Running a foundation, a charity, an association, or any other grassroot organization is in many ways different from owning a traditional business. Nonprofits are driven by mission rather than money, and they face the very important task of addressing societal issues through their individual goals. For these reasons, keeping nonprofit operations flowing smoothly requires the right kind of people.
It’s definitely one of the sector’s biggest challenges: finding the best qualified individuals. Having a pool of volunteers to help out is one thing; hiring official staff is a completely different story—and you will soon need them to handle specific responsibilities as the nonprofit grows.
As of 2013, the nonprofit sector has employed 14.4 million workers, constituting 10.6% of the entire U.S. workforce. When deciding on the right candidate, a nonprofit’s Human Resources needs to strike a balance between exceptional skill set to bring ideas to the table and the right attitude to grow with the organization.
But that’s not all.
In hiring workers, nonprofits need to comply with governmental laws as well. Doing a thorough background check, for example, requires a robust record-keeping system and an I-9 process that is compliant with state or federal regulations—or risk the costly penalties.