The Exploitation Within the Nonprofit Industry That Everyone Ignores
Let me know if this sounds familiar.
You come across a job advertisement on a job board that piques your interest. Excited by the opportunity, you pour your energy into crafting the perfect application. To your delight, you receive an email inviting you to an interview. However, before proceeding, you're asked to complete a pre-screening task that involves critiquing the company.
Desperate for work and realizing that such requests have become commonplace, you comply, submit your critique, and move forward with the interview process. Then comes the rejection: you're informed that you will not be moving forward for the role. Later, as you follow the organization on social media, you notice something familiar. They've implemented the insights you provided during the pre-screening task into their strategy. Their messaging and engagement have improved, and likes are pouring in—thanks to your unpaid labor.
In essence, you've been exploited. While you weren't deemed suitable for the job, your feedback was valuable enough for them to use as unpaid consulting, helping the organization refine its strategy. This is just one example of how nonprofits exploit job seekers during the hiring process. It’s a practice I’ve personally experienced more times than I care to admit, and I know I’m not alone in this.
What makes this exploitation even more disheartening is its prevalence in the nonprofit sector. Although these organizations are often celebrated for their missions to serve the public and uplift communities, they frequently take advantage of well-meaning individuals who are desperately trying to provide for their families.
Wokers need stronger protections to defend themselves from manipulative and greedy corporations
What Can You Do?
This is a challenge I’m still grappling with myself. If you refuse to comply with these exploitative demands, you risk losing the opportunity to compete for the position—a risk not everyone can afford to take. While the situation feels inevitable, here are a few strategies I’ve found so far:
Copyright Your Work
Consider completing the requested tasks, but take precautions to copyright your materials beforehand. This approach may vary for everyone, so take the time to research how to effectively protect your intellectual property. Once your work is copyrighted, make it clear to the organization that any violation will prompt you to take necessary action to protect your assets.
Consult an Employment Lawyer
If it’s within your means, consult an employment lawyer to explore your options. Whether this issue stems from a broader systemic problem or specific state-level practices, an expert can provide valuable advice. They can help you craft a strategy to safeguard your work and potentially hold nonprofits and other organizations accountable for exploitative practices. Remember, knowledge is power, and legal guidance can instill confidence and empower you to navigate this unfair landscape.
Spread the Word
Enough is enough. Workers need to unite and demand reforms in hiring practices across the nonprofit sector. Everyone’s hard work deserves compensation, and organizations that leverage applicants’ ideas to elevate their own standing—without offering fair pay—must be held accountable. By raising awareness and speaking with our peers, we can collectively push back against these exploitative tactics.