Did you know the Nonprofit/Public Service Career Fair is February 1 and the Nonprofit/Public Service Symposium is February 3? Idealist.org, the premier site for all things nonprofit, shatters the myth and shines some light on some great reasons to work for the nonprofit/public service sector.
Myth: No one makes any money in the nonprofit sector.
Truth: The term "nonprofit" refers to the 501(c) tax code in the United States. Non-governmental organization, or NGO, and "charity" are the common terms used outside the US. Revenues generated by nonprofit organizations go back into programs that serve the organizations’ mission. There are no stockholders receiving annual financial dividends, and employees do not receive a bonus at the end of a good year. According to Independent Sector, $670 billion are earned by nonprofit organizations annually, and one in twelve Americans work in the nonprofit sector.
Myth: The nonprofit sector is for people who could not make it in the business world.
Truth: Nonprofit organizations are full of intelligent people with a passion for their work (many with graduate degrees and years of experience in the sector). Many people switch between the nonprofit, government, and private sectors during their careers. Each line of work presents its own set of challenges, but there are many talented people in all three sectors. Business people are often surprised to learn how difficult it is to make the transition into the nonprofit sector which has different, often rigorous standards of success.
Myth: Working for a nonprofit is not really a career path.
Truth: Working in the nonprofit sector sometimes is considered taking a break from the "real world," with the implied assumption that it is not an option to spend a lifetime doing this work. In reality, the nonprofit sector provides many people with a lifetime of exciting work. Nonprofits also tend to offer young people more leadership opportunities than other sectors.
Myth: Nonprofits only do direct service work.
Truth: The most visible nonprofits are often soup kitchens, mentoring programs, and other organizations that involve people working directly with other people who need some form of assistance. In fact, many people who work for nonprofits are accountants, computer programmers, sales people, human resources professionals, managers, fundraisers, and executives. Many more are researchers and advocates for certain issues or support the work of direct service organizations.
Myth: All nonprofits support left-wing causes.
Truth: The nonprofit sector itself does not have a political agenda, and many organizations exist to provide services and promote interests that the government does not. The organizations within the sector lean left, right, and everywhere in between.
Hope to see you at our events this week! More info on Callisto: callisto.berkeley.edu
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