Great Britain, Poland, Ukraine, India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, the United States and a host of other countries were represented in late April during the joint GLE (Global Learning Experience) between DePaul University School of Public Service and Nottingham Business School/Nottingham Trent University. This program affords students the opportunity to connect with other students globally without the cost and commitment of a formal study abroad program.

Students from both DePaul University and Nottingham Business School spent a week together exploring the nonprofit world in Chicago. Together, they visited the Art Institute of Chicago to learn about the business side of running a museum; volunteered at the Greater Chicago Food Depository to learn about the importance of giving back; attended a luncheon hosted by the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center where they heard from social entrepreneur, Leeatt Rothschild, founder of Packed with Purpose; and enjoyed a Chicago White Sox baseball game gaining a better understanding of the role philanthropy plays in Major League Baseball.

The week culminated with public presentations at McDonald's World Headquarters of real life case consultancies by the students for seven (7) amazing nonprofit organizations - American Red Cross of Illinois River Valley; HealthQ; Mercy Home for Boys and Girls; The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe; STEP Foundation; Rush University; and Lever for Change. Each nonprofit organization shared with their student group a challenge they were facing and the groups comprised of nonprofit students from DePaul University and business students from Nottingham Business School worked to present possible solutions for consideration.

An amazing week that created friendships to last a lifetime.

A week long journey filled with laughter and learning.

And finally, a realization that it is truly a small world - one full of surprising connections as well as fun and teachable moments!

Have you considered working in the nonprofit sector?

Most people don’t realize that the nonprofit sector is the third largest employment sector in the United States after retail and manufacturing. This means more people work in the nonprofit sector then work in the oil and gas industry, the automotive industry and even the electronics industry. Yet, no one grows up thinking they are going to work for a charity.

Here are some numbers to consider:

There are an estimated 1.6 million charities in the US (not counting churches and houses of worship or nonprofits with an annual budget under $25,000).

More than 12 million people are employed by nonprofit organizations which is almost 11% of the US workforce.

Jobs range from leadership positions, fundraisers and program staff to support positions such as research, janitorial services, accounting, IT, human resources, marketing, administrative, and more; every type of position that exists in the “for profit” world also exists in the nonprofit world.

Working at a nonprofit often means you can have a job AND fulfill your passion.

Nonprofit organizations are scattered throughout the country in cities, suburbs and rural areas. They serve communities, address problems and build assets in diverse ways. Surveys show that most people feel the nonprofit sector does the best job of helping people and handling resources, better than corporations or the federal government.

By working for a nonprofit, you can choose to work in an area that you care about deeply.

For example, if you are passionate about feeding hungry people in this country, you could explore job opportunities within the food bank community, starting with Feeding America (www.feedingamerica.org).

If you care about the welfare of animals, you might choose to work in one of many animal-focused nonprofits such as the United States Humane Society (www.humanesociety.org) or the World Wildlife Fund (www.worldwildlife.org).

If you are committed to improving the environment you might consider the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org) or The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org).

The list is endless, especially for those interested in fundraising, with jobs available in the arts, healthcare, education and social services sectors among others. In other words, you can do what you love and the money will follow!