How to Determine Necessary Qualifications for a Nonprofit Job Description

Some nonprofit jobs require various levels of formal education and special training. If you’re hiring someone to provide counseling services, for example, that employee probably needs to meet certain education and licensing requirements in order to provide the services legally. If you’re hiring someone to work with children, the applicant may need to pass various background checks, depending on the laws of your state.

Professional and business associations can provide helpful information about job qualifications. For example, if you need specifics about the qualifications that a speech pathologist should have, contact the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The American Society of Association Executives may help you find appropriate national or local associations.

In addition to any degrees and certifications, you may want to specify that applicants have a certain amount of experience in doing the work you’re going to ask them to do. However, if you do so, be prepared to pay a higher salary to fill the position.

You can’t, of course, require that an applicant be of a particular ethnic background, race, age, creed, or sexual preference. You can’t deny employment to a woman because she’s expecting a child. You also can’t refuse employment to a person with a disability as long as he can perform the job with reasonable accommodations.