Nonprofit and Social Justice

Careers for the Common Good... this covers so many areas - including nonprofits!

Mission statements for organizations tend to have a socially responsible or civic awareness component to them. If you are looking to help people, communities and society as a whole, this is the industry for you. There are over a million nonprofit/social justice organizations so finding a cause that fits your values and beliefs shouldn't be too hard. Nonprofits support people of all diverse backgrounds: gender, age, race, education background, socioeconomic background, religion - the list is endless. The goal is to strengthen communities every day!

DEVELOP YOUR INTEREST

Peace Corps Prep Program

This exciting initiative on campus is a great way to track all your experiences. Using Summit, we can track classes, international experiences, language courses and service hours in a concise manner. The Peace Corps Prep Program allows students to articulate their experiences no matter what internship or job is being applied for. Being able to tell your story is important! Contact Gretchen in the Advising Hub for more information and how to get involved.

Get involved in the community

It's easy to get involved on campus and in any community. Volunteer work comes in many forms and organizations are almost always looking for helping hands. Remember nonprofits need people from all educational backgrounds so major in whatever you want. Colorado College works with students in a variety of ways to reach this goal. Work with the Collaborative for Community Engagement (CCE) for a list of different organizations in the Colorado Springs community. They have numerous ways to get involved in a more structured program as well. To name a few: Bonner Program, Community Engaged Scholars, Community Engaged Fellowship and Public Achievement.

Explore CC's student clubs

Did you know that CC has over 100 student clubs? Take a look at Presence platform for the CC club list. Is there something you really want to do but don't see the right club? Apply to start your own club with Campus Activities!

Work a relevant CC campus job

Working at CC offers many areas to get involved in the community. CC, after all, is our own community. Pick up a tutoring job at the QRC or the writing center; talk to sustainability about our carbon footprint; lead trip with the ORC; help at Sacred Grounds and get involved with SPIRAL; become an advocate for a peer with SOSS; be a Resident Advisor. What do you want to do? What is your cause? It's likely a CC job can help build those skills.

DEVELOP YOUR SKILL SET

The desire to make a difference: Passion, dedication, inspiration, drive, motivation. Show that you are committed to the organization. This is done through more than just the application. Walk the walk once you're hired and on the team.

Creativity: think outside the box. Be a problem solver. Come up with great ideas. Display those great liberal arts skills and show them that you can not only get the job done but you are contributing to the bigger picture as well.

Empathy: working in nonprofit/social justice requires working with people. Even if your particular responsibilities are indirect, people are still affected by your actions. Believe in the people. Assume positive intent.

Open communication: nonprofits are often small organizations. They need someone that can communicate both in verbal and written form. Being on the same page is vital. Make sure the right hand knows what the left hand is doing. It will make operations run smoothly and only benefit those that you are serving.

Teamwork: Again, because the team can be small, working together is key. Even large nonprofits need teamwork. These are people-centered jobs, so working on a team seems obvious. Though your particular job may be individual, you may be asked to help with other projects from brainstorming to event operations. Be the person that says "I can help!"

Flexibility: Wearing different hats in a nonprofit job is commonplace. One day you might be doing your assigned jobs, the next you may be answering the phones, and the next you might be working a late-night event. Know that change happens and it's important to be ready for that. Bend and flex as needed.

Critical thinking: Thanks Colorado College! This is what your education has set you up for! Look at a situation and look at alternatives. Problem solve something that isn't working. Revisit procedures to make sure they are working for the betterment of the team.

Report an issue - Last updated: 05/09/2023