by Laurel Homer
I stumbled into nonprofit writing back in 2002. Sure it’s different from consumer or B2B writing, but, once tapped, nonprofits, particularly colleges and hospitals, offer freelancers a wealth of projects and an opportunity for revenue.
Here are a few reasons why:
- It’s a niche. Nonprofit communication is specialized. Particularly development (or fundraising) communications. There’s a small pool of people who are qualified, so if you can get your foot in the door, you have a good chance of getting repeat work.
- Volume, volume, volume. Quite simply, nonprofits are everywhere. Colleges and hospitals are the most obvious and often employ freelancers.
- Oodles of communiqué. Nonprofits run big campaigns. The nonprofit I worked for was a medical center that had a very large research division and clinic. We produced direct mail, invitations, print and online newsletters, a quarterly magazine, web content, annual reports, etc. We were always looking for freelancers to help out with diverse writing assignments, i.e. magazine features, straight news stories, direct mail, ads, press releases, donor/alumnus profiles.
- Multiple departments. Generally, colleges and med. centers have development and pr/marketing departments. In addition, colleges have alumni relations. All such departments are potential freelancing clients.
- Small staffs mean more outsourcing. Nonprofits operate on the generosity of donors. It is imperative for nonprofits to communicate compelling stories and updates to potential donors. Small staffs and limited budgets mean that freelancers are often essential to keep communication flowing without bulking up on full-time staffers.
- Cyclical. Unlike one-time gigs like producing collateral for a business, nonprofits run annual campaigns and supersized capital campaigns. Letters, newsletters, direct mail, annual reports, magazines are produced year in, year out. Lots of opportunity for ongoing work.
- What’s in a name? Nonprofits may call them donors, patients, alumni, faculty, etc., but they are just market segments. They may be different, but once you understand each audience, it’s pretty easy to write and craft messaging appropriately.
- Nearly impervious. When I made the move to a nonprofit I had been a marketing director at a B2B company. I was apprehensive of start-ups and wanted something more stable. While nonprofits are affected by the economy, they are enormously resilient.
- Word of mouth. Nonprofits are a tight-knit community of professionals. Good freelancers, particularly writers are recommended and referenced within the circle.
- The snowball effect. Nonprofit writing may lead to more nonprofit writing, but depending on content, it may qualify you for writing on various subjects. My experience at a medical nonprofit now helps me land science writing gigs.
- Feel good work. Don’t get me wrong, I love B2B writing, blogging, journalism, etc. I just plain love writing. But, there is a special feeling I get from nonprofit work. There’s a spirit of philanthropy among donors and staff as they strive toward a common goal. It’s pretty unique.
There’s no magic bullet when it comes to finding freelance jobs. When I applied for that development communications job in 2002 I had zero experience writing fundraising copy.
How did I get the job?
I stressed that a good writer or marketer can write and craft messaging for any audience regardless of content or industry.
So, take advantage of new opportunities and be secure in your craft. There are market segments and industries with hidden potential. Coming from the private, corporate sector, I had no idea the benefits of nonprofit writing, but I’m happy to report that nonprofits can be viable and profitable leads for freelancers.
What do you think is the best kept secret in terms of markets and potential business for freelance writers?
Laurel Homer, a freelance writer and marketing consultant, blogs daily at FreelanceMarketingJobs.com
I’ve done non-profit work for years and gotten nothing in return other than a pat on the back. In fact, the last non-profit work I did was for a hospital agency. It actually ended up in me almost being dropped by my insurance carrier because driving the paperwork to the non-profit agency turned out to be “business use” of my vehicle and the agency had called my insurance company without my knowledge to make sure my policy covered loss of their forms if something happened.
My biggest jobs have come to me because I’ve hunted them down, shown my past work experience and provided copies of articles I’ve had in magazines and newspapers. Then this spreads to word of mouth recommendations with their friends or business associates.
One of the biggest difficulties I encounter with nonprofit gigs is lack of grant writing experience. I’ve taken a lot of grant writing workshops and training seminars but organizations often want to see proof of grants written and amounts won. Any advice on that?
