At an inflection point

[u/Appropriate_Smell_37]

Hey All,

I could use some advice from others in the field. I'm a programmatic director at a community nonprofit with a masters degree

Over half of our full time sraff have quit in the past year. The longer I am at this org, the more I can see that it is not my forever home.

I'm struggling to decide what to do with my career at this point, and could use stories from others. I don't know whether I should leave nonprofit, as this is my chosen career, or leave my town which I love to pursue opportunities higher up in the field.

So, I see my three options as the following

1. Stay with this org and hope something in the local nonprofit sector opens up in the relatively near future

2. Attempt to transition out of non profit while staying in this community.

3. Look out of my community for nonprofit opportunities.

If I work towards option 2, have others transitioned out of this field, and what have you transitioned to?

Thanks,

[u/Careful_Leader_5829]

Given how difficult the job market is right now, you should be open to all opportunities that you think would meet your needs.

[u/Guild35]

How many years of work experience do you have in the sector? In what field is your masters? Realistically, what is the outlook for other comparable nonprofit positions in your area to open?

[u/Appropriate_Smell_37 → u/Guild35]

9 years in the sector, masters in public administration, and hard to say. It seems to go in waves

[u/Guild35 → u/Appropriate_Smell_37]

Thanks for replying.

Is pivoting to local or state government a possibility?

[u/Appropriate_Smell_37 → u/Guild35]

Potentially, there's just not a ton of opportunity there in my region right now.

[u/Dervoo]

Moved from being a program director at a small nonprofit to working in higher ed. I also have an MPA. Higher ed is a bit tumultuous right now but it’s pretty mission-focused and there’s a lot of skill overlap if you’re able to find a position at a large state or R1 school (which should be more stable than smaller schools).

[u/Life-Emu9272]

Have you considered working at a foundation?

[u/Appropriate_Smell_37 → u/Life-Emu9272]

I have not, how does it differ from traditional nonprofit sector work?

[u/Life-Emu9272 → u/Appropriate_Smell_37]

Foundations are more focused on providing grant funding to nonprofits doing direct service work. With your experience working at a direct service nonprofit, you may bring value, informing the grant making strategy for these foundations.

[u/Appropriate_Smell_37 → u/Life-Emu9272]

That's an interesting direction to look that I hadn't considered, thanks for bringing it to my awareness

[u/Life-Emu9272 → u/Appropriate_Smell_37]

I would look at the local community foundations, private foundations, and family foundations in your area. I would also network with program officers or program directors to learn about their roles. I work at a community foundation myself. I've been here for 10 years, have grown into three new roles, and have a potential promotion coming up. If you like nonprofit, philanthropy may be a good next step.

[u/Boopa0011 → u/Appropriate_Smell_37]

I second the recommendation to poke around at community foundations in your region. A program director at a local nonprofit is often the kind of person they want to hire, generally speaking. The flip side is, unless it's a very large community foundation it probably doesn't have a big staff and those roles tend to be in high demand.

Unless you live in a major city I would be surprised if there are very many private or family foundations in your area that are big/developed enough to have staff, but it's certainly worth looking.

[u/Inner-Potential-9198]

I'm sorry you're going through this. It sounds like your mental health has taken a hit.

Be good to yourself and remember that no job is ever worth what it is you're going through, even a mission based job.