High School

If you're interested in nonprofit social services work, you'll want to concentrate on humanities and social science courses such as English, history, government, sociology, and psychology. Such courses will give you perspective on the issues confronting the people that a nonprofit organization will be trying to help. Communication skills are critical, so in addition to English, take public speaking courses to hone your skills. The ability to speak a foreign language will be a big plus in many organizations; consider taking Spanish, as it is the second most common language spoken in this country. At the director level of a nonprofit agency, you will be responsible for budget expenditures; therefore, you should have mathematics and accounting knowledge, so be sure to include these classes in your schedule. Finally, take computer science courses so that you will be able to use the computer for activities such as creating budgets, writing grant proposals, and keeping a database of information on clients.

Postsecondary Training

Most nonprofit social service organizations will require that you have a degree in social work from a college or university program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The undergraduate degree is the bachelor of social work (B.S.W.). Graduate degrees include the master of social work (M.S.W.) and the doctorate in social work (D.S.W.) or Ph.D. The CSWE accredits hundreds of bachelor's programs and master's programs. A number of schools also offer doctoral programs in social work (D.S.W. or Ph.D.) in the United States.

The undergraduate degree will allow you to find entry-level positions at many agencies. Typical courses of study for the B.S.W. include classes in social welfare policies, human behavior and the social environment, research methods, and ethics. In addition, accredited programs require you to complete at least 400 hours of supervised field experience. To advance to the level of director, you will need to have a master's or doctorate degree. Obtaining an M.S.W. degree usually requires two years of courses along with a minimum of 900 hours of supervised fieldwork. You may be able to enter a master's program without having a B.S.W.; however, you should have a background that includes psychology, sociology, biology, economics, and social work courses.

Certification or Licensing

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, all states have some type of licensing, certification, or registration requirement for those practicing social work and using professional titles. However, the standards and requirements vary from state to state, and those wanting to work as social workers will need to check with their state licensing boards. These licensing, certification, or registration requirements may or may not be necessary for the director, depending on the nature of the organization and the duties of the director. Again, those wanting to work as directors will need to contact the regulatory board of the state in which they want to work to find out specific requirements. The Association of Social Work Boards may also be able to provide such information. Social services workers and directors also need to be emotionally stable, objective about situations they face, and responsible.

Nonprofit social service directors should have proven track records in fund-raising and grant writing. Their backgrounds should include experience in data collection and analysis in order to determine the impact of their organization’s efforts and to identify areas requiring improvement. They should have considerable background in designing, staffing, and maintaining services and programs.

Directors should possess supervisory experience in managing paid workers and volunteers, which could number from a few to hundreds of members. They also must be knowledgeable about financial matters and record keeping. In addition, they should possess public speaking ability as many directors are often invited to community clubs to present information about their organization and to recruit potential donors.

Moreover, nonprofit social service directors must exhibit tact and understanding because they often deal with confidential and private client information.

It takes a certain kind of person to succeed in social services. You must be comfortable working with the people who need your services even though they may come from different ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds than yours. Because social services are often understaffed, you must be willing to do day-to-day work like answering the phone and making copies when necessary.