Quick answer: Search program assistant, administrative assistant, grants associate and coordinator titles to find entry level nonprofit jobs Philadelphia employers post. One posted grants role accepts a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
This guide maps the titles, duties, skills and job boards that matter for a first nonprofit role. For the wider picture of employers and routes in, see our overview of nonprofit jobs in philadelphia.
Titles to search first
New graduates should search by function rather than by the word “entry-level”, because many postings never use it. Programs, fundraising, administration and operations all hire people early in their careers. Posted titles in these families include program assistant, administrative assistant, grants associate, development coordinator and operations coordinator. Which family fits depends on whether you would rather work with participants, with donors and funders, or with systems and people.
| Title | Philadelphia example | What the listing shows | Planning use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grants Associate | Philadelphia Museum of Art | Full-time and onsite in Philadelphia. A bachelor’s degree or relevant equivalent experience is required. | Suits graduates who like research and writing. This is the fundraising track that development coordinator titles also point to. |
| People Operations Coordinator | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression | Listed among Philadelphia, PA nonprofit jobs. | Shows that coordinator titles also sit in operations, not only in programs. Search the title directly. |
| IT Help Desk Technician | Barnes Foundation | Listed in Philadelphia, PA. | Suits technically minded graduates. Nonprofits also hire support staff outside the mission-facing team. |
| Center Custodian | Philadelphia Corporation for Aging | Listed in Greater Philadelphia. | A facilities route into a nonprofit. Read each listing’s requirements before ruling it in or out. |
These examples come from the Council of Nonprofits career board posting for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and LinkedIn’s Philadelphia nonprofit job search.
Program assistant and administrative roles
A program assistant supports the people who run a service, so this is the most direct way into a mission-facing team. The Pennsylvania state job search lists a County Drug & Alcohol Program Assistant Administrator title under local government, in the Human and Social Services group. It also lists Administrative Assistant 1 in the General Administrative group. These are public-sector rather than nonprofit postings, but they show how “program assistant” and “administrative assistant” are used as entry titles across human services.
Use both phrases as search terms, and read the duties before judging seniority. Words such as “assistant” or “coordinator” mark a junior role in many postings, but the requirements section is what separates a true starting position from one that expects prior experience.
Development coordinator and grants roles
Fundraising roles reward careful writing and organization, which graduates can show through coursework. The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Grants Associate posting gives a concrete picture of the duties. The associate researches foundation and government prospects for restricted and unrestricted support, and writes narrative and financial reports to foundation and government donors.
The same posting lists prior fundraising experience, preferably in an arts, museum or educational setting. It also lists grant writing, reporting and prospect research experience as preferred. That makes it a stretch for someone with no experience at all, but a reasonable target for a graduate who can show research and writing samples. If you have none yet, a development coordinator or administrative title is a safer first search.
Skills and experience that count
Transferable skills carry most of the weight when a posting asks for little direct experience. The Grants Associate posting requires proficiency in Microsoft Office programs. It also asks for excellent organizational, communication, interpersonal and time management skills. These are skills that coursework, campus jobs, volunteering and part-time work can all demonstrate.
- Office software: Name the programs you use fluently rather than writing a general claim of computer skills, since the posting names Microsoft Office.
- Writing and reporting: Grant writing, reporting and prospect research are listed as preferred, so a polished writing sample is worth attaching where allowed.
- Organization and time management: Describe a deadline-driven project you managed, as these are listed alongside communication and interpersonal skills.
- Education: The same posting asks for a bachelor’s degree or relevant equivalent experience, so sustained work or volunteer history can substitute for a degree.
Career offices help here. Villanova’s career center describes PoliCorner as a resource helping students and recent graduates break into political, non-profit and legal careers. Check whether your own university offers something similar, because alumni usually keep access after graduation.
Pay and schedule
The one posting with a stated rate shows the Grants Associate at $23.38 per hour. It is full-time and non-exempt at 35 hours per week. It was published August 8, 2024. Non-exempt means the role is paid hourly, so a quoted rate is the number to compare across offers.
Treat that figure as one data point rather than a typical wage for every entry role. Titles in the other families can pay differently. The Pennsylvania state listings above show salary ranges as N/A, so check the pay line in each individual posting before you shortlist it. Comparing hourly rate and weekly hours together gives a fairer picture than a headline rate alone.
Where entry-level nonprofit jobs are posted
Use a mix of a broad aggregator and nonprofit-specific boards, then check employer career pages directly. LinkedIn’s Philadelphia nonprofit search showed 6,000+ nonprofit jobs in Philadelphia at the time of fetch. That is a wide pool, so filter by the titles above rather than browsing it all.
- Free Library of Philadelphia: Villanova’s resource list points to current local nonprofit job listings provided by the Free Library of Philadelphia. That makes it a Philadelphia-specific starting point.
- Idealist and Nonprofit Job Source: The same list names Idealist, which is primarily jobs in US-based nonprofits, and Nonprofit Job Source, which covers the nonprofit sector. Both suit a sector-wide scan.
- Council of Nonprofits career board: Individual employers post here, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art grants role discussed above.
Be careful with education job boards. TopSchoolJobs’ Philadelphia for-profit page lists for-profit openings only, so it will not show nonprofit employers. Apply promptly, because the Grants Associate posting says applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and a role like that can close once a candidate is selected.
When a search stalls
- Every posting asks for experience: Build it first through nonprofit internships philadelphia, described in our guide to nonprofit internships philadelphia, then return to the titles in this guide.
- Results feel too broad: Search a single title such as program assistant, then add Philadelphia, rather than scanning the full nonprofit listing.
- Roles seem to require a degree: Read the wording closely, since the Grants Associate posting accepts relevant equivalent experience in place of a bachelor’s degree.
- You want to understand the employer side: Our guide on how to start a nonprofit in philadelphia explains how these organizations are formed, which helps when judging a small employer.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a bachelor’s degree for an entry-level nonprofit role?
Not always. The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Grants Associate posting asks for a bachelor’s degree or relevant equivalent experience. Other roles, such as a custodian listing at the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, should be checked individually for their stated requirements.
Is a government job title the same as a nonprofit one?
No. The Pennsylvania state listings for Program Assistant Administrator and Administrative Assistant 1 are local-government titles. They are useful for learning common job names, but apply to nonprofit employers through nonprofit boards and career pages.
Which job board should I check first?
Start with the Free Library of Philadelphia’s local nonprofit listings, then add Idealist or Nonprofit Job Source for breadth. LinkedIn is a useful third check because it lets you search by Philadelphia and nonprofit together.
Should I wait to apply until I have more experience?
No. Applications for the posted grants role are reviewed on a rolling basis, so waiting risks missing it. Apply when you meet the core requirements and treat preferred items as a bonus.
