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Membership

Build a Nonprofit Job Board Your Members Will LOVE (+ 6 Examples!)

Author: Sonia Urlando
December 23, 2022
Contents
🕑 11 min read

You already know that being a member of your nonprofit should give members special content and access to an exclusive community. But have you ever considered that you can also help members build their own careers in the nonprofit sector? The trick is creating a nonprofit job board!

Members of your nonprofit hold your cause close to their heart—so it shouldn’t be surprising that they often search for careers that align with your mission and values! Building a nonprofit job board takes your nonprofit network to a new level, and adds immense value to your membership model.

Here’s everything you need to know about creating a nonprofit job board, including how to write smash nonprofit job titles and descriptions!

What is a Nonprofit Job Board

A nonprofit job board is a website or page where employers list open job positions within the nonprofit sector. Job-hunters can search through the nonprofit network to find a job that fits their interests, qualifications and ambitions.

Postings on a nonprofit talent job board typically include:

  • Job title
  • Location
  • Information about the company
  • Core responsibilities and day-to-day work
  • Qualifications and skills required
  • Salary range and benefits

When people find a job they like, they can submit their application straight to prospective employers. From there, the company can take over with interviews!

Why Do You Need a Nonprofit Job Board?

If you’re looking to increase membership value and build up some non-dues revenue, a nonprofit job board is exactly what you need. In fact, the best nonprofit job boards serve both your organization and your membership base.

It helps your organization:

  • Network with other nonprofits and businesses
  • Build legitimacy and credibility in your sector
  • Bring in extra revenue through paid postings

It helps your members:

  • Find relevant job opportunities
  • Actively network within their community
  • Develop their job-hunting skills

If your members land jobs because of their ties to your organization, you should have no doubt that they will stick with your program—and likely suggest friends join as well!

Nonprofit Job Titles and Descriptions

If you’re getting a nonprofit job board set up, it’s essential to have a full picture of what kinds of jobs people are typically looking for! So what are the job titles in a nonprofit organization?

These are 10 examples of frequently seen nonprofit job titles and descriptions:

Executive Director

A nonprofit executive director leads the organization and oversees the board of directors. This is one of the most important leadership roles

Responsibilities

  • Lead the board of directors
  • Keep on top of the budget and adjust as needed
  • Mentor the staff members

Candidates Should…

  • Be deeply dedicated to your mission
  • Have significant experience in the field

Board Officers

Your board of directors is made up of officers who work within different nonprofit board positions (Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.). They come from all walks of life and use their experience and insight to guide the direction of the nonprofit. Often, these positions are unpaid.

Responsibilities

  • Recruit leadership roles (CEO, Executive Director, etc.)
  • Make suggestions and offer feedback on initiatives
  • Support the organization with their networks

Candidates Should…

  • Each have unique skills and insights
  • Actively engage with the organization

Nonprofit Administrator

Nonprofit administrators manage your organization’s day-to-day tasks and office operations. Think database management, renewal check-ins, answering phone calls and emails, building spreadsheets and more!

Responsibilities

  • Board member recruitment
  • Organizing meetings
  • Managing administrative work

Candidates Should…

  • Be highly organized
  • Be clear communicators

Director of Finance

The director of finance is the person who manages the money. Their work with your budget is what helps the nonprofit continue to build revenue over time.

Responsibilities

  • Lead building the budget (and shifting as necessary)
  • Create financial plans
  • Oversee accounting

Candidates Should…

  • Be financial gurus
  • Have an eye on the big picture

Human Resources Coordinator

The human resources coordinator makes sure employees are present, paid and safe in the workplace. If there are any social troubles in your nonprofit, they’re the person to go to.

Responsibilities

  • Hire and pay employees
  • Develop policies for a safe workplace
  • Build strategies to retain team members

Candidates Should…

  • Be a “people person”
  • Have creative ideas about workplace health

Volunteer Coordinator

No nonprofit is complete without volunteers, and your volunteer coordinator makes sure they do the best work they can!

Responsibilities

  • Interviewing and hiring volunteers
  • Assigning volunteers to the best role for them
  • Keeping up with volunteer records

Candidates Should…

  • Be enthusiastic team leaders
  • Know how to delegate

Marketing Coordinator

The marketing coordinator manages all of your organization’s communications—not just what you say, but how you say it! Their work will be different depending on the needs of the organization, but some responsibilities include:

Responsibilities

  • Manage social media and email campaigns
  • Regularly run reports on marketing effectiveness
  • Develop your nonprofit’s brand

Candidates Should…

  • Have a passion for marketing strategy
  • Know how to think on their feet

Nonprofit Fundraiser

Fundraising is so important that it’s essential to get an expert in there! A nonprofit fundraiser creates the strategies you need to bring in money through this stream of revenue.

