How to Write a Resume for a Nonprofit Job (With Examples)

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If you’re applying to a nonprofit organization, your resume should reflect your passion and commitment to the cause that the organization is working towards.

Whether you’re new to the nonprofit world or an experienced professional, here are two nonprofit resume samples from different job levels for you to reference:

Entry-level nonprofit resume sample

Even if you don’t have much work experience, you can still write a great nonprofit resume highlighting your other qualifications, such as your volunteer experience or educational background.

For example, our recent graduate effectively emphasizes volunteer work on their nonprofit resume to best suit a fundraising-specific role:

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Nonprofit management-level resume example

The best way to learn how to write a resume for a nonprofit role is to look at successful resume examples.

Check out this applicant’s resume for a Senior Program Manager position:

An example of a resume for a nonprofit managerial role on a template with light blue font used to separate each of the resume headers

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To help you launch your career in the nonprofit sector, here are three tips to boost your resume writing process:

1. Write a targeted nonprofit resume objective

Adding your objective at the top of your resume is an excellent way to personalize your job application toward your target nonprofit, and explain concisely why you’re the candidate they want.

A good nonprofit resume objective should:

be short but specific (between 2–4 sentences)
contain important details like your years of work or volunteer experience, education, and key skills
mention your reasons for applying to the nonprofit of your choice

Here’s a nonprofit resume objective example from a current student that describes all of the above points:

2. Use relevant keywords to target the job description

Adding targeted resume keywords to your nonprofit application makes a huge difference in whether or not you make it to the interview stage.

Here’s how to boost your chances of catching a hiring manager’s attention:

Read each job posting carefully and make note of the keywords they use and emphasize
Include these keywords in your resume summary or resume objective, your work experience section, and your skills section
Use these keywords in your nonprofit cover letter too

This way, employers know you can successfully align your own work, volunteer, or life experience with their specific job criteria.

For example, if you’re applying for green jobs, you should emphasize any experience in environmental, social, and governance sustainability work.

3. Highlight your most valuable skills

Show employers you’ll successfully carry out an organization’s work by including a tailored skills section, and by mentioning key skills in your resume objective and in the bullet points of your work experience section.

Hard skills

Hard skills are specific, measurable abilities that can be learned and improved upon through training and experience.

For instance, a nonprofit organization might require you to track donations and expenses if you seek a donor relations role.

And if you’re applying for a marketing-oriented nonprofit position, you should list your marketing-related experience (if you have any), such as creating effective communications strategies using popular social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok.

Below are some examples of hard skills for a nonprofit professional:

Accounting
Budgeting
Computer skills
Event planning
Fundraising
Grant writing
Program management
Public speaking

Soft skills

Soft skills, on the other hand, generally refer to personal qualities that relate to how you work with others. Nonprofits rely heavily on partnerships and collaborations, so having employees who can help them drive these goals forward is highly important.

These types of skills are crucial for nonprofit roles because they show you’re an empathetic personality who’d be a great cultural fit as well as a future ambassador for your target organization.

Here are several soft skills for your nonprofit resume:

Building relationships with donors, partners, and stakeholders
Communication skills
Conflict resolution
Creativity
Empathy
Flexibility
Leadership skills
Networking
Organizational skills
Passion
Resourcefulness
Teamwork
Time management skills

Nonprofit resume template

This template provides instructions on how to fill out each section of a nonprofit resume:

1. Resume Header

FIRST AND LAST NAME

Email: youremail@gmail.com | Phone: 303 809 7377 | Address: 721 Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97543 | Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/yourproﬁle

2. Resume Objective

Highly motivated professional with [number of years] years of experience in the nonprofit industry. Looking to bring my proven [relevant skills] to fill your [Name of Position] position. Excited to achieve [Company’s Name]’s goals by increasing your organization’s exposure and fostering long-lasting partnerships.

3. Work History

Most Recent Job Title

Employer Name | Location | Start Year–End Year

Write 3–5 resume bullet points to describe your nonprofit-related work or volunteering responsibilities
Include hard numbers to communicate your resume accomplishments (For example, the grant proposals you wrote or the fundraising goals you met)
Begin each bullet point with powerful resume action verbs to provide helpful context and make more of an impact on employers (For instance, consulted, operated, recruited)

Earlier Job Title

Employer Name | Location | Start Year–End Year

Use past tense verbs to describe your work experience if you no longer hold the position
Be as specific as possible (For example, list the exact names of the charities you partnered with, the software you used to track donor information, and the dollar amount of budgets you managed)

4. Education

University Name

Degree Name | Location | Date of Graduation

Mention relevant certifications or licenses and your highest level of education in your resume education section, such as a master’s or bachelor’s degree
If you don’t have a degree, add the name of your high school, graduation date (if applicable), your GPA (if it’s 3.5 or higher), and relevant coursework on your resume

For example:

Eagen High School, Eagen, MN
Graduation: 20XX
GPA: 3.5/4.0

5. Skills Section

List 3–6 skills for your resume using bullet points that relate to the position you’re applying for (For instance, stakeholder management, grant writing, networking, a growth mindset, and people skills)

6. Additional Experience

End your nonprofit resume on a positive note by including other sections such as your volunteer positions, awards and honors, extracurricular activities, foreign languages, or publications

Once you’ve got your nonprofit resume put together, it’s time to start applying to jobs. Find excellent opportunities with our list of the best nonprofit job boards.

Frequently asked questions about writing a resume for a nonprofit

We’ve taken a look at your most pressing questions about nonprofit resumes and listed the answers below to help you.

Does working for a nonprofit look good on a resume?

Yes, working for a nonprofit can look very good on a resume as it shows your commitment to social causes, ability to work with limited resources, and experience in roles that require versatility and strong interpersonal skills.

Working at a nonprofit also highlights your passion for making a positive impact, which is valued across many industries.

How long should a nonprofit resume be?

A lot of candidates wonder how long a resume should be. Hiring managers are busy, so try to keep your resume short and concise while still communicating your skills and abilities.

Always aim for a one page resume unless you have more extensive experience. You can cut out all experiences that aren’t relevant or recent.

How do you put nonprofit experience on a resume?

List your nonprofit experience in your professional experience section with your most recent position at the top of the page. Highlight your most impactful achievements relating to the nonprofit sector.

If you want to list volunteer work in addition to your main role, you can place this in a separate “Volunteer Experience” section or incorporate it into your main job description.

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