Top Sites for Nonprofit Jobs

While some industries continue to cut jobs, nonprofits are adding them. That makes it a good time to investigate openings at charitable organizations.

From 2009 to 2010, jobs at U.S. nonprofits grew 8.8 percent, according to an annual report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which tallies employment at for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations to collect information on health insurance coverage. When it comes to jobs, the biggest nonprofits fared best, with organizations of 1,000 or more workers showing a 16.7 percent increase in employment in 2010, compared to a drop of 3.8 percent for groups with a staff of fewer than 10, according to the report.

The trend is expected to continue. In a recent Idealist.org poll, 42 percent of 3,000 nonprofits reported that they expect to bring on new staff this year. Executives said they plan to hire program managers, counselors, tutors, mentors and fundraisers, according to the separate Nonprofit Employment Trends Survey.

Workplace experts see more midcareer and older workers signing on with nonprofits. People are staying in the work force longer, and many apply what they learned in first careers to encore jobs at nonprofits, says Mary Bleiberg, executive director at ReServe, a New York agency that matches professionals 55 and older with part-time work at nonprofits and government agencies.

"The nonprofit sector continued to grow in this economy, and there are jobs there," Bleiberg says. To bring its job-finding services to more people, ReServe recently opened an affiliate office in Miami in cooperation with the Human Services Coalition, a Miami-based nonprofit.

If you're contemplating a career change, here are 10 places to look for nonprofit jobs:

1. Bridgestar. Bridgespan Group, a nonprofit industry consultant, runs this online job board for management-level positions. The site's searchable database currently lists 300 part-time and full-time positions in the United States and overseas. Visitors can sign up for a monthly newsletter and learn about transitioning to a nonprofit career.

2. CharityChannel. A subscription-based online social network for professionals working for nonprofit organizations, CharityChannel includes job listings at U.S. nonprofits. The $37 annual subscription also includes access to peer-reviewed articles, online forums and discounted educational materials.

3. Commongood Careers. This venture-backed search firm specializes in placing executives in nonprofit organizations and currently works with 175 groups in 26 states. Job seekers can use the site to browse openings, apply for jobs and get career advice.

4. Encore Careers. Civic Ventures, the San Francisco think tank for boomers, hosts an online resource center for people looking for paid or volunteer work at nonprofits as a bridge to retirement. Readers can sign up for Encore Careers newsletters, too.

5. Idealist. The nonprofit matchmaker pairs people looking to make a difference with a searchable database of volunteer or paid positions at more than 66,000 charitable organizations worldwide. Users who go through a free registration process can save job searches and get daily email notices of job openings.

6. LinkedIn. The business social network's Jobs database now includes positions at nonprofits. In the "Industry" section of the Jobs search template, type in "Nonprofit Organization Management" to see current listings; use the Advanced Search feature to narrow searches by city or job description.

7. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The charitable foundation behind the annual MacArthur "genius" awards maintains a mega-list of nonprofit and philanthropy job boards and employment resources.

8. NonprofitJobseeker.com. Job hunters can use The NonProfit Times' employment website to post a resume, find job hunting tips, search for openings and read reports on charitable organizations' salaries and benefits.

9. Philanthropy News Digest. The daily news service run by The Foundation Center, an information clearinghouse for all U.S. foundations, maintains a database of domestic and international nonprofit jobs. Some of the close to 600 current listings include openings for a human resources director for a California disability rights organization, executive director for a Florida botanical gardens, and a university development director in Maryland.

10. CraigConnect. Craigslist founder Craig Newmark was involved in so many nonprofit groups that he created a portal to list them. The site isn't a job board per se, but it includes links that job hunters can use to find organizations supporting veterans and military groups, community building and open government.

Read more: Trio Ditches Corporate America to Serve Nonprofits