Question:
I am interested in getting a job
in a non-profit sector, especially entry level work in fund raising and
writing grants. My background is that of working in a law office as a
legal secretary and a paralegal course at UCLA several years ago. My
interests are in animal welfare and that is where I have been working
for the past three years; both on a volunteer basis and in adoption
counseling/education.
I would be interested if anyone could point me in the right direction.
I often see ads in the L.A. Times under non-profit or fund raising, but
they are usually for people with a great deal of experience, i.e.,
hiring a director of fund raising, etc. I guess it will be like
starting over with regard to salary, etc. because this would be a new
field for me. I type very fast and am a quick study.
Answer:
- If you are subscribed to any of the CharityChannel forums (visit
http://CharityChannel.com/Forums to learn more), you will receive job
search postings on a frequent basis via the Career Search Online system.
If you are not subscribed, visit http://CharityChannel.com/Career_Search
for positions. All positions are indexed by Organization, by Title, and,
importantly to your Southern California search, by State.
Additionally, contact the NSFRE chapters for the counties in So. Cal. you
are interested in. Orange County's NSFRE chapter, for example, publishes a
monthly newsletter which lists local nonprofit positions.
Lastly, you might consider volunteering at a local nonprofit organization
as a means to become familiar with the sector. Visit
http://CharityChannel.com/Volunteer to search for volunteering
opportunities or to offer your services as a volunteer.
-Consider following a simple process tailor made to secure an entry-level
position in fund-raising as described in an article on my website
titled,"Beginning A Career In Non-Profit Fund-Raising"
You can access the article at:
http://www.raise-funds.com/698forum.html
Along with the good tips you'll receive from others, do try the
step-by-step regimen I describe. It really does work. With 20 years as
D/D for a major performing arts organization, I can assure you that over
those years I hired a number of individuals as a result of the type of
interviews I describe and I recommended scores of other promising
individuals to my colleagues. So, the process is based upon my real
experiences and the positive results I've seen for many such
interviewees.
