The nonprofit sector may offer fewer opportunities for marketing professionals than the for-profit sector. Still, you may have a passion for marketing and want to look for ways to use your skills to help others. Perhaps you even started exploring nonprofit marketing jobs because it seems like the perfect mix of your interests and abilities.
Marketing for nonprofits is a challenge. For instance, nonprofits often have less money to spend on marketing, which means most of their efforts go towards raising money rather than promoting their organization directly to potential donors or customers. Nevertheless, there are many job opportunities in nonprofit marketing if you know where to look. Read on to learn more about how you can find them.
Types of nonprofit marketing jobs to consider
There are a variety of nonprofit marketing roles available for individuals interested in working in the mission-driven sector. Whether you work in-house or at a third-party consulting company, some jobs that you might apply for include:
- Marketing manager. In this role, you’ll oversee the big picture of a nonprofit organization’s marketing efforts. This includes setting goals, creating marketing plans, and measuring results.
- PR and communications. PR and communications roles work to improve communications with their supporters. You’ll create press releases, manage social media posts, write email newsletters, and perform other communications duties.
- Marketing consultant. As a marketing consultant, you’ll work with a variety of different nonprofits to meet their marketing needs. That means you’ll need to be adaptable, leveraging your experience to generate the support nonprofits require through marketing. Keep in mind that nonprofits usually don’t offer these roles directly, but typically hire them as a third party to help inform their strategies.
Regardless of what you do, you’ll likely need to know how to promote nonprofit fundraising events. These events are crucial for organizations to spread the word about their mission and generate the funds they need to power their purpose. Ensure that you have a good grasp of fundraiser marketing to ensure that your nonprofit attracts several attendees that can be converted into long-term donors.
4 tips for acquiring a nonprofit marketing job
1. Network for the right jobs.
Networking is one of the most important ways to find a job in any sector. In nonprofit marketing, it’s imperative. As mentioned, there may be fewer nonprofit marketing jobs than for-profit ones. So, getting wired into a good opportunity takes a bit more creativity. And that’s why networking is imperative.
As you might imagine, getting a marketing job means high competition. As a result, hiring managers may prefer to hire someone who comes along from a warm relationship.
You need to network to find nonprofit marketing jobs, but you also need to keep networking after you get hired. It’s always a good idea to know your options in the industry. Moreover, you want to ensure that after you get hired, you’re a fit. Many organizations will put you through a trial period.
2. Use a job search platform.
Nonprofit marketing job platforms, such as The Philanthropy Network, can help you find positions at specific nonprofits. Most of them are similar to for-profit marketing job search engines, with a key difference. In general, they target the sector, and that’s a big plus for a strategic search.
One of the most well-known nonprofit marketing job search engines is Idealist. This site allows you to search for nonprofit marketing jobs by location. Further, you can also check out the National Council of Nonprofits, Work for Good, and National Nonprofits. You can also use general job search engines like LinkedIn to find nonprofit marketing jobs.
3. Explore conferences.
Conferences can be a great way to find nonprofit marketing jobs. You can network with hiring managers at different organizations to learn about open positions. Sometimes, the conferences have an area where professionals can see the availability of jobs. Many conferences cater specifically to the sector. You can find these conferences online or see what conferences are hosted in your area. However, some of the big conferences to look into include, The Nonprofit Marketing Summit, AFP Icon, and the Bridge Conference.
4. Research local or national organizations.
Many nonprofit marketing job seekers focus too much on finding positions at specific organizations. You’ll probably have better job search results if you cast a wider net. There are many ways to research organizations, including:
- Searching for marketing jobs in general. You can use available job search engines to find marketing positions and look for organizations with similar job descriptions.
- Looking for nonprofits with similar missions to the ones you love. Doing so can help you find organizations that need marketing help.
- Looking at job boards for the for-profit sector. Many for-profit job boards also have listings for the nonprofit sector. And it can help you find organizations that need marketing help.
Rewards of social good jobs
Nonprofit marketing jobs can be challenging, but they can also be rewarding because of all the learning and discovery. Nonprofit marketers can make a real impact on the world through their work. Even if you don’t find a nonprofit marketing job immediately, it’s important not to give up. Marketing is a dynamic field, so you should expect to apply to many jobs before you find the right one. You should also expect to switch your marketing job search strategy a few times. It’s normal, as there are many ways to find nonprofit marketing jobs.
To discover what nonprofit marketing’s all about, visit our webinars and ebooks. And say hello on Facebook and YouTube.
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