Is Your Cover Letter Sabotaging Your Chances at a Great Nonprofit Job?

by Rosetta Thurman

category: Job Searching

Published May 10, 2009 @ 04:10AM PT

Have you ever wondered why you didn't get called in for an interview for that great nonprofit job you wanted? You just knew you were the perfect candidate, but your phone sat silent. A few weeks later, you see that the position was filled, and you ask yourself, what gives?  Chances are, you may have committed one of the many common mistakes that young nonprofit job-seekers make.  I've served as the hiring manager at many stages in my nonprofit career, and often talented, qualified, educated job applicants get passed over simply because their cover letters took them out of the running. Most candidates think that their resume is the most important tool for landing that next step in their nonprofit career, and of course it is. But these days, when it's possible that all of the other candidates have just as much education and experience as you do, you have to take the opportunity to exhibit that extra spark in your cover letter. Or, at the very least, just please don't make these three mistakes.

Dear Hiring Manager
Many nonprofit job seekers are sending out several applications at once, and think a standard cover letter greeting of "Dear Hiring Manager" or "To Whom it May Concern" will do the trick.  Not so. It may save time, but will hurt you in the long run. Please do some research to find the name of the hiring manager.  Nothing looks worse to an organization that posts an ad listing the person to whom the cover should be addressed, yet the applicant still takes the lazy approach of a generic salutation. If there is no contact listed and you cannot locate any additional information, simply use a greeting like ‘Hello' so you are still speaking to the person who is reading your letter even though you don't know their name. By the way, "Dear Sir or Madam" isn't any better. No one even uses those terms anymore.

Right Cover Letter, Wrong Organization Name
I don't know how many times I've opened up a cover letter where the applicant states how excited they are to apply to the Good Health Institute when they are actually applying to a totally different organization. Be sure to include the organization's name in your cover letter, but be sure to proofread to ensure you haven't copied and pasted the wrong organization name in the cover letter. They know you're probably applying to other jobs, but you don't have to let it show by not changing the organization name each time you rewrite the letter.  It's also important to get the position name correct.  It's obvious that you haven't tailored the letter if the position is for a program assistant and your letter says that you are applying for the development associate job.

Got Passion?
Many nonprofits find it difficult to consider a candidate when it's not clear whether they even know anything about the cause. When you apply to a nonprofit job, you need to let them know you have the technical skills to do the job as well as a passion for the mission of the organization. They want to know that you care about the nature of the work you will be doing. Any previous work you've done for a similar cause is helpful to share. Don't be afraid to talk about any volunteer service related their mission. It makes your cover letter stand out from the others and shows that you are knowledgeable about the organization's work.