Careers 101: Boston Non Profit Jobs

Published on 2008-07-22

Schools:

Boston is one of the premier cities in the U.S. for both non profit education and employment. Its metro area contains more than 100 colleges and universities, some of which are among the oldest educational institutions in the country and are themselves sizable providers of Boston non profit jobs. The strong growth in the Massachusetts nonprofit sector has been a spur to academic innovation over the past year. For example, Tufts University was hailed last fall for its creation of a loan repayment program for graduates who work in low-paying public service or government jobs. The Tufts financial assistance program is the first to promote non profit jobs to undergraduates in all majors. Last year, Harvard University created a new three-year joint degree program that offers students the option of a Master in Business Administration/Master in Public Policy degree or a Master in Business Administration/Master in Public Administration-International Development degree. Boston University, which is itself the fifth-largest source of Boston jobs, also offers an MBA program in Public and Nonprofit Management.

Employers:

Last month, The Boston Foundation, one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the country, released a report which stated that 14% of all Massachusetts jobs are now in the non-profit sector. The number of nonprofits in MA has doubled over the past 18 years; as of 2007, there were 36,000 nonprofits in the state, with a total revenue of $87 billion. Some of the largest single sources of non profit organization jobs in the Boston area include the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Peabody Essex Museum, The Education Resource Institute and the National Fire Protection Association. The Nonprofit Quarterly is published in the city. Nonprofit jobs can also be found at the many universities, hospitals, foundations and research organizations in Boston.