping the cause in any way that they can.
Small Budgets Are Usually The Norm
You likely are not going to be flushed with cash at a nonprofit for the most part. There will be donors that make life far easier which will be discussed below as some donors might think a donation gives them license to make big decisions. A dedication to fundraising and building a healthy team of volunteers cannot be underestimated. Take the time to create budgets that are tight but are built on a terrible scenario. Planning for the worst then hoping for the best is usually a pretty decent approach when creating a budget for a nonprofit.
Certain Donors Are Going To Be Massively Pushy
Donors are going to come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are going to be those ones you dream about that give money without any strings attached. Expectations need to be set with donors as overstepping boundaries tends to worsen over time. You do not want a donor offending a large percentage of the volunteers leading to the nonprofit being understaffed.
Working for a nonprofit is something you will have to think over. Do not underestimate how your life can improve when you actually feel rewarded after a week of work rather than drained.
