Essential Skills And Traits For Professionals Transitioning Into The Nonprofit Industry


Foundation: National 4-H Council

credit: 2015wishteam

"Whether an individual is a part of a for-profit or nonprofit organization, the skills they gain from their position don't have to be tied strictly to their respective industry."

That's the takeaway from Forbes' list of 16 traits that can help you transition into the nonprofit world.

The list was compiled by the Forbes Nonprofit Council, which is made up of nonprofit leaders from around the country.

Here are the top six traits: empathy: "As an executive leader in the for-profit industry for over a decade, I found that the one transferable skill that really serves me well in the nonprofit industry is my skill in understanding what the person in power wants and creating a partnership that embodies it," says Jennifer Sirangelo, National 4-H Council.

"Body, verbal and written language are important, so being able to read all three will prove to be beneficial for you as a nonprofit leader, especially when seeking funding."

leadership: "I moved into nonprofit leadership in 2020 after over 20 years in the for-profit world," says Christopher Dipnarine, 4MyCiTyre.

"The one skill that would best serve any professional making such a transition would, in my opinion, be setting clear goals for the team."

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Caroline Diehl is a serial social entrepreneur in the impact media space. She is Executive Chair and Founder of the UK’s only charitable and co-operatively owned national broadcast television channel Together TV, the leading broadcaster for social change runs a national TV channel in the UK and digital platform which helps people find inspiration to do good in their lives and communities.




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