Have you heard "a call to serve?" Do you care more about feeling good about your work and contributing to a greater good than taking home a meaty paycheck? Then a nonprofit organization might be the workplace of choice for you. This dynamic, evolving, and rapidly expanding sector offers abundant career opportunities – and plenty of jobs providing a livable salary.

The first step in your job search should be to understand the sector and its role in American society. Knowing a few key trends in the sector may help you refine your search and land the job you’ve dreamed of.

What is a Nonprofit?

Nonprofit organizations provide programs and services primarily of benefit to others, and any proceeds earned are reinvested in the cause. Under US tax law, nonprofit organizations are not required to pay taxes, and the contributions they receive are also deductible by the donor.

Some other characteristics common to nonprofit organizations include: They serve the public and are mission driven; revenue is not the end in itself. Volunteerism and altruism are highly valued. They are governed by a board of directors, and are flexible and autonomous organizations.

It would be difficult to exaggerate the impact that the nonprofit sector plays in America. In a nation dedicated "to promote the general welfare" as the preamble to the Constitution states, nonprofit organizations play an indispensable role.

Nonprofit organizations support and strengthen nearly all arenas of social, political, and economic life – everything from education to advocacy to the arts – and within each of those areas, nonprofit organizations provide a variety of services to the public, operating at the local and national level, and in some cases, internationally. In general, nonprofit organizations serve the public by either meeting a need in society, working to eliminate the cause of the need, or working toward both goals at once.

Changing the Future

The nonprofit sector is rapidly changing, and many of the latest trends will have an impact on nonprofit-sector jobseekers.

Growing Leadership Needs

The nonprofit sector has dramatically expanding leadership needs, compounded by the fact that many of its Baby Boomer leaders will soon be retiring. Nonprofit organizations are hungry for talent, both for entry-level workers and to build their ‘bench strength’ – the talent within their ranks prepared to assume leadership positions.

Competitive Compensation

The nonprofit sector is known for low salaries. And there’s no denying that too many nonprofit employees are overworked and underpaid. However, low salaries in this sector have more to do with the field of work being performed than the fact of being nonprofit. In fact, in fields where both nonprofits and for-profits operate, nonprofits actually offer higher wages. In addition, as the talent wars escalate, organizations are adjusting salaries to be much more competitive.

A Focus on Diversity

Many nonprofit leaders believe that the sector has a moral imperative to serve as an example in recruiting, retaining and promoting to leadership positions individuals representing the full spectrum of American society. Yet, barely half of nonprofit organizations surveyed recently said they were satisfied with their ability to recruit qualified minorities. They see a need to create a diverse workforce that they are unable to fill.

Leaders of the healthiest nonprofit organizations are eager to recruit staff, board members and volunteers who represent racial and ethnic diversity as well as all socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations, and physical abilities. More importantly, they are not content simply to achieve some diversity ‘head count’ – they want to integrate the perspectives of their diverse staff members into how they develop and implement their programs and engage with their different constituencies.

Greater Collaborative Relationships

Social, political, and economic changes have inspired – and at times forced – changes in the work of businesses, government and nonprofit organizations, as well as the relationships among them. Competition as well as collaboration is increasing. The result can be innovative and effective programs, and exciting new opportunities that make it an excellent time to become involved.

Nonprofit organizations testing new initiatives are recruiting staff with new skills and perspectives. They need individuals who understand how to secure government funds and work with public officials, as well as how to craft programs that serve business interests. They often are looking for professionals with an entrepreneurial acumen, some business knowledge, and a flair for creative marketing and strategic coalition building.

Surge In Social Entrepreneurship

Triggered in part by the need to expand services on sometimes shrinking budgets and increased competition from business, nonprofit organizations are developing innovative strategies and applying entrepreneurial fundamentals to affect social change. Some call this social entrepreneurship, a spirit that many organizations embrace. If you consider yourself a social entrepreneur, you don’t necessarily need to create a new venture in order to advance your ideas for change. You may find that your ambition, creativity, resourcefulness, and bold vision have a home in an existing nonprofit organization.

Increased Accountability and Oversight

Many nonprofits are getting their houses in order, dedicating additional resources to financial and administrative functions, paying closer attention to board development and oversight, and rethinking the fairness of their compensation packages. Applicants who have at least some knowledge of accounting and finance, understand and communicate their commitment to the ethical standards organizations must meet, and demonstrate good leadership and a strong moral center will be increasingly coveted in the years ahead.

In today’s economic climate, competition for paid positions is more intense, and many nonprofits will be tightening their belts. But these organizations are not going away. Indeed, when times are tough, our country relies even more heavily on the services nonprofit organizations provide. Opportunities will continue to be available among groups that serve the public good.

Take your job search seriously, know what you want, and understand the sector and nature of the organization you want to work for. A great nonprofit job is within reach.

Top 5 Reasons to Pursue a Career in Nonprofits

5. You’ll tap into one of the fastest-growing parts of the US economy. While the nonprofit sector feels the pains of the current economy just as business does, you may be surprised by just how large and vibrant this sector is. The US is home to more than 1.4 million registered nonprofits (with $3.4 trillion in assets). From 1998 to 2005, employment in the sector grew by 16 percent – three times faster than the rest of the economy. These organizations offer a great range of employment opportunities.

4. Nonprofits need great leaders. Countless studies are addressing the upcoming leadership needs of nonprofit organizations, as their Baby Boomer founders start retiring. A skilled, experienced and passionate worker is likely to find abundant leadership opportunities at nonprofits in the decade ahead.

3. You can earn a liveable salary. True, the nonprofit sector is famous for low salaries. Increasingly, however, nonprofits recognize that they must invest in their human resources and pay decent salaries in order to compete for the best talent. Plus, nonprofits have often been at the vanguard of offering great but less traditional perks – from flexible work hours and job sharing to special work assignments.

2. Nonprofits offer stimulating work and abundant opportunities. The majority of nonprofits are small or mid-sized organizations, operating with limited staff. Their leaders regularly emphasize the need for employees who can multi task. Great workers will find themselves handed great responsibility, a broad range of work, and exceptional opportunity.

1. You can crawl into bed at the end of the day knowing you made a difference. The number-one reason to consider a nonprofit career is that you will embark on life work that contributes to improving the world and its people. There’s no way to calculate the value of this ‘psychic paycheck’ and the gift we give ourselves if we love our work and are proud of our accomplishments.

Craigslist.org – Especially effective for the Bay Area. Click on ‘Nonprofit Sector’ under ‘Jobs’ for a wide-ranging list of choices.

Idealist.org – A website by Action Without Borders, with links to more than 36,000 nonprofits and a career center featuring job listings and a schedule of job fairs. (212) 843-3973

NonprofitJobs.org – Offers job searches and links to other resources. Jobseekers fill out an online profile form to help match their criteria to current openings.

OpportunityKnocks.org – A source of nonprofit job listings for administrative, staff and professional positions. Offers resume posting, job searches by state, and articles with tips on job hunting. The original print edition of Opportunity Knocks (Nonprofit Organization Classifieds) was started by The Management Center in 1986 as a way to connect nonprofit employers and jobseekers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Philanthropy.com – Home of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, electronic newspaper of the nonprofit world. Includes a help-wanted section.

PNNonline.org – A wealth of news, info and resources related to the nonprofit industry. Click on ‘Career Center’ for a list of current openings and an online application form. (804) 342-7665