Great post, Laurel. I agree with most of your points as I have also enjoyed freelance success with non-profits. Most of my NP clients are medium-size foundations and grassroots social change organizations. The only drawback for me is that pay is (relatively) less and project turn-around is longer than with my B2B clients. I don’t always mind earning 10-20% less on a project, but if it takes 4 months instead of 1, then the profit margin shrinks even more. That said, I continue to work with many of my non-profit clients because of the benefits (especially “feel good” and steadiness of work) you mentioned. Nice job!
@Ann: Sorry to hear how the last nonprofit gig worked out. No market segment is perfect; there’s no doubt that hard work and word of mouth are important.
@Fiona: Grant writing is even more specialized than non-profit development or fundraising writing. Workshops and seminars are a great start. I would recommend starting small in terms of experience and building your portfolio. For example, try landing a grant for a local elementary school. It will make you more comfortable about the process and serve as a sample of your work.
@Mara: Thanks. I totally agree that nonprofit gigs have a tendency to run long. I try to make it clear up front that extra work, extra hours, result in additional charges.
The majority of my clients of not-for-profits. I enjoy the work, not only because it’s always there, but because many of them are working toward a better world. Good pay for doing good work that does good? Sign me up!
My experiences with non-profits were only profitable when I worked in a development office of a national charity. Large non-profits wouldn’t even use me as a volunteer writer because they had staff writers. My attempts at volunteering at small non-profits were frustrating because the people running the place were frequently disorganized and unclear about their goals. I was willing to volunteer my time and build up a portfolio in this niche to get paying jobs, but that never happened. My copywriting mentor told me there was “no money” in writing direct mail pieces for non-profits which was my ultimate goal. Of course she was comparing this to what other niches pay. I also tried to get freelance work with local colleges but I didn’t have any experience in educational fundraising. But it is nice to know that a few freelances are making decent money in the non-profit area.
Very few hospitals near us are non-profit organizations. I know that some colleges in theory are non-profit groups, but they tend to make enormous amounts in profits every year. While I think your reasons for doing non-profit writing are fine, I don’t think it’s really indicative of “non-profit writing” as a whole.
My husband’s first job out of college was at a medium-sized nonprofit that’s been featured in quite a few national publications for their innovative programs. Still money was hard to come by there, and they preferred volunteers for writing – even their grant writing. I’ve done a lot of volunteer writing for organizations, but I’ve found few opportunities for paid writing. Most of the word-of-mouth stories I’ve heard from writers for non-profits is that if you go with a more traditional, grassroots type of nonprofit, you eventually run into money issues with them. A friend right now is trying to recoup massive money from a nonprofit because their donations are drying up (which is happening in large numbers right now).
Interesting perspectives in the comments. Just to clarify, when I refer to nonprofits I am speaking generally of any organization that is a 501(c)3.
Most hospitals and colleges are considered 501(c)3. While it may seem hard to believe, many of these organizations are heavily dependent on private donations from individuals, foundations and grants. Even some of the most prestigious hospitals would be operating in the red if it weren’t for donations. Clinical operational costs are seldom profitable. Similarly, colleges and universities often rely on endowments to offset operational costs.
I have worked for larger nonprofits (colleges and hospitals) and have not run into any money issues in terms of trying to get paid. I can see how smaller operations may rely more heavily on volunteerism and hence not be very lucrative for a freelancer.
I beg to differ! I worked for almost ten years as a special events director for two well-known large public health non-profits in fundraising and development. There is absolutely no money out there right now for freelance gigs (not to discourage anyone but that’s pretty much what’s happening with the economy). I actually tried to land a consulting gig with big state non-profit organization here in California. I was so frustrated and discouraged (they gave me the run-around and did NOT want to pay me what I was worth–something for nothing) so I told them I wasn’t waiting around and decided to nix the proposal with them.
