I Love Working with Nonprofits

If you had asked me when I went off to college to study dance and music, whether I would end up with a career in the nonprofit world, much less as a fundraiser, I would have asked you what that meant. I had never considered a career in nonprofits. There was no representation of the nonprofit sector at my high school’s career fair and I had never met anyone who worked for one.

College opened my eyes to the sector, but still, not in a meaningful way. I was halfway through my junior year in college when I saw a job posting for a position at a local organization looking for someone to teach music and dance classes over the summer to kids. That summer, we were working on a production of “Bye Bye Birdie”, when we needed additional resources for costumes and lighting. The camp director told us politely that we needed to raise the money ourselves. I had no idea what she meant, but she kindly explained the concept of philanthropy. I did as instructed and applied for my first regional grant. Then not long after my law school stint, a development position opened up at my alma mater. I certainly wasn’t looking for this kind of job and really still didn’t understand what it meant but I decided I couldn’t go wrong working there and it probably would be more reasonable than the position I had at the local bar.

When I accepted the position, little did I know, I landed in what would be the career of a lifetime!

Now, some thirty-five years later, I have many reasons to advocate for the profession, but here are my top three:

1.     You will meet amazing people. Think about it – not only do you get to meet experts in whatever organization you work for, you get to learn a great deal about the subject matter, which hopefully coincides with your passion. I was lucky enough to work for engineering schools, scientific research institutes, women’s international rights, symphony orchestras, and even the film business. I met Nobel Laureates, brilliant bench lab scientists working on cutting edge experiments, global women’s rights leaders, presidents of countries, Olympic athletes, world-class musicians and conductors, and movie stars and producers, to name a few. I mean really. Top that list!

2.     You will make a difference! I know for a fact that my efforts helped to fund scientific breakthroughs, artists, and activists; save a symphony orchestra from near ruin; and restore some of the world’s great movies. 

3.     You will always find work. Nonprofits are always in need of good fundraisers. It may not be the highest paying job in the world, but most nonprofits offer retirement funds, healthcare and other wonderful benefits that can complement your salary.
 

Would I do it all over again? Absolutely! My advice - stay open to possibilities, be clear about your areas of passion, and forge your career!