What's Changed About Nonprofit Hiring in 2026 Careers In Nonprofits
Who We Are Careers In Nonprofits • 30+ years of combined experience • NYC, DC, Chicago and San Francisco • Exclusive to nonprofits and associations • Fill 200-300 positions annually We have a front-row seat to the nonprofit hiring market — seeing what organizations are struggling with, what candidates are prioritizing, and where hiring trends are shifting in real time.
Poll Which best describes your organization’s hiring experience right now?
Agenda GENERAL MARKET TRENDS IN THE US THE CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE TODAY WHAT RECRUITERS ARE SEEING TRENDS TO WATCH + HOW TO WIN
US Market Employment Trends
Unemployment
The Candidate Experience
The Candidate Experience 2021-2022: • Candidates had leverage • Record quits • Wage competition • Fast hiring 2025-2026: • Candidates are more cautious • Employers are more selective • Hiring cycles are longer • Fewer people are leaving without a strong reason • Employers are slow to replace vacancies
Entry Level Hiring
Grants, Funding and the Unemployed Grant cuts of 2025 created nervousness for candidates, this hesitation is mostly cooling off now 01 Still many in international development space trying to pivot careers 02 New fundraising strategies puts heavy emphasis on candidates with major gift, corporate and foundation giving experience 03 Gen Z candidates willing to stay unemployed vs take low-paying roles 04
Key Drivers for Candidates to Leave Roles Stability (funding or leadership) Compensation Increased Remote Flexibility Professional Development Culture or Burnout
What Recruiters Are Seeing
The Applicant Process Has Changed Applicant numbers have exploded, but quality has decreased AI-generated resumes makes vetting resumes trickier Cost of postings (pay per click) continues to rise Ghost jobs are increasing candidate skepticism
Networking Wins With Job Boards increasing candidate skepticism, fewer roles are successfully being filled via job postings 30-40% of hires are coming from referrals (<10% of total applicants) Passive recruitment matters more as seniority increases
Trends to Watch
Specific Roles that will Remain Hard to Fill Fundraising Leaders CRM Administrators Case Managers Executive
Applicant Source Changes RESUME-BASED APPLICANT SCREENING WILL BE TIME- CONSUMING AND CHALLENGING CONSIDER LIMITED ENGAGEMENTS ON PAY-PER-CLICK SITES LEAN INTO MORE NICHE SITES LIKE IDEALIST, NPO, AFP, ETC
How to Come Out on Top Clarify and simplify your interview process on the front end (shorter time to hire) Say Yes to Phone Screens for candidates who are 60/40 from resume alone Ask for Cover Letters Use Behavior-Based Interviewing Be communicative about next steps and invite questions about stability and culture
Q+A
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