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October 29 2013 by Borja Saldana
With a Business degree, graduates can dive into many different areas of the workforce. There’s for-profit companies, where you can sell products and services to consumers; and there’s non-profit work, where you can work in an organization whose mission is to assist a particular segment of the population. Diverse opportunities in different sectors and industries are available for recent graduates.
Though each type of job has its inherent benefits, nonprofit is a viable sector to work in for many reasons. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 1.64 million nonprofit organizations in the United States (as of 2007). The nonprofit sector has expanded in both number of organizations and employees. The benefits of nonprofit work extend further than compensation, medical benefits—as they allow individuals to live with purpose, execute their jobs with passion and give back to the surrounding community.
Reasons why you should consider working for a nonprofit organization:
1. There are plenty of job opportunities.
Do you want to work with animals… Or do you have a burning passion for the arts or even agriculture? Whatever your interests, there is a nonprofit for you. More than 1.5 million nonprofits are registered with the Internal Revenue Service (https://www.irs.gov/), and combined they earned $1.9 trillion in revenue in 2009 (https://nccsdataweb.urban.org/tablewiz/tw_bmf.php).
2. Successful nonprofit businesses have high-performance cultures.
Just because a nonprofit organization’s strategic objectives does not involve bottom-line targets, it does not mean they don’t strive to be the best at everything they do. Employees of nonprofits need to be “on top of their game” and forward thinking. Knowing their competitors, innovating, and budgeting are all part of the job for a nonprofit manager.
3. Engage your head and your heart.
Often times in corporate America, a person finds that their heart is unengaged in the work processes they are responsible for. Work can easily become a meaningless chore outside of earning a paycheck. By working for a nonprofit, you will see how your efforts positively affect people in need. Homeless shelter workers see people sleeping in a warm bed, food shelf employees watch hungry kids bite into their first meal of the day, and the list of heart-warming occurrences continues… Nonprofits are a great place to maximize your mental talents along with your compassion.
4. Fresh talent is needed.
Recent college graduates are in high demand in nonprofit companies. College graduates can provide a fresh perspective for a company. The business world is a competitive place and this competition spills over into the nonprofit marketplace. Competition for funds from individual donors, businesses, and foundations necessitates a passion for innovation.
5. What better way to learn to budget.
Typically, nonprofit jobs pay less than their for-profit counterparts. For example, a marketing and sales manager at a nonprofit business averages $38.82 per hour and the same position at a for-profit business earns $47.68 per hour (https://www.bls.gov/ncs/ncswage2008.htm). With all of the benefits of working for a nonprofit, however, many people are willing to accept a lower salary.
When you graduate with a Business Management degree online or on campus you’ll know how to: manage accounts receivable and accounts payable , prepare tax returns and financial statements , use computer applications proficiently, demonstrate management skills, and interpret financial data and perform accounting skills—all of which are great skills for non-profit management. Prepare your career in non-profit work by receiving a degree online or on campus.
