Many people hit a point in their lives, often after spending many years in unfulfilling corporate roles, when they stop and ask, “Is this all there is?” No longer content with work that is driven by status or material gain, they seek out careers that afford them the gift of making a difference in the world. If your idea of a lifestyle career involves helping to make the world a better place, here are some great websites to help you make the transition to the non-profit arena:
Bridgestar.org: An excellent site for executives looking to “cross the bridge” into the non-profit arena. Articles, advice, job boards and other resources.
Foundation Center: If you are interested in working for a foundation or learning about the field of grant writing, this is the site for you. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector.
Peace Corps: More than 190,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in 139 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation. And contrary to popular belief, there are many Peace Corps volunteers who are 50+. If you’re wondering what it’s like to serve as an older volunteer, be sure to check out my brother David Jarmul’s site NotExactlyRetired.com
Experience Corps: This organization hires people over 55 (for a small stipend) in 23 cities across the country to tutor and mentor elementary school students, help teachers in the classroom, and lead after-school enrichment activities.
Other nonprofit sites: Start your search for non-profit jobs by looking at the individual websites of the organizations or charities that most interest you (almost all will list their available openings on their sites). If you don’t see anything there, continue your search by checking out some of these job boards:
- Charity Channel
- Common Good Career
- Community Career Center
- Encore Career Finder
- ExecSearches.com
- Idealist.org
- Nonprofitjobs.org
- Philanthropy.com
Social Entrepreneurship: Social entrepreneurs blend their innovation and well-honed business expertise into entrepreneurial ventures that help address the needs of the greater good. Here are some good sites if you are interested in social entrepreneurship: