5 Questions You Should Ask During Nonprofit Interviews

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During the nonprofit talent acquisition process, a candidate’s resume provides insight into their skills and experiences, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle your team has to put together. 

Resumes only provide an initial impression of potential team members, which is why the interview process is so crucial. Ultimately, it’s up to you to ask the questions that yield the most valuable insights.

In this guide, we’ll review example interview questions and best practices to inspire your team to make the best hiring decisions that fulfill your strategic plan.

Best practices for maximizing recruitment success

Before we discuss interview questions, let’s review some general tips for making your hiring process more effective overall.

• Use software to manage your interview process. Software, like AI tools, can help your team process payments, communicate with donors, centralize records, and hire new team members. Lever suggests investing in an applicant tracking system, which is a tool that streamlines the recruitment processes. However, if you’re just starting out or have budget limitations, you can start with a point solution for hiring, like an interview management tool.
• Create a detailed job description: Whether you’re hiring a Donor Experience Officer, a Major Gift Officer, or a fundraising assistant, it's important to have a detailed job description to ensure that both your team and your candidates understand exactly what you’re looking for. 
• Respect your candidates’ time. Imagine you’re a candidate applying to your nonprofit. Are you likely to continue with the hiring process if your point of contact isn’t responsive and doesn’t adhere to promised deadlines? Communicate regularly and transparently with your candidates, and if you need to push back any deadlines, let them know as soon as possible.
• Involve other team members in the hiring process. When it comes to hiring, it helps to get fresh perspectives outside of just HR. Add low-lift facets to your interview process that incorporate other team members. For instance, you might arrange a casual coffee chat with a current employee on the candidate’s prospective team to assess them for cultural fit in a less formal environment.

Top nonprofit interview questions

1. Tell us about a cause or issue that matters to you. 

A socially conscientious candidate is more likely to stay motivated during difficult times, as they understand the real impacts at stake.

During the recruitment process, give candidates the opportunity to talk freely about their passions, which is more likely to yield thoughtful, candid responses than questions with a narrow focus. 

Here are some follow-up questions that can provide more information:

• How do you champion this cause in your everyday life?
• How will your commitment to this cause shape your work with our nonprofit?
• Does this cause and our mission overlap, and if so, in what ways?

2. What draws you to our nonprofit?

Instead of asking candidates just to talk about their passions in general, focus your questions on why they’re drawn to your specific cause. After all, a team member who is passionate about your mission has intrinsic motivations to ensure your success, in addition to professional development and salary. 

You might also gain insights in this area by asking:

• What aspect of our mission resonates with you the most, and why?
• How do you see yourself impacting our operations, programs, and goals?
• What’s an area in our field that you’re particularly interested in?

3. Discuss the professional strengths and weaknesses you’re working on.

An interview wouldn’t be complete without role and skill-specific questions. Gather information about candidates:

• Soft skills, such as communication, leadership, networking, and conflict resolution
• Technical skills, such as knowledge of web design, a specific CRM, or major gift fundraising strategies
• Areas for improvement in both of the above areas
• Proactive steps are being taken to improve their weaknesses

Use this information to evaluate role fit and create tailored onboarding plans. Consider both immediate returns and long-term growth, as you’ll get a higher return on investment from loyal employees.

4. Explain a time when you successfully resolved a conflict.

Whether it’s a cross-team snafu or a discussion with a disgruntled donor, your team likely has to resolve conflicts regularly. That’s why hus, this soft skill deserves its own follow-up questions. 

Ask your candidates to describe how they would respond to common conflicts at your nonprofit to get a sense of their resilience and problem-solving style. In particular, ask them to provide these details:

• Their role in the resolution
• Their strategies for mitigating the conflict
• The outcome of the conflict
• What they learned and will take into this role

5. How do you handle stress?

95% of nonprofit leaders cite burnout as a top concern that jeopardizes their daily activities and mission. Plus, Momentum's Nonprofit Productivity Report found that 42% of surveyed nonprofit professionals are either already looking for a new job or plan to do so within the next two years.

Your nonprofit can provide resources to help reduce stress, but that likely won’t eliminate it altogether. That's why a strong candidate should be able to endure high-pressure situations, such as a recession that triggers drop-offs in fundraising.

You can gauge how a candidate handles stress by asking additional questions such as:

• Can you describe a time when you faced a stressful situation at work and how you handled it?
• How do you maintain motivation during particularly stressful periods?
• How do you relieve stress outside of work?
• When unexpected hurdles arise? How do you maintain a positive attitude?

Use data to adjust your nonprofit interview questions

As you pilot these questions, collect data to gauge their effectiveness in providing helpful information. For instance, you might ask managers of new hires to evaluate whether the candidates’ interview responses accurately reflected their strengths and weaknesses as observed on the job. 

Cross-reference this data with general shifts in hiring best practices or candidate expectations. That way, you can pivot your strategies to align with industry standards and continue attracting the best talent.

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This article was written by Stephanie Sparks, Director of Content Marketing at Employ. Stephanie leverages 17 years of marketing and communications experience, and her master’s degree in marketing, communication studies, and advertising, to craft compelling content across the JazzHR, Lever, Jobvite, and NXTThing RPO brands. She is a thought leader for the HR technology and talent acquisition space. 

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