Senior For-Profit Professionals Seeking Nonprofit Jobs

Successful nonprofits, like successful businesses, require good leaders and management to function. While charities are nonprofits, not all nonprofits are charities. Expanding the universe to foundations, business and trade associations, hospitals and educational institutions and beyond. the nonprofit universe includes a variety of organization types and structures-- each with a particular culture and set of expectations reinforced by the field as much as the leaders within a given organization.

Senior professionals, wondering if their "for-profit" experience will transfer into a "nonprofit" role, will encounter many organizations who appreciate the value of diverse experiences as well as core traits equally prized by the private sector including:

• clarity of purpose for their enterprises
• dedication to a shared vision
• operational effectiveness and efficiency
• program management and project planning
• ability to communicate and relate with multiple parties
• knowledge of their individual strengths and challenges

Focusing less on cross-sector differences and more on a candidate's passion for an organization's mission, individual nonprofits represent a different set of objectives that private sector counterparts, but collectively remain corporations, regulated by government authorities and accountable to financial stakeholders. Their services and resources operate under similar incentives and risks.

Regardless of services, products or activities involved, effective nonprofits produce mission-driven results focused on measures of success, connections to stakeholders, demands and resources. Many nonprofits, as part of their oversight and accountability, maintain board of directors which often include business and community leaders who share their expertise to ensure organizational success.

In addition to providing popular job boards, the following resources provide helpful information for organizations and senior executive candidates in their searches:

ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership

Association of Fundraising Professionals

Bridgestar

Council on Foundations

Chronicle of Philanthropy

Idealist.org

Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group

NonProfit Times

Opportunity Knocks

Philanthropy News Digest

While not all candidates will bring the values and passion required to drive an organization's mission to success or growth, not every organization can provide clarity, focus, or support in translating what drives performance and success in their culture. For both organizations and candidates, locating the right opportunity remains a dual challenge, depending on expectations and articulating what's needed to support and sustain good work.