Nonprofit organizations hire on a need basis, typically posting full-time positions one to two months prior to hiring in the spring. Gaining related experience to your career field of interest, including volunteer work during college and post-graduation year-of-service positions, will make candidates more marketable to nonprofit agencies. Only a small portion of nonprofit positions are posted to the public; many organizations inform the public through word-of-mouth and prefer to hire interns and volunteers, who already possess the skills and knowledge to do the work.
Types of Nonprofits & Positions
The list below includes some areas within the nonprofit sector that one can work:
- Advocacy and Community Organizations
- Economic Development and Social Enterprise
- Foundations and Philanthropy
- International Development/NGO
The job function at a nonprofit organization varies depending on the organization’s mission, its size, and the specific skill sets that they need. Sample titles include: Program Coordinator/Manager; Grantwriter/Fundraiser; Volunteer or Membership Coordinator; Intake Counselor; Performance Evaluator; Community Organizer; Research Assistant.
Recent graduates should also consider a fellowship position with a nonprofit (see the OCS Post-Graduate Fellowships / Gap Year Page). This page includes Sample Lists of Fellowships broken down by various categories including Nonprofit Leadership, Social Justice and many more!
*** Students may also be interested in our Nonprofit Consulting Page and List of Sample Nonprofit Consulting Employers.
Getting Involved at Yale
There are many benefits of getting involved with nonprofits while you are a student at Yale. You can join various student organizations and work or volunteer for nonprofits during your summer and the academic year.
- Allow yourself to reflect on what areas you are passionate about and then volunteer time with a student organization whose mission aligns with your values.
- Gain a better sense of community service.
- Help distinguish your resume for the nonprofit job search.
- Make connections with professionals in the industry which is a key component of the nonprofit job search.
- Yale College Students and Yale GSAS students can search by interest in Yale Connect
- Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance (YANA) a Yale Alumni shared interest group.
- Dwight Hall at Yale, Center for Social Justice and Public Service, features over 85 student-run member groups.
Finding Nonprofit Opportunities
Look for internships, volunteer work, or other experiential learning to do during your summers. Yale has several fellowships that offer paid nonprofit internships, including:
- Yale Alumni Community Service Funded Internships
- Yawkey Community Service Funded Internships
- President’s Public Service FellowshipÂ
- Summer Experience Award
- Many other fellowships can be found through Yale’s Office of Fellowship Students Grants Database
It is important to familiarize yourself with a variety of job boards in this sector as you will likely need to look beyond Yale Career Link. Top Nonprofit Job Boards include:
- Idealist.org
- Globaljobs.org
- Impact Opportunity Job Board
- Traverse Job Board (Yalies can access a free subscription)
- Tom Manatos Jobs
- 80,000 Hours
- Impactpool.org
Nonprofit Hiring Timelines
Here is a timeline of when students can look to apply for various opportunities within the nonprofit sector:
Fall Semester
– Nonprofit Consulting Firms. August/September. (full time and internships)
– Some International Organizations. August – October. (full time and internships)
– Yale Alumni Community Service Fellowship. November – March. (internships)
Spring Semester
– President’s Public Service Fellowship. January (internships)
– Gap Year/ Fellowship programs open. Deadlines for these will continue throughout the spring (full time)
– Yale public interest fellowships. February. See Students Grants Database for details. Note: You do not have to have the proposed internship secured in order to request funding
– Nonprofits / Research Organizations / Think Tanks hire on an as need basis. Applications continue throughout spring semester (full time and internships)
