Highlight your non-profit experience and passion for the cause

Many COOs transition into the non-profit sector from corporate roles. If this applies to you, it's crucial to highlight any volunteer, board, or professional experience you have with non-profit organizations. Show your passion for the cause in your resume summary. For example:

Operationally-focused executive with 15+ years of leadership experience. Passionate about wildlife conservation and environmental sustainability. Board member of Keep America Beautiful, leading a $1.2M fundraising initiative to support recycling programs in underserved communities.

If you don't have direct non-profit experience, emphasize transferable skills and leadership qualities that align well with a mission-driven organization.

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   Showcase your fundraising and financial management skills

As a non-profit COO, a key part of your role will be ensuring the financial health and sustainability of the organization. Highlight your experience with:

• Managing annual budgets over $20M and leading cost-reduction initiatives to save $500K+ per year
• Securing major gifts and grants, such as a $1M grant from the Gates Foundation
• Overseeing successful fundraising campaigns that raised $2.5M+ in recurring donations
• Implementing financial controls and risk management practices to maintain a clean audit

Quantify your fundraising and financial accomplishments with specific dollar amounts and % improvements to paint a clear picture of your impact.

   Demonstrate your experience driving organizational growth and impact

Non-profit boards and CEOs look for COO candidates who can take the organization to the next level and expand its reach and impact. Have you:

• Led a non-profit through 30% year-over-year growth for 3 consecutive years?
• Launched new programs that doubled the number of beneficiaries served to 50,000+?
• Expanded into new geographic markets, opening 5 new chapters nationally?
• Drove key operational metrics like increasing volunteer retention by 25%?

Use numbers, percentages, and other KPIs to concretely show how you've moved the needle and delivered results. Tie your achievements back to the non-profit's mission and the lives impacted whenever possible.

   Highlight your collaboration and relationship-building skills

As COO, you'll need to be a skilled collaborator who can build relationships with the board, staff, partners, funders, and other stakeholders. Provide examples of how you:

• Partnered with the CEO and board on developing a new 5-year strategic plan
• Served as the executive sponsor of the DEI committee and implemented organization-wide training
• Represented the organization as a spokesperson at major conferences and donor events
• Collaborated with HR to improve employee engagement scores by 15% on the annual survey

Avoid generic collaboration statements like:

• Excellent collaborator with great people skills
• Able to partner effectively with stakeholders at all levels

Instead, aim to show specific outcomes achieved through your collaboration and relationship-building efforts.

   Tailor your resume to the specific non-profit and mission

While it's tempting to use the same COO resume for every non-profit you apply to, it's important to customize your document to the specific organization and cause area. Research the non-profit's mission, values, and strategic priorities. Speak to those in your resume summary and bullets. For example:

Mission-driven COO with a track record of scaling organizations focused on educational equity. At Teach for America, launched 10 new sites in underserved rural communities, impacting 5,000+ students. Secured $10M+ in new funding partnerships with districts and states. Passionate about closing the achievement gap.

By tailoring your resume to the non-profit's mission and using language from the job description, you'll show that you've done your homework and increase your chances of moving forward in the hiring process.