Someone mentioned that donations are drying up–that’s the understatement of the year. It’s beyond competitive out there right now to raise money and non-profits have zero money in their budgets for freelancers (unless you are working with a huge political non-profit or NGO that has millions in grant money). Also, if you want to work with bad management, illiterate co-workers and deal with red tape and massive politics then that’s what you’ll be up against when dealing with non-profits.
I was overworked, underpaid and treated like crap in my last position with a well-known public health non-profit. There is this “corporate” mentality that is seeping into non-profits and that’s why I got out of it. The funny thing is that because of my non-profit background people I’ve met want “free” advice about how to raise money. It really irks me because I tell them that I was paid by non-profits to raise money and as a consultant I’m not going to just give that advice away for free–everyone wants something for nothing.
If I sound jaded, I probably am. Non-profit is a thankless job which left me stressed and leaving me close to the point of having a nervous breakdown. That’s why I left and went off on my own. I’m finally pursuing my freelance writing and consulting jobs on my own terms.
People think non-profits are so touchy-feely and all about helping out people, but they treat their employees like crap and expect something for nothing. It’s not as rewarding as it sounds–I hate to say.
Here are my advice: do your research and get to know the executive director and his/her history with employees and volunteers before you propose a contract with that particular non-profit. Ask other people/contractors who have worked with them and ask how they were treated (were they paid promptly? Non-profits are notorious for being slow when it comes to payments!) You don’t want to get yourself in over your head and realize you’re walking into a big political mess (especially on the fundraising end).
PS–Grant writing is a hot area right now, but don’t promote yourself as a grant writer if you have never written a grant (I know people who have done that and they have called me up begging for help). I’m trying to land some grant writing gigs and if the non-profit has money, they’ll pay well for a grant writer but you need to know what you’re doing with grant writing. It’s not as easy as it looks.
I don’t mean to come across so negative but I’ve had a long battle with the non-profit sector and I’m beyond relieved that it’s a part of my past. I gained invaluable experience and worked with some truly amazing people and volunteers, but it left me jaded and very unhappy. It’s not as “fulfilling” as people seem to think it can be.
I also read about someone charging non-profits additional money for extra time and work. Good for you!!
Non-profits have this mentality that because they are on this “fixed” budget that they can sweet talk consultants into working for crap money (and they treat them like their own employees with the long hours and endless projects). You really need to spell it out for non-profits and don’t let them take advantage of you.
On a more positive note, if anyone has any questions about non-profits or about how to approach or work with a non-profit, I’d be happy to help. I’ve been in the trenches a long time and know the in’s and out’s of that culture.
PSS–I guess I have a lot to say ha! I don’t mean to take up space. I also forgot to add that many of the larger non-profits have a communications person on staff who handles all the writing, press releases, media relations, etc. It goes back to not having any money so they’ll over work their communications person/people (thus, no need for a freelance writer).
Maybe other states have far more lucrative non-profits than California but it’s a sad state out here in California for non-profits right now. All my friends in non-profit are trying to leave and move on to the business/corporate sector (because they are tired of being overworked and not paid enough).
Seems no matter what the advice, someone’s experienced the worst case scenario.
Laurel, loved your post! I think it was one of the most insightful and well written guest blog posts we’ve seen on FWJ. I worked full time at a few nonprofits right after I graduated from college, but so far I haven’t been able to leverage that experience into freelance opportunities with nonprofits because they do tend to write materials in-house or go through an agency.
HOWEVER, I will say that working a mid-sized nonprofit as an entry-level person gave me more opportunities to write than I would have had in many other industries at the same level. If you’re a good writer who works at a nonprofit they will probably put you to work on writing projects (even if your job description does not include writing). My portfolio still includes samples of the enewsletter I edited and the brochure copy, radio ad, and press releases I wrote at my first job. Yes, I was underpaid, but I’m happy to have clips from several different mediums and the experience of working at an nonprofit.
Interesting perspectives. I just wrote a post about the same topic yesterday (02 June) too, then happened on this one while referencing another article here.
