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Welcome to
Finding Your Dream Job:How to use Idealist.org and GuideStar to find the right position for you
Hello there!
We’re Matt and Caroline, and we’re Community Managers at Idealist.org, a website that helps people turn their intentions into action.
Our team ● reviews organizations● monitors site content● helps you make the most of Idealist● develops initiatives to engage our
community
What is Idealist.org? Idealist.org is a nonprofit organization that has been helping people move their good intentions to action since 1995.
Our website, Idealist.org, houses the largest nonprofit job board in the United States.
On Idealist, 108,000 organizations are posting:
● Over 12,000 jobs
● Over 2,000 internships
● About 14,000 volunteer opportunities
● About 400 events
We also have sites in Spanish (idealistas.org) and French (idealiste.org)!
Idealist is a platform where you can:
● Find jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities
● Post opportunities for others to get involved
● Find and connect with other organizations and individuals
● Act as an individual in the community, offering your expertise as a resource and seeking other individuals to collaborate with.
Today we'll talk about
● What the nonprofit sector is like
● How to find the right position for you
● How to use Idealist to find a job, internship, or volunteer
opportunity
● Specific tips to improve how you search
● How to verify a nonprofit’s legitimacy using GuideStar
● Advice on cover letters, resumes, and interviews
● General nonprofit resources
What is a nonprofit organization?
A nonprofit is an organization that uses its revenue to achieve its mission, rather than distributing it as profit or dividends.
They're required to have a board of directors, can accept donations and often have volunteers.
The goal of a nonprofit organization is not to be successful in terms of wealth, but in terms of giving value to the groups of people it administers to.
● Schools and universities
● Museums
● Soup kitchens
● Foundations
● Zoos
● Churches and other religious groups
● Research organizations
● Orchestras and symphonies
● Advocacy organizations
● Hospitals
Types of Nonprofit Organizations
Common Jobs at Nonprofits
● Fundraising, Development, Grant Writing
● Program management
● Direct service - social work, teaching, counseling
● Marketing and social media
● Communications
● Human Resources
● Accounting
● Operations
● Community Management
Other types of organizations on Idealist
● Social Enterprises
● Consultants and Vendors to Nonprofits
● Nonprofit Recruiters
● Government Agencies
Finding the right position for you in the nonprofit sector
Why work for a nonprofit?
● Meaningful work: do something you care about
● The people: everyone around you cares too
● Growth potential
● Wear lots of "different hats"
● More responsibility
● Work/life balance
● Benefits
Know yourself
● The big picture
○ Do you have a professional mission?
○ What are your short and long term goals?
○ Where are you in your career?
● What work experience and skills do you have?
● Keep an updated, written inventory of your work and volunteer
experiences.
● Everything counts!
There are five ways to look at nonprofit work. Which appeal to you?
● Organization
o Big? Small? Well established? Start-up?
● Role
o Fundraising? Direct service? Communications?
● System
o Politics? Media? Foundation? Advocacy?
● Issue
o Poverty? Education? The environment?
● Population
o Youth? Women? Minorities?
Know what you want: The Five Lenses
Know what you want: Career Tracks
● Visit job search sites (like Idealist) and find fifty jobs you like, regardless of location, salary, and qualifications.
● Discover what they have in common using the five lenses (Organization, Role, System, Issue, Population)
● Evaluate your observations. Did anything surprise you?
Using Idealist to find a job in the nonprofit sector
Ways to use Idealist
● Researching the organizations you’re interested in working with
● Finding internships and volunteer opportunities to build your
resume
● Learning about what might be required of you in certain career
tracks
● Finding positions in your area (or elsewhere!) that match your
goals and skill set
Your Idealist personal page
● You don’t need a personal page on Idealist to search…
● Benefits of having a personal page on Idealist
○ Saving searches
○ Email alerts
○ Networking
○ Getting your ducks in order
○ Let’s take a look at a personal profile!
Using Search
● Search Idealist
o Keywords (anything!)
o Area of Focus (eg. hunger relief, social justice)
o Job Function (eg. education, organizing)
o Location search
Saving Searches & Creating Email Alerts
● Once you’ve created a search that gets you the results you like,
you can save this search for future use.
● You can also choose Get Email Alert to have a daily list of new
opportunities matching your search delivered to your inbox.
Using GuideStar to verify nonprofit status and obtain more information
● GuideStar is a great resource for even more information on
nonprofits in the United States.
● If you have some nonprofits you’d like to know even more about, go
to www.guidestar.org, and search for them by name or EIN.
● Once you’ve found your nonprofit, you can see information about
legitimacy, budget, operating officers, and more!
Applying for jobs in the nonprofit sector
Quick tips on applying for jobs in the nonprofit sector
● Be sure to express why you’re passionate about the organization’s mission (resume, cover letter, interview)
● Show why you’d be great at the job
● Don’t forget to include your volunteer experience
● Be careful with your cover letter, resume, and emails
● Seek out jobs with unique application requirements
● Check organization websites, not just job boards
● Print out your job descriptions
● Just because you get the job, doesn’t mean you have to take it
● One page rule (resumes)
Interviewing
● Ask about the dress code if you're not sure
● Say "organization" not company
● Study the organization's website. Become familiar with their:
○ mission
○ staff
○ events, programs, projects
● Come with specific questions about the job and organization
● Be yourself!
● Send a thank you note by email as soon as possible after the interview.
Network!
Explore your whole network. You have one!
Make sure everyone knows you're looking for a job.
o Clubs
o Facebook / LinkedIn / Twitter
o Your friends/family/family friends
o Your neighbors
o Your classmateso Each other!
And be sure to check out...
Articles, webinars, events, and more for nonprofit job seekers and professionals. On IdealistCareers.org you can:
● Attend webinars and live chats presented by career experts
● Learn what hiring managers and HR professionals look for in candidates
● Identify and pursue your passion and purpose● Explore your professional and leadership development● Connect with fellow changemakers
We're the Community Engagement Team! Call us maybe?
Matt Cifaldi
matt@idealist.org
Caroline Contillo
caroline@idealist.org
Reach us by phone: 646.786.6886
Nandita Batheja
nandita@idealist.org
Questions?
Thank you!
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