Nonprofit nirvana ... or not
January 22, 2016 11:20 AM   Subscribe

Phone screen with a social justice-oriented nonprofit next week... yay! I have never actually worked for a nonprofit full-time and it's been years since I've interned for one. I would welcome ideas on aspects to run toward/away from.

I have a pretty good "spidey sense" for job-related red flags in general, but I've been in the same career field in the for-profit world for years.

This position is a different job type - data reporting and admin with an internal user support component.

Nonprofit-savvy MeFites: Is there anything specific about nonprofit workplaces that I should try to find out during the interview process? For example, I believe that there's a 401(k) equivalent that some nonprofits offer and I will look into that.
posted by Sheydem-tants to Work & Money (11 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
The 401(k) equivalent is a 403(b) - definitely ask about that!

If this non-profit is like mine, your salary will probably not be amazing. So it's very important to look at the benefits package to make sure you're getting your worth.

This applies to all jobs, I guess, but if you get any sense during the interview that this non-profit has major development problems (struggles to get donations, poor funder management, has a hard time making ends meet financially) then you should run the other way. The development process is a huge part of any successful non-profit, but being in a place where your daily work is seriously limited due to funding issues is absolutely miserable. To that end, you might ask about the position (is it for a specific grant, or a general hire?).
posted by schroedingersgirl at 11:26 AM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]


Just to expand on the benefits package bit, I make a good salary but far less than I would earn in the private sector. In exchange for that I get 8 weeks of paid time off each year (5 weeks vacation, 3 weeks sick time) and 12% employer contributions to my 403(b). So you know... tradeoffs.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 11:28 AM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]


A lot of non profits have a charismatic founder and then frequently have a rough transition when that person eventually steps back/dies/is fired/etc. Healthier non-profits, in my experience, have already transitioned away from one strong personality and have enough internal structure and mission to support themselves. Another part of non-profit culture I've frequently seen is the expectation to work through lunch, long hours, etc "for the cause". I encourage you to be someone who does not contribute to that unhealthy culture! Take a stand for healthy workplace boundaries. I like that at the non-profits I worked at I get to be myself in terms of my values and personal style.

Good luck.
posted by latkes at 11:34 AM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]


That's actually a reasonable question to ask them. "So far I've worked in the corporate world (and any others appropriate, ref your resume, eg academia, startups, etc)and interned with a non-profit, and I know the work environments can be very different. What do you think sets your workplace apart?"
And if they say "what do you mean?" give an example like "There's often a reliability to corporate jobs that isn't there for startups, but there's a sense of enthusiasm (that's a euphemism for what latkes is talking about) that non-profits and startups have that some corporations lack." (and if they're playing dumb, this leads into specific questions about funding and workload, and when did they get their last paycheck and when did they take their last vacation)
posted by aimedwander at 11:36 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


I would ask them what their fundraising goals are for the fiscal year, where they are percentage-wise, and whether they expect to make goal. Do they rely more on membership donations (small dollar amounts usually given on an annual cycle) or major donors (development)? What's the size of their fundraising staff?

I would also check them out on Charity Navigator.

I probably wouldn't ask questions like this of all non-profits, only smaller ones. If I was interviewing for a job at the ACLU I wouldn't necessarily worry about it, but the Kalamazoo, Michigan Organization for Transgender Rights? Yes absolutely.

In general, working for a non-profit can be great and a well-run one isn't very different from a well-run for-profit company, but it's all going to come down to how well-oiled their fundraising is, and how well-funded they are.

And yes, definitely ask if it's a grant-funded position.
posted by Automocar at 1:13 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]


I think it's probably pretty similar to the for profit world. Is it a permanent or temporary position? What's the funding for the position like (i.e., is it stable, or do they just have a one-year grant that they don't expect will be renewed)? What's the overall culture like? How is performance reviewed? What will it take to succeed in this role?

Try to read their strategic plan and annual report beforehand. Do they have a good sense of what they're trying to achieve and a track record of success? Do they have diverse sources of funding? Do they have an endowment?
posted by salvia at 1:15 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


You'll want to know what the staff turnover rate is at this particular nonprofit. If they're burning through people, there's an ongoing management problem.
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:24 PM on January 22, 2016


Be on the lookout for hints of underlying interpersonal drama, political tension, or fundamental conflicts about their mission and methods. The nonprofit scene is not necessarily any more dysfunctional than the for-profit one, but it manifests differently and this kind of thing is often your tip-of-the-iceberg warning of upfuckedness that will dominate things later on.
posted by brennen at 1:49 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


You definitely want to find out about turnover. Some is normal for a nonprofit, lots is a sign of dysfunction. I worked at a place where my boss lost staff in all positions under him three times over in four years. Ask why the the position is open, what are some challenges people in it faced etc.

You can look up recent tax returns (990) at Guidestar.com if you register for a free account. If fundraising has tanked that's a bad sign.

Make sure you know who would supervisor would be and whether other people would be coming to you with additional tasks. Many non-profits operate with a "all hands on deck" mentality which in actuality means everyone dumps whatever they can on the admin staff.

Ask about "time in lieu" or overtime. If you help out at an event in the evening do you get overtime or can you bank those hours and take time off later.
posted by betsybetsy at 2:47 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


Check out their 990. That's their tax filing. It's VERY instructive.

Ask about the average or median number of years people have worked there. Some variation is good as you don't want the majority of employees having been there forever but not understanding how the world today works, but high turnover is also a huge red flag. Ideally, there will be a mix of people at many levels of years served.

I'd also research the Board of Directors. I landed in a bad spot once and if I'd taken a look at the board, I could have dodged it.

And it never hurts to check Glassdoor, but take it with a grain of salt.
posted by smirkette at 4:42 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


I will always link to the sick systems post because I found it completely representative of a dysfunctional non-profit I worked for. Sadly, the reason why it was dysfunctional (other than poor leadership and toxic workplace behavior), due to the incredible problems they had with getting enough money, due to the nature of the non-profit being shut out of many grant opportunities due to it not conforming to the nature of the field. Too bad I only knew about it once I had to phone bank, and not beforehand :( Still bitter.
posted by yueliang at 8:11 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]


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