Responsibilities

  • Plan and execute fundraising events
  • Research and connect with potential donors and partners
  • Promote awareness of your mission

Candidates Should…

  • Know how to build and grow your network
  • Have strong powers of persuasion

Event Coordinator

Similar to the fundraiser role, the event coordinator manages events on behalf of the organization. Whether they’re webinars, conferences, luncheons, auctions, galas, park events or something else entirely, your event coordinator makes it happen!

Responsibilities

  • Manage vendors and partners
  • Oversee setup and tear down
  • Be in communication with featured guests

Candidates Should…

  • Know how to throw a great party
  • Be comfortable juggling many things at once

Social Media Manager

Where the marketer does all sorts of marketing work, a social media manager specializes in—you guessed it!—social media. They work across platforms to spread awareness about your mission and organization.

Responsibilities

  • Implement the brand voice
  • Learn and perform best practices across platforms
  • Build relationships with influencers

Candidates Should…

  • Be up to date on social media trends
  • Know how to use each platform

Tips for Writing Nonprofit Job Titles and Descriptions

The best nonprofit job boards are defined by the quality, clarity and relevance of the jobs that are being posted! Make sure that employer postings include the information that people want (and need!) to know in order to apply.

Some tips for writing nonprofit job titles and descriptions should include:

  • Having clear and specific titles. For example, if someone’s looking for management jobs, the role should say “Manager.”
  • Accurate expectations regarding core responsibilities, the day-to-day work expectations and who they will manage and/or report to. People should know what the shape of the job will look like in reality.
  • Qualifications that reflect the perfect candidate. You don’t need to hire someone that meets every single qualification, but over-asking will get you a range of candidates with different backgrounds and experiences.
  • An inside look into your company culture. Part of nonprofit branding is about having a clear voice. If you have a warm and laid-back company culture, feel free to be friendly with your job description.
  • A review from fellow staff members, ESPECIALLY those who will be working closely with the candidates!

As you build your job board, consider creating a form that employers fill out which includes fields for all of this information. Not everyone knows how to write a great job description, so this is an awesome way to add a valuable learning opportunity.

7 Steps to Make a Nonprofit Job Board

Now that you’re sold on making a nonprofit job board, here’s how to get started in 7 easy steps:

  1. Build your team. Decide who you want to own this project, and then break up the different responsibilities.
  2. Decide what you want things to look like. The goal of this nonprofit talent job board is to make this members-only perk valuable. What aspects of a job board will really shine for your members?
  3. Research examples of other job boards. You’re not the first person to make a job board, so don’t feel like you have to start completely from scratch. Compare your plan to other nonprofit job boards (we have 6 examples below!) and find what you want to have or to keep out.
  4. Compare job board software platforms. Your software plays a huge part in the quality of your nonprofit job site. Determine your needs and deal breakers, compare prices and try out some demos before you commit for good.
  5. Connect with prospective employers in advance. Let employers in your nonprofit network know that you’re launching your job board soon, and you’d love to see them post there. The best job board has lots of options available, so get it populated from the start. You can even offer a discounted or free posting package as incentive!
  6. Get your stakeholders on board. Review what you’ve got going with your team, including your board of directors. They’ll give you valuable feedback on what’s working and what could be improved.
  7. Go live. That’s right, get launching! Have people on hand for any troubleshooting, and leave plenty of space for feedback along the way.

With your job board all set up on your nonprofit website, all that’s left is for your members to get to finding their dream jobs!

Setting up Your Job Board on Your Nonprofit Website

Once you’re ready to kick off your nonprofit job site, you need to figure out how to incorporate the job board itself into your website.

Here are three steps to making it work:

1. Integrate your job board into your site

Your membership website is your organization’s online hub. It should contain breaking news, your About page, a place to donate or become a member, members-only sections and more! All of this should be set up with your membership website builder software.

When you’re choosing your software, look for something that gives you the option to set up a job board. It should blend in seamlessly and look super professional!

Unsure if your current website has those capabilities? Have no fear—we’ve dropped more details about our favorite software, Job Board by Personify, in the next section!

