If your nonprofit is struggling to get strong applicants, your job descriptions may be working against you.
Why job descriptions matter more than ever
In 2025, mission alone is not enough. Candidates care about impact, but they also care about salary, workload, flexibility, and growth.
Your job description is often the very first impression a candidate has of your organization. A vague or outdated posting can send great people elsewhere before you ever meet them.
The good news is that small changes can make a big difference.
1. Lead with your mission and the “why” of the role
Instead of starting with a long paragraph about your organization’s history, open with impact.
For example:
“Each year, our organization supports more than 2,000 families navigating food insecurity and housing instability. As our Development Manager, you will help ensure that every program has the funding it needs to stay open and grow.”
A strong opening should answer:
- Who are you serving
- What problem are you trying to solve
- How does this specific role move that mission forward
Candidates want to see how their day to day work creates real change.
2. Make the responsibilities clear and realistic
Nonprofit job descriptions sometimes try to bundle three roles into one. That drives away the very people you want to attract.
Ask yourself:
- What are the 5 to 7 most important things this person needs to do well
- What would success look like at 6 months and 12 months
Structure your responsibilities section with clear bullets such as:
- “Design and execute 3 to 4 fundraising campaigns per year, in collaboration with the Executive Director.”
- “Manage a portfolio of approximately 75 individual donors, with a focus on retention and increased giving.”
- “Supervise one Development Associate, providing coaching and clear performance goals.”
Avoid vague language like “other duties as assigned” except at the very end, and do not let it be a catchall for an unrealistic workload.
3. Be transparent about salary, benefits, and flexibility
Candidates increasingly skip postings that do not list a salary range. Transparency builds trust and saves time for both sides.
Include:
- A realistic salary range that matches the market and your budget
- Health and retirement benefits
- Time off policies
- Remote, hybrid, or on site expectations
- Any flexible scheduling options
If your budget is limited, name what you can offer:
- “We recognize that this salary range may be below some private sector roles. In addition to health benefits and a 401(k) match, we offer flexible scheduling, generous paid time off, and a strong culture of work life balance.”
4. Separate “must have” from “nice to have”
Long lists of requirements discourage applicants who could actually do the job well.
Use two sections:
- Required qualifications – skills and experience someone truly must have to succeed
- Preferred qualifications – additional strengths that would be helpful but not mandatory
For example:
Required
- 3 plus years of experience in fundraising, sales, or a related field
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Comfort using CRM or donor management tools
Preferred
- Experience with grant writing
- Lived experience in the communities we serve
- Bilingual in English and Spanish
This structure invites strong candidates to apply even if they do not check every box.
5. Use inclusive, human language
The tone of your job description sends a message about your culture.
- Avoid jargon heavy titles when possible. “Development Manager” is clearer than “Chief Growth Catalyst.”
- Watch for gendered language like “rockstar,” “aggressive,” or “nurturing,” and replace it with neutral, skill based wording.
- Add a brief EEO or inclusion statement that feels real, not copy pasted.
For example:
“We are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage candidates of color, LGBTQIA plus candidates, candidates with disabilities, and candidates from historically marginalized communities to apply.”
6. Make it easy to apply
Finally, reduce unnecessary friction:
- Keep the application process as simple as possible
- Ask only for what you will truly read and use
- Name the steps in your hiring process and timeline within the posting if you can
On Workfornonprofits.org, a thoughtful, transparent job description tends to stand out. Candidates can quickly compare roles and are more likely to apply to postings that respect their time and clearly show impact.
Your next great hire may be one edit away
Before you post your next opening, spend 20 minutes revising the description using the steps above.
Then publish it where mission driven candidates are already looking. When you are ready, you can post your job on Workfornonprofits.org and reach people who want their work to matter as much as you do.
Article 3: Building A Nonprofit Career Path From Entry Level To Executive
Nonprofit work is often described as a calling, but it is also a career. There is a path from your first entry level role to executive leadership.
