Advancing business and marketing skills for a nonprofit career
Written by: Susan Maphis, Edited by: Jenny Kiesewetter
Published: April 23, 2025
Succeeding in a nonprofit career requires a passion for the cause, an understanding of the organization's mission, and excellent communication skills. It also depends heavily on proficiency in business and marketing skills.
Discover which marketing and business skills are necessary to succeed in a nonprofit career and find out what a daily routine may look like for a professional in the industry.
What business and marketing skills are needed to advance a nonprofit career?
Here are some essential business and marketing skills needed to advance a nonprofit career:
- Fundraising: Identifying potential donors, forming relationships with them, and securing funding
- Communication: Working effectively with diverse teams in various departments to achieve goals
- Financial management: Tracking the usage of funds and demonstrating the use of contributions in an organized, transparent manner
- Strategic planning: Developing and implementing business and marketing strategies that help the organization achieve its mission
- Leadership: Making informed choices, inspiring and motivating teams to achieve goals
- Creativity: Creating innovative marketing campaigns that stand out and attract attention
- Relationship-building: Building and sustaining relationships with donors, community partners, and volunteers
- Social media expertise: Using social media platforms to reach a wide audience and engage with contributors
- Board management: Working effectively with a board of directors to keep the organization financially sound and functional
- Program management: Overseeing programs, evaluating them via collecting and analyzing data to make sure they are still viable, and coordinating programs to achieve the goals of the organization
What does your daily routine look like in a nonprofit career?
While every nonprofit organization is different, and each nonprofit career is separate from others, they all share the goal of working towards achieving the organization's mission. A typical day in a nonprofit career involves using the skills listed above to accomplish the following tasks:
Get started with online programs on edX
Courses and programs on edX can help you advance your business and marketing skills for a nonprofit career. Sign up for online courses or consider pursuing an online master's degree in marketing or business.