Professional Associations
Professional organizations and associations can help individuals continue education in a correlating field, help with ethical situations and advance careers. Nonprofit professionals don’t have the same type of organizations that an attorney, an educator, or an accountant may have. Few organizations in the United States are specifically for professionals working in the 501-c(3) setting.
Nonprofit organizations are in the community and mainly focus on social work and the betterment of society. The mission of the National Council of Nonprofits is to help nonprofit professionals “Manage and lead more effectively. Collaborate and exchange solutions. Engage in critical policy issues affecting the sector. Achieve greater impact in their communities” (National Council of Nonprofits, 2009)
The opportunities for knowledge through the National Council can be great. In the world on nonprofits, it is always imperative to know what Federal and State laws are changing as well as budget issues that are going on in the Government. Other professionals in the nonprofit world can also help teach the necessary tools for successful grant writing and management of funds.
Professional organizations can benefit a person’s career through networking, keeping up-to-date on national trends, conference announcements, publications, job listings, product discounts, and mentoring ((Denham, n.d.). The National Council of Nonprofits also gives many resources for different aspects of management including policy and advocating, which is unique to this line of work. I think that becoming a member of the National Council of Nonprofits could help further my career by giving me necessary tools, insight and the ability to reach out to other professionals in the nonprofit sector.