I’ve found non-profit work to be great, but I do think there is a particular mid-size organization that is the best to work for. The smaller ones tend to be disorganized and so low budget they aren’t always able to pay a working rate to starving writers like us. The biggest ones can be harsh, corporate, and expect you to sacrifice for the cause.
It’s a worthwhile endeavor, though, and as with any market there will be good and bad experiences. I think the main thing is not to stick to a place that isn’t working for you. Move on, there are other non-profit fish in the pond!
@Adam: I think it’s more than a matter of one person with a worst-case scenario. Only Laurel seems to have a very positive view of writing for non-profits.
I felt compelled to chime in as I used to work in a non-profit. My experience with a non-profit was fairly good, although being a small organization, I was basically just given a desk and told to raise 50 grand, so it was a little stressful.
However, my favourite parts of the job were always the writing components and I did manage to get some good direct mail campaigns, newsletters etc for my portfolio which have served me well.
Since I’ve started my freelance career I haven’t really ventured into the world of non-profit, but I will definately give it a shot.
I think it’s just important to remember that a non-profit is a business and as such, you should be paid accordingly.
And I agree with Annie, midsized is the way to go. Most of the larger organizations here outsource their copy to large agencies.
Great post!
Thanks for the comments, everyone. There are obviously some strong opinions about nonprofit writing.
I agree with Annie, it is important to note that nonprofits are a business. I worked half my career for B2B corporations, the other in nonprofits. Neither is perfect. I tend to weight more heavily my working relationships with individuals, rather than with particular industries.
Go with what works. My clients are a mix of markets, industries, etc. There are many sources of work for freelancers, examine them all and stick with the ones that work for you. If you are finding the well running dry, move on to something else.
This seems to be quite the hot topic! On the other side of the coin, I don’t know if I’d trust a freelance grant writer to raise money for my program. I’m the program manager for a youth center, and I just can’t imagine someone getting hired to write a grant from outside the organization or community. I mean, my program and the youth served by it are both very dear to me, and I don’t see a contractor being able to “get it” and put the passion backed up by data necessary to get funded.
And reading these comments makes me especiallu leery of having someone come in and write a grant for my program…illiterate? disorganized? yikes! Illiterate, well, that’s just insulting. But disorganized, definitely! We’re doing too much on too few resources.
If you don’t have respect for the work we do and the people we serve, then I wouldn’t want to pay you to seek funding to keep us going! And I say this as the person who writes most of the grants for my own program and also does freelancing on the side.
As an aspiring freelance grant writer, I found this article informative but the feedback has been discouraging. I’m volunteering my time to a start-up church to build a portfolio, thinking I can get hands-on experience on my way to paying jobs. I hope I have better success than some of you who have shared your insights here.
Melissa: I have to respond to your comments regarding your distrust of outside grant writers. My desire to help non-profits is what led me to this area in the first place. Good grantwriters share a passion for one or more areas of interest to which they apply their research and writing skills. They know the field and wish to provide a valuable service. As an outside contractor, I may not be part of your program, but I can still share your vision and help you achieve your goals.
You could apply this logic to any number of professionals. No one loves your children like you do, yet you trust teachers to give them a quality education. You trust your hairstylist to make your hair look good. You trust a mechanic with your car. In the same way, you trust a good grantwriter to present your program to a prospective funder with a compelling proposal. That’s their job. If, as a grantwriter, I have a heart for youth, then I will do everything in my power to help you find funding to serve those youth. Part of the appeal of grantwriting is that you can benefit your community or the world, on some level, while earning an income.
Melissa — I was so sad to read your post. I am preparing to launch as a freelance grant writer for many reasons: to be around the house when my son is home and to do something “good” are the main reasons. I want you to know that some, probably most, freelance grant writers do it because they care. Of course, they don’t live and breathe your organization, but if the proper relationship were developed over time with one, you may find a strong ally. A grant request doesn’t have to be a one-off event for you and a writer and if you look you may find someone who wants to see your kids succeed as deeply as you. Please don’t let some comments cloud your vision of what a grant writer can be…
Jennifer
great post.. very useful.. thx
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