Any accountants here that work in not-for-profit?

Labbie

My accounting career's been a mix of public accounting and private/publicy-traded for-profit companies so far. I'm considering looking into a move into the not-for-profit arena which I know would be huge difference both culture-wise and work-knowledge wise.

Looking for some input on anyone who's been there and could offer some advice on resume wording etc.-  thank you ladies!

+PuppyWuppy+

Out of curiosity, why are you considering N4P with your experience?

Labbie

+PuppyWuppy+:

Out of curiosity, why are you considering N4P with your experience?

Well, I'm fairly certain I will be out of a job soon (takeover) and I'm trying to keep all of my options open. At the moment I'm more than a little burned out on corporate America, although I know N4P (or any job) comes with a whole separate set of woes.

+PuppyWuppy+

Labbie:

+PuppyWuppy+:

Out of curiosity, why are you considering N4P with your experience?

Well, I'm fairly certain I will be out of a job soon (takeover) and I'm trying to keep all of my options open. At the moment I'm more than a little burned out on corporate America, although I know N4P (or any job) comes with a whole separate set of woes.

It really does have its own set of woes. Not knocking on N4P at all - so my experience is this - I was in public accounting for five years - all SEC clients.  Really worn out, tired, felt about 500 years old, was offered the chance to be the Controller at a N4P and I pounced on it.  It was a very miserable six months.  At first, I LOVED the 8 - 5 of the job but after awhile (like a month), the novelty of that wore off.  I was so bored. I was used to asking for something and getting it right away- that does not happen in the N4P world.  My accounting staff was.....well, it was bad.  Very, very bad.  For about three months I was patient and tried to train but they didn't really care.  I spent five years in public accounting dealing with the SEC and tons of significant accounting issues to go to...nothing.  My knowledge wasn't being used at all and I felt like I was getting stupider and stupider.  No one seemed to care that I was doing nothing.  CLEARLY not all N4P jobs are like this but I have a friend that has been at a N4P for about three months now and is already looking.  It was like being in a train, full speed ahead and then hitting a brick wall. Ouch!

Just something for you to think about.  Public accounting/SEC knowledge is hard to come by and companies are willing to pay for it.

Labbie

+PuppyWuppy+:

Labbie:

+PuppyWuppy+:

Out of curiosity, why are you considering N4P with your experience?

Well, I'm fairly certain I will be out of a job soon (takeover) and I'm trying to keep all of my options open. At the moment I'm more than a little burned out on corporate America, although I know N4P (or any job) comes with a whole separate set of woes.

It really does have its own set of woes. Not knocking on N4P at all - so my experience is this - I was in public accounting for five years - all SEC clients.  Really worn out, tired, felt about 500 years old, was offered the chance to be the Controller at a N4P and I pounced on it.  It was a very miserable six months.  At first, I LOVED the 8 - 5 of the job but after awhile (like a month), the novelty of that wore off.  I was so bored. I was used to asking for something and getting it right away- that does not happen in the N4P world.  My accounting staff was.....well, it was bad.  Very, very bad.  For about three months I was patient and tried to train but they didn't really care.  I spent five years in public accounting dealing with the SEC and tons of significant accounting issues to go to...nothing.  My knowledge wasn't being used at all and I felt like I was getting stupider and stupider.  No one seemed to care that I was doing nothing.  CLEARLY not all N4P jobs are like this but I have a friend that has been at a N4P for about three months now and is already looking.  It was like being in a train, full speed ahead and then hitting a brick wall. Ouch!

Just something for you to think about.  Public accounting/SEC knowledge is hard to come by and companies are willing to pay for it.

That is one aspect I am afraid of- the change of pace while nice, also brings frustrations with it. While I really do like what I do, SEC reporting isn't exactly in high demand in our area (limited public company HQs and the #s are dwindling) and for family reasons we are not willing to relocate right now. I really appreciate your input. As you say not all N4P jobs are like that, but as someone interviewing unfortunately there's no way to know until you're already in.

MarcyLT

I'm not an accountant, but I do have a long history in nonprofit organizations. I've worked specifically in small to midsize nonprofit organizations (budgets ranging from $2M to $13M), and usually there is one, sometimes two, accounting people on staff. In the $13M organization I worked in, there were three, but two were part time.

In any job in the nonprofit sector, you have to be willing to be a generalist and not to specialist, because you'll likely have to do it all. And while nonprofit may seem to boast a more regular schedule, most nonprofits are actually understaffed and overworked, making long hours a regularity and expected in many companies.

