If you’re stuck in a rut or just looking for a new challenge, finding the right next job is critical in shaping your nonprofit career forward. Whether it is an internship, part-time, or full-time role, your nonprofit career is built one organization at a time. In order to help great people find great jobs in the social sector, we have created a comprehensive list of job posting sites, job boards, and non-traditional foundation sites, all for nonprofit job seekers. On the flip side, if you’re looking for ways to keep your top people, check out our 15+ resources for talent retention.
This list of nonprofit job posting sites also includes a handful of nonprofit recruiting firms that focus on placing executive-level hires. You’ve probably heard of general job sites that include nonprofit sector job openings, like Indeed.org and Monster.com, but for a more focused array of quality nonprofit job listings, we love Idealist.org. In addition to these major players, you may want to look at foundations and smaller network sites to find the real opportunities that the sector likes to keep in its own network. Bonus: it can give you a lot more nonprofit street cred to note that you found a job posting through a nonprofit’s funder or network as it shows that you are plugged in.
Before we get started, here are a few tips for using these lists and the best job sites in the right way:
7 Tips for Using Nonprofit Job Posting Sites
- Search based on cause and role. Think about the causes you care about rather than the nonprofit sector at large. Organizations want to see people that are passionate about their field. Then, think about the work you are the best fit for.
- Refine your searches. The devil is in the details. Play with the different filters available to dial in on the type of keywords that will reveal the most relevant jobs, like searching for specific job titles.
- Save your searches. Use our spreadsheet to save the exact searches you do to refine your search results. This will help save time when checking back. Bookmarks also work, but may get cumbersome with 20+ searches.
- Check sites early and often. Create a regular habit of checking your favorite job posting sites and searches. Idealist.org even lets you create an automatic search alert.
- Do the research. Before reaching out to a nonprofit, take a quick look on glassdoor.com, stalk the organization on Linkedin.com, and review the organization’s 990/financials on Guidestar to see what you are getting into.
- Be cover letter ready. These job openings can go faster than a 1 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, so make sure you have a cover letter and a polished resume ready to customize and send.
- Read between the lines. If an organization you love doesn’t have your ideal job listed but is building capacity in a relevant department, it might be worth reaching out to see if it is a job in their roadmap. Offering to buy a lunch for someone that already works on the executive team can also be a great entry point.
Bonus – By land or by sea. Sometimes you have to prove your passion and value before a nonprofit can justify a position — just because you don’t see the right opportunities on these job posting sites right now, doesn’t mean you should give up on a cause you love. Consider volunteering or working part-time around your schedule to get to know a great organization. Also, note that attending nonprofit conferences is another great way to build up your network and learn about openings — fortunately, we have you covered with the largest list of nonprofit conferences to check out.
Once you’re ready to apply for a nonprofit job, consider checking your resume for non-inclusive language with this resume tool.
Foundation Job sites
Nonprofit Network Job sites
- Net Impact
- Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Jobs Board
- Just Means
- USSIF Responsible Investing
- Ethical Performance
- Next Billion
- Common Good Careers
- DevNet
- Escape The City
- Aspen Institute Network
- Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN)
Nonprofit Recruiting Firms
General Job sites + Agencies
- Idealist
- Opportunity Knocks
- Social Good Jobs
- Indeed nonprofit jobs
- Monster nonprofit list
- Simply Hired
- Bridgestar
- Acre
- Encore.org – for retirees interested in nonprofit jobs
Publications + Social Networks
Looking to hire interns specifically? We put together a separate post on the 6 best internship posting sites so you can find the best interns for your nonprofit.
Looking for more? Take a look at our tips for hiring people at nonprofits to see the kind of questions that might be asked in an interview.