12 Non-Profit Program Manager Resume Examples for 2025

In this article, we provide key tips for building a strong resume for a non-profit program manager role. Expect clear advice and examples on what to include: management experience, measurable impact, and relevant skills. Learn how to format your resume to showcase your experience and dedication to making a difference.

  Compiled and approved by Marie-Caroline Pereira
  Last updated on See history of changes

  Next update scheduled for

At a Glance

Here's what we see in the best resumes for this industry.

  • Show Impact With Numbers: The best resumes show impact using numbers. Common metrics include increased volunteer participation by 25%, reduced expense by 15%, improved program reach by 30%, and managed budgets up to $1 million.

  • Include Relevant Skills: Include skills on your resume that you have and are mentioned on the job description. Some popular ones are grant writing, budget management, data analysis, program development, and project management software. But don't include all of them, choose the ones you have and are mentioned in the JD.

  • Highlight Unique Challenges: Non-profit work has unique challenges. Use phrases like fundraising campaigns, community outreach, and stakeholder engagement to show you understand this.

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Education positioning on resume

Place your education near the top if you are new to the workforce or if you have recently completed significant education, like a master's degree. This helps explain any gaps in your employment and shows the value you can bring to a non-profit program.

If you have been working for some years, put your work experience first. In this field, practical skills managing projects, fundraising, or coordinating events are crucial. Your hands-on experience should be the first thing hiring managers see. Highlight any specific program management or relevant sector experience here.

Show impact with metrics

Include specific metrics to show your impact. Use numbers to quantify the results of the programs you managed, like the number of beneficiaries or percentage growth.

This helps employers see your value and effectiveness in a nonprofit setting, where impact is crucial.

Correct resume length

For a program manager in the non-profit sector, it's essential to keep your resume concise yet informative. If you have less than 10 years of experience, aim for just one page. This helps you to present your most relevant skills and accomplishments without overwhelming the reader. Remember, what you include should reflect your strength in program development and community outreach.

For those with more than 10 years of experience, a two-page resume can be appropriate. Use the extra space to detail significant projects or leadership roles that showcase your ability to manage programs and drive results. However, ensure your key achievements are on the first page as hiring managers often review this page most thoroughly. Focus on readability by avoiding small fonts and narrow margins. Instead, choose clarity and prioritize the most impactful information about your nonprofit management expertise.

Highlight relevant skills

Emphasize skills like grant writing and volunteer management. These are key skills specific to nonprofit program managers.

Include examples of how you have successfully secured funding or managed volunteer teams in your past roles.

Beat the resume screeners

When you apply for a job as a program manager at a non-profit, you need to pass the first test: the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). This system looks at your resume to see if you're a good match for the job. To make sure you get through, follow these tips.

  • Use keywords from the job posting in your resume. For example, if the posting says 'community outreach,' make sure you mention your experience in this area.
  • Make your resume easy to read. Use a clear font and put your most important jobs and skills at the top. This helps the ATS and the hiring manager see right away that you are a strong fit for the role of managing programs.

Match your experiences to the job

When applying to manage programs at a non-profit, show how your past work fits with what is needed. Focus on the skills that matter for this job. Use simple words to make it clear you're a good fit.

  • Review the job listing and use the same words they do to describe your skills. For example, if they ask for 'program development,' you could say: Developed and managed multiple community-focused health programs.
  • Show work that proves you can handle the job, like managing budgets or leading teams. Use numbers to show the size of the budget or team you managed.
  • If your past job was different, find what is similar. For example, if you worked in events, focus on your planning and organizing skills.

Ignoring impact and clarity

When you apply for a role managing programs at a non-profit, it's key to show the effects of your work clearly. Many times, job seekers list job duties instead of showing how their work has helped. Talk about the number of people your programs have helped or how much funding you have raised. These details show your impact.

Another common mistake is writing long sentences that are hard to understand. Use short and simple sentences. Make sure each sentence has only one main idea. This makes your resume easier to read. For example, rather than saying 'Managed a team that developed and executed educational programs for underprivileged communities that resulted in significant improvement in literacy rates,' you could say 'Led a team to boost literacy in poor areas. Raised reading skills by 20%.' These simple sentences show what you have done and how well you did it.

Use dynamic verbs for impact

When you apply for a program manager role at a non-profit, you want to show you can lead and make things happen. Choose verbs that make your experience stand out. Think about words that explain how you have managed, changed, or improved programs. These verbs show your skills in action and help me, as a hiring manager, see your value.

Before you list your achievements, think about the strong actions you took to reach them. Here are some verbs that will help your resume shine. They show your ability to lead projects and work with others, which is crucial for managing programs in a non-profit setting.

  • To demonstrate leadership and initiative, use orchestrated, pioneered, spearheaded, launched, mobilized.
  • For highlighting strategic planning, choose devised, formulated, planned, designed, tailored.
  • To illustrate successful program execution, opt for implemented, executed, administered, enacted, operated.
  • When showing how you have built relationships or partnerships, use fostered, partnered, collaborated, negotiated, united.
  • To reflect your problem-solving skills, include resolved, remedied, overhauled, reconciled, amended.

Want inspiration for other action verbs you can use? Check out synonyms to commonly used action verbs like Aided, Communicate, Selected, Handling, Generated.

Highlight your achievements

When you create your resume as a program manager for a non-profit, you must focus on your achievements, not just your job duties. Listing what you were responsible for doesn't show how well you did it. Employers want to see the change you made and the value you added.

For each role you've held, think about how your work made a difference. Did you raise funds, grow your program, or improve efficiency? Turn each key responsibility into a statement of your achievement. For example:

  • Instead of saying, 'Responsible for fundraising activities,' you can write, 'Raised $50,000 in funds, exceeding the target by 20%.'
  • Rather than 'Managed a team of volunteers,' say 'Supervised a team of 30 volunteers, increasing program delivery by 25%.'

Use numbers to show scale and results. This will help employers see your potential impact on their organization.

Key skills for effective program management

As a hiring manager, I've seen that certain skills can make a big difference on a non-profit program manager's resume. Here are some you should consider:

  • Grant writing
  • Budget management
  • Program development
  • Volunteer coordination
  • Event planning
  • Stakeholder engagement
  • Performance measurement
  • Database management
  • Policy analysis
  • Strategic planning

Make sure you show these skills in your work experience. For example, talk about a grant you wrote or a budget you managed. Include numbers to show size or results, like 'Managed a $50,000 budget' or 'Increased donations by 20%'. This is good for the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and shows me, the hiring manager, exactly what you can do.

Remember, you don't need all these skills. Just pick the ones that match the job you want. Think about what a non-profit program manager does. If you plan events, make 'event planning' a skill on your resume. If you work with databases, list 'database management'. Put these skills in a skills section so they are easy to find.

Showcase leadership growth

As you list your past roles, make sure you show any leadership roles or promotions you've earned. This tells employers you're ready to take on responsibility and can lead a team. Think about times you've led a project or were given more tasks. Even small steps up can show you're ready to manage programs.

  • Coordinated a team of volunteers for a major fundraising event, leading to a 20% increase in donations.
  • Promoted from assistant to program coordinator after demonstrating strong project management skills and leading community outreach efforts.

Remember, titles like 'coordinator,' 'supervisor,' or 'team lead' signal you've held leadership roles. If you've trained new staff or led meetings, these are also good signs of leadership. Include these on your resume to show you've got what it takes to manage programs and lead teams.

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