If you're looking to get into the nonprofit field and don't want the issues that often come with "one man shop" accounting and small agencies, I would focus your search on nonprofits that carry a nationwide presence - American Cancer Society, Make-a-Wish, etc. and think also about the universities and hospitals in your regions, as well as large arts organizations like theaters and museums. These are the types of nonprofits that generally have larger staffs, larger budgets and more predictable job descriptions and hours.

Good luck!

Labbie

MarcyLT:

I'm not an accountant, but I do have a long history in nonprofit organizations. I've worked specifically in small to midsize nonprofit organizations (budgets ranging from $2M to $13M), and usually there is one, sometimes two, accounting people on staff. In the $13M organization I worked in, there were three, but two were part time.

In any job in the nonprofit sector, you have to be willing to be a generalist and not to specialist, because you'll likely have to do it all. And while nonprofit may seem to boast a more regular schedule, most nonprofits are actually understaffed and overworked, making long hours a regularity and expected in many companies.

If you're looking to get into the nonprofit field and don't want the issues that often come with "one man shop" accounting and small agencies, I would focus your search on nonprofits that carry a nationwide presence - American Cancer Society, Make-a-Wish, etc. and think also about the universities and hospitals in your regions, as well as large arts organizations like theaters and museums. These are the types of nonprofits that generally have larger staffs, larger budgets and more predictable job descriptions and hours.

Good luck!

This is good advice- thank you. Actually our city's top employer is a huge hospital/university so that is promising. Your input has also given me some thoughts on what to look for/ask about on interviews. Thanks again.

*sparky*

Based on your posts, I am wondering if you live in the same area as me. Dwindling public cos and a huge hospitak/university thY is a very large employer in the area...Anyway, to answer your question I have been at the same crossroads as you. I worked in the Corp Controllers group at a Fortune 500 company that was bought out last year. It was a very difficult experience, as we always thought that our company would never be a takeover Target and when we were bought out it was very very tough. I considered lots of options, including N4P, because I was burned out on Corp America and also because I have a child and it's tough to find quality of life in the finance dept of a public co. I interviewed sub several N4P's and found that the pay was much smaller than I was used to and they worked long hours. Also, because thy are so lean, the controller is often responsible for facilities, or answering the phones, or whatever needs to be done and that was just so different from what I am used to. There are some exceptions - we do have Johns Hopkins, which is incredibly stable, and has a great quality of life, but the pay is a little low. There is also one of the largest private foundations in the nation headquartered here and hey have a pretty robust finance organization. But if you are used to that public company environment a lot of the smaller N4p's will be such a culture shock you may not like it. I would suggest looking at smaller companies in the area instead that may not be public but still have a good sized finance organization and need people who understand technical issues. The company I went to is currently private, but the same industry I was in before, and may go public in the next couple of years. Definitely look around for a little while and do your research. Ask a lot of questions on your interviews. If you have done primarily SEC reporting work try to look for ways to explain how that experience applies to other areas. Good luck!

Labbie

*sparky*:

Based on your posts, I am wondering if you live in the same area as me. Dwindling public cos and a huge hospitak/university thY is a very large employer in the area...Anyway, to answer your question I have been at the same crossroads as you. I worked in the Corp Controllers group at a Fortune 500 company that was bought out last year. It was a very difficult experience, as we always thought that our company would never be a takeover Target and when we were bought out it was very very tough. I considered lots of options, including N4P, because I was burned out on Corp America and also because I have a child and it's tough to find quality of life in the finance dept of a public co. I interviewed sub several N4P's and found that the pay was much smaller than I was used to and they worked long hours. Also, because thy are so lean, the controller is often responsible for facilities, or answering the phones, or whatever needs to be done and that was just so different from what I am used to. There are some exceptions - we do have Johns Hopkins, which is incredibly stable, and has a great quality of life, but the pay is a little low. There is also one of the largest private foundations in the nation headquartered here and hey have a pretty robust finance organization. But if you are used to that public company environment a lot of the smaller N4p's will be such a culture shock you may not like it. I would suggest looking at smaller companies in the area instead that may not be public but still have a good sized finance organization and need people who understand technical issues. The company I went to is currently private, but the same industry I was in before, and may go public in the next couple of years. Definitely look around for a little while and do your research. Ask a lot of questions on your interviews. If you have done primarily SEC reporting work try to look for ways to explain how that experience applies to other areas. Good luck!

Thank you! We don't live in the same area (if you still live near Johns Hopkins!) but sadly the stories are the same in so many communities. 

I definitely agree re. smaller companies and they are definitely on my list. The lower pay at N4Ps is also a concern for me at the moment unless DH gets a higher paying job in the near future.

I guess it comes down to savvy interviewing and trusting my gut when it comes to finding the right place for me- public, private, FP or N4P. The feedback here has given me some great advice for questions to ask in my search- thanks!