Insights Into the Non-Profit Workforce
September 30, 2024 – Non-profits as a whole are the third largest employer in the U.S., and as a result its impact on recruiting and talent is significant. Recruiters tell Hunt Scanlon Media that non-profits often struggle with a narrow talent pool and geographic limitations, making it difficult to find candidates with both the required skills and a strong commitment to the organization’s mission. Search consultants also say non-profits are appealing to work for because they offer the chance to make a meaningful impact on causes one is passionate about.
“We know that many people today are looking for roles with purpose – roles where they can have an impact and where they feel they can make a difference,” says Julio Suárez, managing director at DRiWaterstone. “There’s no better place to do that than in the non-profit and social impact or philanthropic sectors.”
“For DRiWaterstone, it’s about connecting experienced and talented candidates, who are inspired and motivated by an organization’s purpose and mission,” Mr. Suárez said. “Our clients all have objectives to meet, and they need talented people. Leaders who have the skills and the commitment to the mission – whether those were built in the for-profit or non-profit sectors – can find success in this sector. If you are a passionate, talented, purpose-driven person, there is a lot of potential and that’s attractive for leaders who want to have an impact, not just on a company, but on their community, their state, the country or even the world.”
Mr. Suárez notes that DRiWaterstone’s goal is to connect our clients with the best possible candidates for their role. “That’s going to be someone who has the experience and skills to do the job, as well as the passion and alignment to the organization’s mission,” he said. “Sometimes, that means presenting candidates who come from the non-profit sector – but we also look at candidates from the private sector. Regardless of the sector, we look for candidates who have the unique skills (both technical and personal) needed to help our clients meet and exceed their goals.”
“Our history in the fundraising and revenue generation space has provided us with an extraordinary network of development staff,” said Mr. Suárez. “Together, these networks and resources allow us find top talent from across the U.S. We use our candidate database, personal and professional networks that we’ve cultivated over that years, and cutting-edge search technologies to identify and connect with candidates that have the experience and skills that our clients need.”
Challenges Facing Non-Profits
Recruiting and retaining top talent is always on the radar for non-profit organizations, according to Mr. Suárez. “There are a lot of up-sides to working in the non-profit space, but the reality is that non-profit organizations often cannot offer the same resources and benefits as for-profit organizations,” he said. “That means that finding top talent who are both connected to an organization’s purpose and mission and excited about driving that mission forward is always a challenge.”
Related: Non-Profits Seek New Kinds of Leaders with Help from Search Firms
Mr. Suárez also notes that fluctuations in funding and giving trends is another challenge that is influencing decision making for 2024. “For a lot of organizations, especially those that rely on federal money, there might be some uncertainty with the upcoming election and the impact the outcome could have on their funding (which impacts their ability to hire and retain the talent needed to achieve their mission),” he says. “In addition, we’ve seen in the last few Giving USA reports that there are some changes in philanthropic giving trends and preferences. That means that non-profit organizations need to continue to adapt their messages and fundraising strategies.”
Created through a recent merger between DRi and Waterstone Human Capital, DRiWaterstone Human Capital is a culture-centric executive search, leadership advisory, and human capital firm focused on helping mission and purpose-driven organizations across the U.S. build high performance teams and cultures. The firm’s team of talent management professionals has placed over 1,000 exceptional executives since it opened in 2001.
7 Key Trends Impacting Non-Profits
Having arrived at the halfway point of the year, the non-profit and social impact practice at Koya Partners | Diversified Search Group, recently pulled together some key trends they have been seeing. In a new report, managing directors Michelle Bonoan and Marissa Delgado and managing associate Tiara Muse identified seven key themes.
The firm offers executive search services focused on helping clients achieve sustainable organizational and cultural growth by finding leaders who align to the organization’s purpose, and who can help take the organization and its culture to the next level. DRiWaterstone Human Capital also offers a full portfolio of cultural talent management and leadership advisory services (including culture assessment, culture measurement, and culture curation) – to help organizations put culture at the center of strategy and drive success.
Related: Navigating a Non-Profit Succession Plan
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
