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Career Profiles
The nonprofit sector is the fastest growing component of societies all around the world. Successful nonprofit organizations generate lots of revenue, offer their staff members good salaries and benefits, and plow all remaining funds into pursuit of their missions. They are efficient and effective organizations that are free from paying most taxes because they are committed to missions that service the public good!
In 2012, the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance reported over 60,000 new entry-level positions available across the nonprofit sector and projected that the number would continue to grow. While the current challenging economy is reducing the capacity of the business sector and forcing reductions in government roles, the nonprofit sector continues to be the segment of American society that responds to the needs of communities for essential programs and services. The nonprofit sector is increasing its size, scope, and employment opportunities across the range of professional positions. There are over 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered with the IRS today, with part of the country's overall economy (US Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics). According to the most recent Independent Sector data, nearly 13 million people work in the nonprofit sector or about one in ten working age Americans. This means that the sector represents about 14 percent of the national workforce, which has doubled in the past twenty years.
Whether you want to be a counselor, recreation director, resource developer, environmental activist, marketing director, program coordinator, community organizer, or any position designed to serve the needs of others, making the world a safer and more sustainable place to live, the chances continue to increase that you will be working in a nonprofit sector organization. And in that setting your effectiveness and career success will be enhanced if you can effectively organize programs and services, improve the efficiency of the organization, recruit and manage volunteers, manage resources and raise funds, and promote and celebrate the impact of the organization on the lives of people in the community it serves.