2. Make sure your members know about it

Chances are, many of your members are either searching for not for profit jobs or already have them! Not only should you let your members know when the board is live, but you should also reach out in advance and invite them to post.

Go through your member directory or database and look for the people who might have jobs to post. Offering them a member discount for their posts is also a great way to show appreciation.

You already have information about your members—use it to make the connections you need!

3. Advertise to a broader audience

The more jobs that are posted on your nonprofit job board, the more valuable it is to job-seekers. Be sure to promote your job board to employers from all across your nonprofit network! As those listings fill up, your board will look more impressive.

Try having your team members reach out directly to other nonprofits. Not only will it help with your job board, but it can also help you build new connections.

The Best Platform for Building Your Nonprofit Job Board

There are many different job board software platforms out there, but our favorite is undoubtedly Job Board by Personify!

Job Board by Personify

Personify’s Job Board is designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, which means all of your niche nonprofit needs are easily met.

Some standout features of this nonprofit job site tool include:

  • Alerts, keyword search and resume bank exposure
  • Make more money with featured posts (which are automatically added to the Google Jobs database!)
  • Employers can purchase posts in bulk
  • Renewal notifications for employers
  • Automated social media sharing
  • Responsive on mobile devices

It also integrates with your AMS (association management software) and can be added to any website. Pricing and a demo is available upon request!

And hey—did you know that Job Board by Personify integrates seamlessly with WildApricot?

If you’re looking to build a website with a job board (or want to switch over from what you have!), WildApricot gives you all the tools to:

  • Build and customize your website
  • Connect your job board to your site in a few simple steps
  • Create a member database and directory
  • Automate communications
  • Organize and execute networking events
  • And more!

Sign up for your 60-day free trial of WildApricot today!

Best Nonprofit Job Board Examples

Looking for some examples of the best job boards for nonprofit professionals? 

Here are our 6 examples of the best nonprofit job boards, with some tips on what we like best:

1) Idealist

Idealist - Nonprofit Job Board

Idealist is one of the #1 nonprofit job websites out there. Founded in 1995, it has connected more than 130,000 organizations with tens of millions of people.

What we like:

  • Postings for jobs, internships, volunteer roles, organizations and grad schools
  • Fundraising support information
  • HR resources
  • A global Facebook networking group

Price: Both free and paid options.

2) National Nonprofits

National Nonprofits - Nonprofit Job Board

National Nonprofits’ nonprofit job site connects nonprofit organizations with the talent and resources they need to successfully pursue their missions.

What we like:

  • Personalized career pages
  • Custom searching with job alerts
  • Recruiter dashboard

Price: Starting $99/month for pay as you go. Up to $499/month for unlimited listings.

3) The Chronicles of Philanthropy

The Chronicles of Philanthropy - Nonprofit Job Board

Jobs.Philanthropy.com is The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s nonprofit job site, where nonprofit professionals identify their best career opportunities and read invaluable career advice and perspectives each day.

What we like:

  • Browsing by position type, with examples
  • Top jobs listing with email alerts
  • Practical tools for employers and job hunters

Price: From $260.00 /post.

4) Sustainablebusiness.com

Sustainable Business - Nonprofit Job Board

Sustainablebusiness.com is a job board specifically for green businesses and nonprofits. They have opportunities in climate change, solar, wind and other renewable energy sectors, along with jobs in sustainability management, pollution prevention, green building and more!

What we like:

  • Specific focus for green jobs
  • Featured jobs
  • Daily news section

Price: Both free and paid options.

5) Work for Good

Work For Good - Nonprofit Job Board

Work for Good is a nonprofit job website that serves other nonprofits, and has more than 100,000 visitors viewing hundreds of job postings each month.

What we like:

  • Search terms by both job function and focus area
  • Featured employers and employer search
  • Quick search options

Price: Both free and paid options.

6) Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Nonprofit Job Board

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits has a Minnesota nonprofit job board with tons of other resources and tools for both job hunters and employers.

What we like:

  • Career center
  • Membership clearly advertised
  • Events listings

Price: Both free and paid plans available.

Get Your Members Hired With Your Nonprofit Job Board

A membership organization’s main goal is to attract, retain and grow its membership. By building a nonprofit talent job board, your organization can be what helps people make their way into their dream jobs. Now that’s how you build lasting relationships!

So what are you waiting for? Get started making one of the best nonprofit job boards out there!

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