When people hear the word nonprofit I am sure they have images of Birkenstocks, long hair, and tie dye shirts. That may have been the case in the past, but nowadays it is just ordinary people who are sick and tired of complaining about the problems of the world and decided to roll up their sleeves and do something about it. Many people think that the best way to change the world is to get involved with politics because they make the rules. Don’t get me wrong politicians are important, but if you want to truly make a change in your community then get involved with a nonprofit. This type of work is not glamorous and it is not for those without a true passion for the work being done. Since most nonprofits work with people you will have many difficult days and the victories will be few and far between but it is those victories that make it all worth wild.  It is the reality that you helped someone make a positive change in their life. You helped change the world. That feeling makes working for a nonprofit worth it. You don’t get involved with a nonprofit for the money because there isn’t any. The majority of the money goes into programs to help people. Nonprofits have to beg for every cent they get because without donations they can’t do the work of changing the world. This task is even harder for small nonprofits because they don’t have the donor base to be able to afford professional grant writers, professional fundraisers, and professional marketing. Most of the time these jobs fall to the few people working for the nonprofit and that means people are doing 2, 3, sometimes even 5 different jobs. So what can be done? How can you help? First I would say if you are trained in grant writing, fundraising, and marketing then donate some of your time to help a small nonprofit in your community. If you have office skills, are a trained teacher, or are just someone who eagerly wants to help then offer to volunteer. If you truly believe in what a nonprofit is doing but you don’t have the time to get involved then donate money. Consider even becoming part of their monthly donor program, this will ensure that they have regular income coming in to be able to continue their work. Nonprofit work is the most important work being done because it is boots on the ground, rolling up your sleeves, and getting dirty. You are on the streets, in the homes, in the rehab programs, and in the prisons helping those that most people overlook or don’t want to deal with. But it is the work that needs to be done in order to change the world into a better place.