Why career paths matter in nonprofits
Many people join nonprofits out of passion and stay because of the mission. But passion alone does not show you how to grow.
Without a clear path, talented people can burn out or leave the sector entirely.
The reality is that there are predictable stages in most nonprofit careers. Understanding them can help you make better choices about your next move, instead of waiting and hoping something opens up.
Stage 1: Entry level and early career roles
Common titles:
- Program Assistant
- Development Assistant
- Administrative Coordinator
- Community Outreach Associate
- Case Aide or Support Specialist
Your focus in this stage:
- Learning how services and programs actually work on the ground
- Building strong relationships with colleagues, volunteers, and community members
- Developing basic skills in communication, data entry, and project coordination
- Saying “yes” to reasonable stretch opportunities that let you try new tasks
Practical tips:
- Ask your supervisor what “excellent” looks like in your current role
- Volunteer for small leadership moments like running a meeting or coordinating a short project
- Keep a simple list of your accomplishments and positive feedback throughout the year
Stage 2: Mid level and specialist roles
Once you have 3 to 7 years of experience, you may move into roles such as:
- Program Manager
- Development Officer or Grants Manager
- Volunteer Manager
- Communications Specialist
- HR or Operations Coordinator
Your focus in this stage:
- Managing projects, budgets, or small teams
- Becoming known as a go to person for a particular skill set
- Learning to use data so you can make decisions and show impact
- Starting to think about how different parts of the organization connect
To grow here:
- Look for professional development opportunities, even low cost ones like webinars or local workshops
- Ask to be involved in cross functional projects that expose you to finance, development, or programs beyond your own area
- Consider mentoring newer staff or interns
Stage 3: Senior leadership and executive roles
With deeper experience, you may move toward:
- Director of Programs, Development, Finance, HR, or Operations
- Chief of Staff
- Deputy Director
- Executive Director or CEO
Your focus in this stage:
- Setting strategy and aligning teams toward a shared vision
- Managing budgets and resources at the organizational level
- Building a strong leadership team and board relationships
- Representing the organization with funders, partners, and the community
If you aspire to executive leadership, start early:
- Pay attention to how your current leaders make decisions
- Learn the basics of nonprofit finance and governance
- Practice communicating clearly with different audiences, from staff to funders to community members
Skills that matter at every level
No matter where you are on the path, a few skills always matter:
- Communication – listening well, writing clearly, and speaking with respect
- Collaboration – being someone others want to work with
- Follow through – doing what you say you will do, on time
- Reflection – learning from what works and what does not, without getting stuck in blame
These qualities build a reputation that follows you as you move through organizations and roles.
How to plan your next 3 to 5 years
You do not need a perfect 20 year plan. Start smaller.
Once a year, ask yourself:
- What do I want to be doing more of in my work
- What do I want to be doing less of
- What role might fit that direction in 3 to 5 years
Then reverse engineer.
If you want to move from Program Manager to Director of Programs, you might:
- Ask to shadow your Director in budget or board meetings
- Take on responsibility for one program area more independently
- Learn basic supervision skills if you do not have them yet
If you want to move from a development generalist to a major gifts role, you might:
- Practice one on one donor meetings with lower risk portfolios
- Study how your organization stewards donors over time
- Observe colleagues who are already strong in donor relationships
Use tools that support your growth
Job boards are not just for when you are ready to leave your current role. They can also help you understand what different career stages look like.
On Workfornonprofits.org, you can:
- Browse roles at different levels and see what skills appear again and again
- Save postings that look like “next step” positions and use them to guide your development
- Discover organizations and causes you may not have known about yet
Your nonprofit career is a journey, not a straight line
There will be side steps, changes in focus, and moments where life outside of work reshapes your path.
What matters is that you keep connecting your daily work to the larger impact you want to have, and that you keep learning at every stage.
Wherever you are now, there is a next step available. When you are ready to explore it, you can start by seeing what is out there on Workfornonprofits.org and using those insights to shape the career you want.