Johns Hopkins just released a study showing that the nonprofit job market in Maryland, my home state, has been growing at three times the rate of the for-profit sector. The study found that employment at nonprofits in Maryland spiked 36% from 1995 to 2005, while for-profit jobs increased only 15%, a growth rate of 2.9% to 1.1%.

It is this way everywhere. The Independent Sector says that nonprofit employment nation-wide doubled in the 25 years from 1979 to 2004 to nearly 10% of total employment. The forecast is that by 2010, the nonprofit sector will employ 15 million people.

If you are looking for a career change, give the nonprofit world a chance. It is likely that you will find more jobs and, often, jobs that rate higher on quality-of-life measures.

Find out why, how, and what it takes to get into nonprofit work:

• Top 5 Reasons to Work at a Nonprofit
• Top 7 Tips for Getting Your Dream Nonprofit Job
• Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector

As we move into the next phase of this exciting election year, it is important that nonprofits review what they can and cannot do in the areas of political advocacy and lobbying.

The IRS recently held a phone conference on this topic and has made available, online, the script of that conference and the powerpoint slides that go with it. These are very well done, outlining the restrictions for several types of nonprofit organizations. We recommend you print them out and post them at your organization.

Also see our articles on the same topic:

• How Not to Lose Your Tax-Exempt Status
• Giving the Nonprofit Sector a Political Voice