Nonprofit Organization Cover Letter & Writing Guide

A cover letter for a nonprofit organization concisely showcases your skills and experience in collaboration, relationship-building, strategic planning, and problem-solving to potential employers. Furthermore, it emphasizes your adaptability, creativity, and motivation to help nonprofit organizations reach their goals.

In this article, we’ll teach you how to write an attention-grabbing cover letter for a nonprofit and give you concrete examples to use as inspiration. Moreover, we’ll provide expert tips toward the end to help you get ahead of the competition. 

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Formatting Tips For Nonprofit Cover Letter

The best way to format a cover letter for a nonprofit is by using a business letter format. It provides an organized structure that will help you create an orderly and professional document.

Here’s how you should arrange the sections of your cover letter following this format:

In addition to formatting your nonprofit cover letter, you should also make it visually appealing by creating a clean and elegant layout. Here are the guidelines that can help you achieve that:

By following these guidelines for the format and layout, you’ll create a perfect cover letter for a nonprofit. However, you don’t have to start with a blank page and work on everything from scratch. Luckily, there are tailor-made software solutions that can speed up the process and ensure you end up with a professional document.

Our cover letter builder features numerous templates of cover letters for nonprofits you can use. These documents are preset with expert-made formats and layouts, so you can focus on adding your details and completing your cover letter. 

That way, you can have a submission-ready document in minutes!

Nonprofit Cover Letter: 7 Key Elements

The best way to learn how to write a nonprofit cover letter is by examining each section individually. We’ve also prepared a visual blueprint so that you can better understand where each part of the letter fits:

#1. Contact Information

Contact information goes in the cover letter header. This is a short, informative section where you should list your and the recipient’s contact details along with the date and location of the writing.

You should start with your contact information and include the following:

Optionally, you can also add:

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

#2. Salutations

Salutations should be short and polite, briefly addressing the recipient and presenting them with your cover letter. The trick here is using the reader’s name to create a personalized experience and build rapport from the start. 

Here’s an example:

That’s why you should research the company or organization you want to join before writing your cover letter for a nonprofit. However, if you can’t find the recipient's name even after doing research, you can use their job title or department name. Avoid generic openings like “To Whom It May Concern.”

#3. Introductory Paragraph

The introductory paragraph should hook the recruiter with your biggest strengths to persuade them to keep reading. You can use it as an elevator pitch to showcase one or two of your most notable skills or accomplishments. Also, it’s recommended to state the role you’re applying for and how much experience you have.

Let’s see that in an example from a nonprofit cover letter:

#4. Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences

The central part of your cover letter for a nonprofit should be all about your skills, qualifications, and experiences. In 1–3 paragraphs, you want to demonstrate what makes you the best person for the job. That’s why it’s crucial to focus on relevant abilities and efforts.

For instance, a nonprofit cover letter for an executive director position should showcase your ability to look at the bigger picture and manage large-scale campaigns and events. Conversely, if you’re writing an NGO cover letter, you might want to emphasize your cross-cultural competence and passion for making a positive social impact.

Let’s see all this in an example:

#5. Reasons for Applying

Nonprofit organizations are often driven by charitable and philanthropic goals and values, so they are looking for similar qualities in candidates who want to join them. That’s why you want to emphasize your reasons for applying and show that they align with those of the organization.

Here’s what that can look like in a nonprofit cover letter:

#6. Thank-You Note and Call to Action

The final paragraph should thank the reader for their time and prompt them to act with a call to action (CTA). You can use a CTA to suggest they review your resume or invite you for an interview.

Here’s an example:

#7. Conclusion

The conclusion, followed by your sign-off, should be short and polite. A simple closing statement with your name underneath it is enough to professionally conclude your cover letter for a nonprofit.

Here’s what this looks like in an example:

Nonprofit Cover Letter Examples

We prepared two complete examples of nonprofit cover letters you can use to better understand everything that you’ve learned so far.

Let’s start with a nonprofit cover letter example for someone with prior experience in the field:

#1. Cover Letter for Nonprofit With Experience

Use this example

Here’s an example of a cover letter for a nonprofit with no experience. In this case, a candidate can leverage their transferable skills and applicable accomplishments from other jobs.

Here’s an example:

#2. Cover Letter for Nonprofit With No Experience

Use this example

Final Thoughts

Nonprofit organizations tend to have more jobs per establishment compared to average for-profit companies. Still, competition can be fierce, and you want a well-written cover letter for a nonprofit to maximize your chances of landing the role.

Remember that your cover letter should tell a story about your motivation and goals and not just briefly state your skills and qualifications. That way, you’ll make your document resonate with the organization’s values, impress its members, and ensure they welcome you with open arms.