Why you should understand nonprofit job titles
When searching for jobs in the nonprofit sector, you should familiarize yourself with the common titles that can be found within a nonprofit organization. There are nonprofits whose primary focus includes animal care and rescue, providing meals for the elderly, sending books to troops overseas, helping provide clean drinking water, or promoting LGBTQ rights.
Many nonprofits provide vital resources to their local communities, but some even work on a global scale. Due to the great variety found among these organizations, some may offer positions that require similar skill sets, but the titles for similar roles may vary. That's why it is so helpful to have a clear understanding of nonprofit organization titles whenever you starting looking for work in this field. This way, you know you're using the perfect keywords as you search through job sites like Glassdoor. Doing this will not only help you find a job that is a good fit for your individual skills, but it will show you what kind of positions you can work toward throughout your career.
Common job titles in nonprofit organizations
Many people assume that nonprofits do not have paid employees, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course, there are nonprofits that do function solely on the efforts of volunteers, but most nonprofit organizations have paid, professional staff who carry out the everyday operations, services, and programs. The nonprofit sector is one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the United States, and it offers a wide variety of career opportunities if you know how to look for the right job for you. It may surprise you to learn that nonprofits typically have the same structure as other companies when it comes to the hierarchy of job titles. For example, both kinds of organizations can offer excellent careers in marketing, human resources, technology, and accounting. Below is a list of over 150 job titles you can find in the nonprofit sector. All have been organized by category so you can embark on a highly effective search for the perfect role for you. Let’s take a look at what kinds of jobs nonprofit organizations can offer you:
Executive positions
The expectations of executive positions in the nonprofit sector are incredibly similar to those in the for-profit sector. Those individuals who are in such positions have the ultimate say in how they would like to lead the direction of the organization as a whole. When someone tells you that they hold an executive title at a nonprofit, their professional title may be one of these:
- Board Member
- Executive Director
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Director
- Director of Philanthropy
- Directory of Communications
- Chief Culture Officer
- Chief Data Scientist
- Director of Development
- Vice President
After these individuals lay out broad goals for the organization, they have a choice. They can either let managers work on achieving these goals, or they can be incredibly hands-on throughout the entire process. Most of the time, executives encourage managers to take charge of implementing the strategies necessary to bring about success and wait for reports on the progress that has been made.
Management
Much like the management structure in the for-profit sector, nonprofit management can take on a variety of tasks and goals. Managers are usually in charge of championing the organization’s mission on a national or regional scale. If you are in a nonprofit management position, you may have one of these titles:
- Advocacy Director
- Business Office Supervisor
- Administrator for Nonprofit Organizations
- Campaign Manager
- Chief Association Executive
- Community Health Director
- Chemical Dependency Director
- Community Relations Director
- Compliance Director
- Critical Care Director
- Corporate Giving Director
- Corporate Giving Manager
- Development Director
- Development Manager
- Director of Family Shelter
- Executive Director of Nonprofit
- Donor Relations Manager
- Director of Major Gifts
- Director of Special Initiatives
- Financial Aid Director
- Major Gift Director
- Grant Proposal Manager
- Housing Program Manager
- Foundation Director
- Fundraising Manager
- Program Director
- Member Services Director
- Member Certification Manager
- Planning Manager
- Planned Gift Director
- Planned Giving Director
- Program Manager
- Social Work Manager
- Recreational Therapy Director
- Program Officer for Foundation
- Project Manager
- Public Relations Manager
- Social Services Director
- Volunteer Services Director
- Special Events Director
- Support Services Director
- Teen Center Director
- Volunteer Director
- Volunteer Manager
Nonprofits attract many individuals who have previously worked in similar positions in the corporate world, although many people who fill these roles have worked in nonprofits for years and have risen through the ranks.
