Making a difference as a career

Not long after Sept. 11, 2001, stories began to surface about people re-evaluating their lives. The national security crisis became a personal identity crisis as individuals asked: Am I doing something that matters?
For some, the search for meaning led to a renewed commitment to family and friends. Others deepened their spiritual practices or began volunteering. And some turned a critical eye on their work lives.
For those who lost their jobs because of Sept. 11, the decisions became more urgent. People needed to find new jobs, yes, but they wanted them to mean something. For a worker seeking meaning, what could make more sense than a nonprofit organization?
Whether the organization serves the poor, promotes literacy or helps train future nurses, a nonprofit -- by definition -- is typically established to benefit the public good. In theory at least, workers in a nonprofit can feel assured that their efforts go toward making a difference.
Examples of nonprofits include most private schools, most hospitals, most nongovernmental social-service agencies, most arts organizations, most religious institutions, and innumerable "cause" or membership groups, such as the Sierra Club or the Minnesota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In addition to this enormous range in focus, nonprofits also vary broadly in size and annual budget -- from only a volunteer board and a few thousand dollars to thousands of employees in dozens of countries and a budget in the millions of dollars.
Matters of timing
At first glance, this looks like a terrible time to build a career in the nonprofit sector. Although employment overall isn't robust, employment in nonprofits is especially tenuous.
The national picture shows a similar trend, although the total number of U.S. nonprofits is difficult to count because different states register them differently. Lester Salamon, a Johns Hopkins researcher who wrote a primer on U.S. nonprofits, combined statistics from a number of sources to estimate that there were 1.6 million U.S. nonprofits in 1995.
And what about President Bush's initiative to fund faith-based organizations providing public services? It may be too soon to tell, but an increase in jobs in these organizations seems likely.
However you slice it, this is a big pie. But is it the right pie for you? And if you find a job in a nonprofit, will it last?
This question is perhaps the most difficult, given the precarious nature of nonprofit funding. On the other hand, as for-profit and government employees have discovered painfully, even the most secure jobs have a way of disappearing.
Concerns about pay
Then there's the issue of salary. Here again, the numbers are confusing, with nonprofit wages lower than governmental or for-profit wages in some regions and higher in other areas. For example, professional-level workers in nonprofits in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota earn about $5 an hour less than their cohorts in for-profit jobs.
But the same positions pay about $3 an hour more in nonprofits than in for-profits in southwestern Minnesota.
Obviously, the decision to work for a nonprofit can't be made on salary alone -- nor should it. Instead, if you are considering this sector, start by answering these questions:
UWhat causes or efforts do I want to assist?
UWhat tasks do I want to perform?
UHow many "hats" do I want to wear?
UDo I want to work for a large or small organization?
UHow much money do I need?
Note your answers: You'll need them as a guide to get the next job and to manage your career in the nonprofit realm.
XAmy Lindgren, the owner of a career-consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn., can be reached at alindgren@pioneerpress.com.