Non-profits
Non-profit organisations are typically dedicated to furthering a particular social or environmental cause. In economic terms, such organisations generally rely on funding from the public or government and use the surplus of their revenues to further achieve their objective. There are a variety of types of non-profit organisations. Charities must have a specifically aimed goal for the benefit of the public and cannot be for a political or private purpose. On the other hand, foundations and trusts do not qualify as public charities. They are generally nonprofits established with funds from a specific source, such as family or corporate money – instead of funding from the general public.
Working at a non-profit can be highly rewarding, as such roles often enable you to work directly with people affected by society's biggest problems and to have a tangible impact on the causes you care about. However, there is also usually lower earning potential at a non-profit organisation and a constant focus on fundraising and keeping costs low can stifle productivity.
Participatory City: a non-profit making the UK's cities happier, healthier places
As urbanisation increases rapidly, cities become sprawling spaces which lack a traditional sense of community spirit. This has been compounded by years of austerity measures in the UK which have led to the erosion of funding for public spaces and activities. Participatory City is working to change that. Their Every One Every Day initiative is a network of 100s of people living in Barking and Dagenham who are working together to create a neighborhood made by everyone, for everyone. So whether it's transforming small pockets of green spaces into mini orchards and book-sharing projects or learning new DIY skills in a free-to-access makerspace, there's a wide range of activities designed to make city spaces healthier, happier places. You can find out more about their work here. |
Mission-driven for-profit companies
Mission-driven for-profit companies (or social enterprises/businesses) seek to tackle a social, ethical, and/or environmental problem through a for-profit business model. Compared to non-profit organisations that rely solely on fundraising to survive, the revenue generated by a social business enables it to become a sustainable model. Funds are reinvested to increase its impact and keep the structure in place. The emergence of the idea of social business is often traced back to Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. In this video he explains his thoughts on the topic:
Working for a social business has numerous advantages. Such organisations tend to be innovative and agile, meaning that you have greater freedom to take risks and try out creative ideas. Plus, as social businesses are often in the 'start-up' stage their small team sizes provide you with the opportunity to gain experience in a wide range of roles. On the flip side, however, the scrappy nature of a young social business means your job may lack structure and security.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2018/mar/12/social-e…
A growing number of social businesses in the UK are becoming B Corporations - a certification which proves they meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. You can find out more about how the B Corp movement is using business as a force for good here.
Public Sector
The public sector offers a vast array of roles, with over 5 million people in the UK currently employed in the sector. While stuffy offices and mundane tasks are often the first thing that comes to mind when we think about this sector, such an image is far from reality. Public sector jobs encompass everything from firefighters and healthcare professionals through to civil servants - they are some of the most critical jobs necessary to maintain a safe, productive society.
As well as a rewarding way to contribute to society, being employed as a public servant can offer more stable working conditions than work in other sectors. Jobs in the civil service or public policy offer a great opportunity to shape or implement local or even national policies. They can, however also entail plenty of bureaucracy meaning they can be slow to evolve or adopt new technological innovations. Nevertheless, such jobs tend to be secure and relatively well paid, so you have plenty of time to chisel away and achieve the change you hope to see in the system. Plus, public sector organisations can be very large and thus offer employees great opportunities to grow from within. If you're looking to get your foot in the door, check out the Civil Service Fast Stream training programme.