Business Professionals Find Second Careers With Nonprofits

Corporate professionals facing downsizing, layoffs, and mandatory retirements are moving into the nonprofit and public service sector, reports The New York Times.

A growing number, mostly over age 50, are enrolling in programs like EncoreHartford, a fellowship begun by the University of Connecticut’s Nonprofit Leadership Program that trains unemployed corporate workers to convert their expertise to the nonprofit world.

As commercial jobs are waning, nonprofit demand is high for a wide array of specialties, including finance, fundraising, management, and marketing. Forty-five percent of nonprofit groups plan to hire more workers this year, up from one-third three years ago, according to a new survey.

Many of those who make the career change find that other rewards, including satisfaction in the mission, make up for the decline in pay. After being laid off from a high-level commercial real estate job in Connecticut, Steven Elson, now 60, attended EncoreHartford, and is now overseeing the development of affordable housing projects. “Every day is fascinating, and every day is a new problem,” Mr. Elson said. “And I can’t stop smiling. We’re helping people rebuild their lives.”