As any proud California native would tell you, the Golden State’s economy is the fifth largest in the world. Tech, entertainment, tourism, and even agriculture and shipping make a lot of people a lot of money. But what a lot of the aforementioned proud Californians might leave out of the conversation is that these prosperous industries aren’t prosperous for everyone.
According to the 2024 edition of the Silicon Valley Pain Index, just nine households control over $110 billion of the region’s wealth. Combined, the lowest-earning 50% of households in the area hold just a twelfth of that.
When you move down the coast to Los Angeles, things aren’t any better. 45,000 people in the city proper are unhoused. While that might not seem terribly shocking for a city that size, the fact that 29,000 are completely unsheltered is.
And that grand agricultural industry? 11% of its workforce lives in poverty, many of them immigrants or migrant workers who also struggle to find healthcare, housing, and other services.
While California has a more well-developed government social service system than most other states, that’s not always enough. But fortunately, Californians aren’t ones to let their communities crumble.
Instead of using their entrepreneurial drive to turn a profit, many use it to empower their neighbors — and with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Nonprofit Management, you can do the same.
An Overview of California’s Thriving Nonprofit Sector: Opportunities for Skilled Administrators
Tech, tourism, and other money-making sectors may get a lot of attention, but really, California’s nonprofit sector is as big a player in the state economy as any other industry. According to the California Employment Development Department, there are over 31,000 nonprofits in the state and they employ an astounding 1.65 million people. That’s roughly 10% of the state’s entire workforce.
But on top of that, nonprofits in California don’t restrict themselves to their own state’s borders. In fact, California supports organizations and campaigns in other states and countries to the tune of about $1.5 billion a year.
In this far-reaching and supportive network, there’s no shortage of career opportunities — no matter what skills you have or issues you’re dedicated to.
For starters, billion-dollar international organizations like Aids Healthcare Foundation, the Direct Relief healthcare advocacy network, and climate responsibility firm the Schmidt Family Foundation are all headquartered in California. These organizations all have staffs that rival that of any Fortune 500 company.
If you’re more interested in community-based advocacy, you have plenty of job opportunities there, too. For example, Equality California is an LGBTQ+ organization active in everything from legislation to school safety. In more rural parts of the state, you’ll find the California Farmworker Foundation helping migrant workers with their every need.
But whether a nonprofit has local, national, or international reach, they work closely with California’s county-based social service offices to make sure no one’s needs go unmet.
Career Paths and Salary Potential in the Nonprofit Space
When it comes to actual positions you can hold with an MBA in Nonprofit Management, you’ll find the larger nonprofit agencies have similar options to what you’d find in the private sector: departmental manager, project manager, director, marketing specialist, c-suite positions, and so on.
But when it comes to more unique leadership positions, some of the more common options include:
- Policy analyst. These professionals study internal and governmental policies and advocate for large-scale, systemic reform.
- Fundraising manager. Half marketer, half financial manager, a fundraising manager can do everything from manage budgets to run donation campaigns.
- Program director. This type of nonprofit executive is typically in charge of specific services offered to whoever an organization serves.
- Communications director. Private organizations often have communications directors, too, but in the nonprofit sector, they’re responsible for keeping the public, government officials, donors, and other stakeholders informed and active in operations.
Given all these different possibilities, it’s hard to pin down the exact salary a nonprofit manager or administrator might make. However, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that social and community service managers of all kinds make a median salary of $89,480 in California which ranks pretty high compared to many other states. In nearby Nevada, the average is only $70,180.
But with an MBA in Nonprofit Management, you’ll likely be able to qualify for some high level positions. In that case, your salary might be closer to about $104,490 and $137,330. According to BLS, the top 25% of community and social service managers make salaries in this range and above.
MBA in Nonprofit Management Online and at Campus Locations in California
In a lot of ways, being an administrator at a nonprofit is similar to being one at a for-profit organization. There are budgets to manage, people to develop, audiences to reach, and so on. You can enroll in an MBA program of just about any kind and learn these skills.
However, nonprofits must adhere to some unique regulations and come up against some unique challenges. That’s where a specialized MBA in Nonprofit Management program comes in.
If choose an MBA program that lets students specialize in nonprofit management, you’ll likely take classes on:
- Grant writing and fundraising
- Taxes and exemptions
- Financial regulations (transparency, reporting, etc.)
- Lobbying and political influence
- Designing and running advocacy campaigns
- Social science research
That being said, though, when it comes to curriculum, MBA programs in nonprofit management vary quite a bit. That’s especially true in California. Advocacy is a long-running tradition in the Golden State meaning there’s an impressive variety of Nonprofit MBA programs to choose from.
For example, UC Berkeley’s MBA in Social Sector Leadership program offers a data-focused curriculum that includes classes on social impact metrics, technology, and running impactful startups. The Impact Investing Practicum and International Development and Enterprise Club give you a chance to do some intense hands-on learning, too.
At CSU Bakersfield, the Nonprofit/Public Administration MBA program combines public administration classes with a more traditional MBA curriculum. This would be a great option if you want to get into social service or charity administration.
In Rosemead, you’ll find the University of the West, a Buddhist-affiliated university with a truly unique MBA in Nonprofit Organization Management program. Whether you’re learning about managerial accounting or how to market service programs, effective, ethical leadership is always front and center.
However, these are only a few of the great MBA in Nonprofit Management programs California has to offer. Wherever you feel called to lead, there’s likely a program out there that can help you put your drive to work. To get you started, here’s a few to explore:
University of California-Los Angeles
John E. Anderson School of Management
Los Angeles, CA
AACSB
Master of Business Administration in Social Impact
University of California-Berkeley
Haas School of Business
Berkeley, CA
AACSB
Master of Business Administration in Social Sector Leadership
California State University Bakersfield
School of Business and Public Administration
Bakersfield, CA
AACSB
Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit/Public Administration
Golden Gate University
Ageno School of Business
San Francisco, CA
AACSB
Master of Business Administration in Public Administration
University of La Verne
College of Business
La Verne, CA
WASC
Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Management
University of the West
Rosemead, CA
WASC (regional, institutional)
Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Organization Management
Azusa Pacific University
School of Business and Management
Azusa, CA
IACBE
Master of Business Administration in Public Administration
Hope International University
College of Business and Management
Fullerton, CA
IACBE
Master of Business Administration in Non-Profit Management
Antioch University
Online with campuses in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, CA
HLC
Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Leadership
Touro University Worldwide
Online
School of Business and Management
ACBSP
Master of Business Administration in Nonprofit Management
2023 US Bureau of Labor Statistics and Projections Central salary and employment figures for social and community service managers reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed February 2025.