Administrative/Accounting
All organizations need to have people on board who are experts at working directly with clients and who can fulfill the everyday requirements of the organization. These duties fall under the purview of administration and accounting. There are quite a few job titles in this area:
- Aides Supervisor
- Community Service Project Coordinator
- Compliance Coordinator
- Administrative Assistant
- Financial Aid Representative
- Office Clerk
- Member Records Administrator
- Receptionist
- Member Services Representative
- Membership Assistant
If you think you would be a good fit in the world of administration and accounting, you must be able to organize documents, answer phone calls, and schedule appointments. In a position like this, you can provide immense support to the rest of the staff throughout the organization.
Health and human services
Many nonprofits with a humanitarian focus have a vested interest in taking care of the mental and physical health of their clients. Organizations that are determined to help need to have people on staff who are skilled in health and human services. If you would like this type of work, you would need to be qualified to work in very specific areas such as chemical addiction, sexual abuse, and counseling both for children and adults. Depending on the primary mission of the individual organization, some titles may include:
- Substance Abuse Counselor
- Associate Pastor
- Case Manager
- Court Support Workers
- Chaplain
- Child Care Worker
- Housing Services Worker
- Psychiatrist
- Child Support Case Officer
- Childbirth Educator
- Dula
- Living Skills Advisor
- Housing Counselor
- Hospice Supervisor
- Housing Coordinator
- Child Life Specialist
- Victim Advocate
- Juvenile Counselor
- Counselor
- Medical Social Worker
- Managed Care Coordinator
- Policy Analyst
- Minister
- Pastor
- Residential Living Assistant
- Social Worker
These jobs allow a person to provide hands-on care and work directly with a nonprofit’s clientele. Jobs like these are a great fit for people who are empathetic, patient, and pragmatic.
Human resources
A person who is experienced working in human resources will have no shortage of opportunities to put their skills to good use in a nonprofit. Human resource departments play an important role in nonprofits by ensuring employee satisfaction and safety while making sure that each employee’s talents are being properly utilized. If you are looking for a new position in this field, your search may uncover jobs like these:
- Event Team Recruiter
- Human Resources Assistant
- Job Developer
- Human Resources Coordinator
- Labor Union Organizer
- Employee Relations Manager
- Team Leader
- Volunteer Coordinator
Working in human resources may require you to bring together skilled individuals from different departments onto one team in order to take on projects within the community or to organize and recruit volunteers who can help with everyday tasks that the organization needs to have completed.
Marketing
Organizations in the nonprofit sector are always on the lookout for people who can bring finely honed marketing and fundraising skills on board. After all, fundraising is what keeps many nonprofit organizations afloat and their goals sustainable. Employing skilled marketers is also incredibly important because nonprofits need to have great public relations with the wider community in order to receive support and funding. Nonprofit marketing roles include:
- Community Organizer
- Social Media Marketing Intern
- Community Outreach Advocate
- Community Outreach Coordinator
- Marketing Intern
- Community Outreach Specialist
- Coordinator of Planned Giving
- Development Assistant
- Development Associate
- Development Coordinator
- Marketing Coordinator
- Development Officer
- Fundraiser
- Fundraising Coordinator
- Grant Administrator
- Grant/Contracts Specialist
- Grant Coordinator
- Grant Writer
- Grassroots Organizer
- Lobbyist
- Marketing Associate
- Nonprofit Fundraiser
- Online Activist
- Program Assistant
- Program Associate
- Program Coordinator
- Social Media Coordinator
- Special Events Coordinator
Those who are highly adept in the art of writing, like grant writers, and personable individuals who can employ their interpersonal skills to acquire additional sources of funding will always be in high demand in the nonprofit sector. As you can see, becoming familiar with a wide range of positions in a nonprofit organization can help you open the door to more job openings than you may have first imagined. As you begin looking for jobs, try expanding your search on Glassdoor to include job titles that are related to the one you currently have. When you do that, you’ll not only be sure that you’re applying to every job that fits your skillset, but you’ll also be well on your way to finding a position that will allow you to benefit members of your community.