What are the Benefits of Working at a Nonprofit?

Having a healthy paycheck is important, but for many people, the work they do is about more than the bottom line. You want a career you feel passionate about. You want to support others in your community. You want to work to build a better, more inclusive world.

If any of these things are important to you, you may want to consider a career in the nonprofit world. Here are a few of the benefits of working for a nonprofit.

Contribute to the greater good

When you work a corporate job, your work is about supporting the bottom line. Monster.com states, “Whereas increasing profit is the bottom line in more corporate settings, at nonprofits, the goal is to advocate for and advance a certain cause.” When you work for a nonprofit, your work furthers an organization’s mission, whether that is advocating for the environment, building houses for low-income families or supporting individuals and families with disabilities. In other words, your job directly supports your community and the people who live in it.

Access to competitive benefits

Nonprofits vary, but salaries at nonprofits may be five to 10 percent lower than in corporate positions, according to Monster.com. However, it’s not all bad news. Many nonprofits offset lower salaries by providing competitive healthcare and retirement benefits, flexible work schedules, more vacation time, tuition reimbursement, ongoing training, and sometimes even student loan forgiveness.

Explore different roles

Nonprofits that are understaffed may embrace a team-based approach to work. That can offer flexibility and be beneficial for your resume. According to The Muse, “As a newcomer, you won’t only learn your role — you’ll have the opportunities to learn what your boss does, what his or her boss does, and basically what everyone else in the organization does, too.” This allows you to explore more roles. You gain experience in various areas, and you also may find you want to explore a different career path.

Opportunities for creativity and innovation

Nonprofits often offer more opportunities for creativity. Rules within a corporate environment can be pretty rigid. Sometimes there is the mindset of “we’ve always done it this way,” or sometimes, it’s because there is such a focus on the bottom line. Your job may also be tightly relegated to one part of a process, which doesn’t allow for innovation. Meanwhile, many nonprofit management teams encourage creative thinking, which means you’ll have the opportunity to introduce new ideas and have a bigger impact on work processes.

Work within a supportive, mission-based culture

According to The Balance, the researchers who determine the best nonprofit employers have found that one thing nonprofit employees rank highly is they like the people they work with. At a nonprofit organization, you and your coworkers are working toward a particular mission. So you and your coworkers share a passion for giving back and supporting your organization’s cause.

Since you aren’t working for a gigantic corporation, your work environment may feel homier and more personal. With this type of culture, you’re more likely connected to those around you, and you’ll feel more comfortable approaching leadership.

Create more equitable communities

Nonprofits help communities thrive. The Council of Nonprofits website states, “America’s 1.3 million charitable nonprofits feed, heal, shelter, educate, inspire, enlighten, and nurture people of every age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status, from coast to coast, border to border, and beyond. They foster civic engagement and leadership, drive economic growth, and strengthen the fabric of our communities.” Perhaps more importantly, nonprofits help create more equitable communities by fostering better access to critical services. Many nonprofits have thrived for decades, and their missions have carried communities through hardships like depressions, economic downturns and devastation, like the recent pandemic.

For over 80 years, Fraser has served individuals and families with diverse intellectual, physical and emotional needs in Minnesota. We have part-time, full-time and seasonal job openings now. There are positions for high school graduates, undergrads and those with advanced degrees. Click here to learn more about the nonprofit’s current openings.