Taking your career to the next level is challenging in any industry, but nonprofit professionals often face an even steeper climb. Many charities — especially small ones — don’t have structured job hierarchies or clear paths for growth. Plus, nonprofit workers are busy.

“I always feel as though nonprofits have to do everything,” says Sara Cole, CEO of the Duluth Area Family YMCA. “It’s like the Ginger Rogers [and] Fred Astaire joke about women, right? That nonprofits have to do everything that for-profits have to do, but backwards and in high heels. We have to achieve like a for-profit, but with fewer resources generally.”

These pressures can become barriers to seeking a promotion, she says. It’s hard to carve out time or energy to focus on career advancement when you’re overwhelmed with your existing work, which at nonprofits often includes doing multiple job functions with one title and addressing urgent needs in the community or world.

And with the new federal administration making changes and threatening funding cuts that could pile on stress for many charities, the situation isn’t likely to improve soon.

“It’s early days, but nothing that we’ve heard out of the new administration makes me believe that our lives as nonprofit [workers] are going to get easier,” Cole says. “I think they are going to get significantly more difficult.”

To help you advance despite the obstacles, the Chronicle gathered advice from seasoned nonprofit leaders. Here are eight simple strategies they recommend using to demonstrate leadership potential, impress your boss, and show you’re ready to move up.

‘Be a Sponge for Your Industry or Job’

Career growth starts from within, says Carlos Lejnieks, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson, and Union Counties in Newark, N.J. Instead of just thinking about getting the next title, he recommends adopting a mindset focused on ongoing personal development. Show intellectual curiosity for your work by proactively taking on tasks and projects because you’re genuinely interested in them, Lejnieks says. That might mean taking the initiative to learn more about an area of your organization’s operations that isn’t directly related to your position after reading an article that sparked an interest, for example.

Striving to “be a sponge for your industry or job” will also pay off when it comes to seeking that new title, Lejnieks explains, because your motivation will seem natural and authentic, rather than transactional. “People would be like, ‘that makes sense because you’ve been consistently interested, consistently dialed in, consistently proactive, and you want to learn more,’” he says.

Balance Boldness With Humility

Focus on practicing “bold humility,” Lejnieks says, referring to a phrase he uses with his team. It’s good to be bold in pursuing new opportunities that motivate you, he explains, but you should also be humble enough to realize when you should dial up or down either side of that equation. For example, when assessing a job opening that interests you, consider whether it’s the right time to apply or if you should focus on getting certain skills or experience first to be a more credible candidate. “You don’t want to overshoot too early and then be off-putting,” Lejnieks says. Coming across as too aggressive or “thirsty,” he says, borrowing an expression from the students in his programs, could also hurt you for other opportunities in the future.

To make sure you strike the right balance, it’s helpful to build a “kitchen cabinet” of people you can call on to check your instincts and provide feedback on your approaches before you take them to the office, he says. It’s best to get a diverse variety of perspectives, including someone aggressive and someone more conservative, so you can get coaching and reactions from both angles. Be careful not to go only to those who are likely to cheer you on, he warns, because you want to get honest filters for your ideas.

Focus on How You Show Up

While what you know matters, how you show up is probably even more important these days, Cole says. “It’s not enough to just be smart if you’re a jerk,” she says. “You don’t get to be a smart jerk. You need to be smart, but also — how do we show up in a way that builds community, that prioritizes equity, that doesn’t shut other people down, that doesn’t make folks feel like they can’t make mistakes in service to learning?”

For Cole, qualities that indicate leadership potential include a dedication to lifelong learning — whether that means taking courses, reading, writing, or listening to podcasts — being willing to ask questions and showing passion. “I almost don’t care what you’re passionate about; I want to see that you’re passionate,” she says.

Lejnieks looks for the ability to be a thought partner in the face of uncertainty and help solve complex problems. “That’s someone I would want in the bunker with me when things are coming at you at different angles,” he says.

Show Your Value

Identify the ways your work is helping to advance your nonprofit’s mission or adding value to the organization, so you can articulate your worth, says Merv Antonio, senior director of learning and convening at the Center for Nonprofit Excellence, which runs a leadership training program. To show that visually, create an impact document or portfolio that outlines your accomplishments and results, as well as a few goals for the year. Make sure the information you share is aligned with your nonprofit’s strategic goals so the value to the organization is clear.

When interviewing for a position at a different nonprofit, don’t simply share your successes, Antonio says. You can set yourself apart from other candidates by listening first: Understand what key challenges they want the person in this role to help solve, then talk about your skills and experiences in ways that relate to that. If you’re lacking certain qualifications they’re looking for, you could talk about something you’ve done that is adjacent, or say you’re looking forward to taking that on in your next role.

Know the Story of Your Work

“If you want a promotion, you’ve just got to know your stuff,” Lejnieks says. At a minimum, you must be prepared to talk about the ins and outs of your daily work when you meet with your boss, including your deliverables and relevant data points.

You should also reflect on goals you didn’t meet, he adds. Share thoughts or an analysis of what might be happening and ideas for how to improve. “Then you’re that thought partner, that person that kind of fixes a problem, and then, again, I’m going to want you in that bunker because you’re already thinking analytically about what to do next,” he says.

Build Your Path

Don’t assume your ideal next role already exists, Cole says. It might be something you create or dream up. If your path isn’t clear, start by researching different kinds of positions at other organizations, she suggests, including reading job descriptions and talking with people who do what you think you might like to do, or part of it. This will help you build a blueprint for what you’re looking for, so you can articulate that and make the case for it.

If you want to stay at your current organization but don’t have a defined next step, look for opportunities that interest you at other nonprofits and use them to advocate for a new title or role where you are, Lejnieks suggests. But tread carefully. “It’s a delicate thing because you want to … manage up a bit and encourage new ideas without being off-putting or having people be resistant,” he explains.

For example, you could tell your manager that you like your work but feel ready for growth or a specific title or function. Explain that your research verifies your instinct: You think you could get those things elsewhere.

But don’t focus only on titles and salaries when planning your next move, Cole says. “If you’re searching for titles and money and it’s not a fit for what sort of moves you in the heart and in the head, it will not work well,” she says. “I think it can be a mistake to abandon those things that fire you up and make you feel passionate and excited.”

Be Willing to Stretch

Saying yes to “stretch assignments” has always helped Cole get to the next level in her career, she says. This doesn’t mean overworking yourself or being taken advantage of, but you should show you are willing to take on new responsibilities, such as managing an additional staff member, handling a new project, or taking a course to improve your skills.

“And then, of course, just hitting it out of the park,” she says. “Once you say yes, how do you do what you need to do to succeed? It’s really hard, I think, to say no to a person who’s trying and is succeeding.”

But when you make mistakes, be sure to own them, Cole adds. “They’re usually more painful, but they can be just as valuable in the leadership journey.”

‘Act

a

s If’

Look for opportunities in your current work to step into that next level of responsibility, Antonio suggests. “It’s this idea of, like, acting as if,” he says. “What can you do now to act as if you’re in the role that you want to be in?”

For example, if you aspire to be an executive director, find ways to think more expansively or strategically about your organization, such as coming up with team approaches that could help solve key challenges the organization is facing.