Recruiting for Nonprofits

The Recruiting Timeline

Nonprofits operate with a far smaller budget than your typical corporate giants. In fact 66% of nonprofits operate with budgets of $500,000 or under (“How Nonprofit Hiring Differs From the Corporate Process”). This means that nonprofits generally do not have the resources to actively recruit new employees and also do not hire new graduates in large batches. Instead, most nonprofits only post positions for hire when that position opens up in what is known as “just-in-time hiring.” These positions also usually want hires to start right away so most people will find jobs in the Spring of or Summer after senior year.

“Just like you have to pre-med to go to med school or pre-law to go to law school, you really have to put in the work to immerse yourself in foundational understanding. You can’t do that just in a classroom, you really have to go into these communities and leave the Harvard bubble. In addition, it’s a lifelong process of learning and engaging; you never will have everything figured out and you’re always learning. Figuring out exactly what you want to do in the public service world definitely takes a lot of exploration, doing your homework, and talking to people and things like that.”

-- Former Peace Corps Volunteer, Co-Founder of Teach for Paraguay and Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet, Director of Student Programs at the IOP, Class of 2009

“The biggest nonprofit organizations have the normal process of a recruiting timeline, then interview, then offer. The smallest ones, where you can have the most impact, are the opposite. You have to get to know the employees and really talk to them, and, by doing that, they will be the ones to send you the application and help you get your foot in the door.”

--Democracy Fellow, Government Accountability Project, Harvard ‘20

Special Programs

The following is a list of programs that new graduates can often volunteer/work with to establish connections within the nonprofit network.

Teach for America

Teach for America places leaders into under resourced schools to teach for at least 2 years. The requirements are to have a bachelor's degree, a GPA over 2.5 and be a legal resident of the United States. This is a perfect opportunity for someone passionate about education (Teach for America).

Peace Corps

The Peace Corps offers a program where individuals can volunteer abroad in a host community working on projects to better the community. Project areas include economics, business development, and youth education.The volunteer term is 2 years long (“Is Peace Corps Right For Me?”).

AmeriCorps

AmeriCorps offers a variety of service opportunities around the United States in a variety of different service areas from fighting poverty to providing disaster relief. Service terms range from 3 months to a year (“What is AmeriCorps?”).

The Corps Network

The Corps Network provides volunteering experience for those interested in volunteering in conservation efforts (“About Us”). Create your own! If you’re super passionate about an issue and see a gap in the services other nonprofits offer in that area, start your own nonprofit!