A few years ago, JVA alum Wendy Longwood wrote this introductory piece for JVA’s Executive Director Academy. The sector has grown a bit, but the benefits of leading an organization in the sector remain.

10  You always wondered what NPO stood for.

You’re joining a sector with 1.6 million nonprofit organizations (NPOs), which comprises 5.5% of the economy and employs 10 percent of the country’s workforce. Climb on board!

9  It’s where the money is.

OK, you won’t make an easy million, but with over $300 billion in philanthropy given away annually by individuals, foundations and corporations, the nonprofit sector is a significant part of the U.S. economy. Keep the small change.

8 You get to have “.org” at the end of your email.

And if you’re really on top of it, you’ll join with leading-edge nonprofits that are leveraging the power of the internet for social marketing, friend-raising and philanthropy. Twitter on, folks.

7 Free hors d’oeuvres provided at many networking events.

Relationships are essential to nonprofit success. Take your love of parties (and catered food) to the next level and develop collaborations, partnerships and connections to strengthen your organization. Cheers!

6 You didn’t get enough wrangling in your annual dude ranch vacations.

Now you can bring those skills to bear with your board, volunteers, staff, donors and constituents. Where else can you have so many diverse groups vying for your attention?

5 It sounds cools to talk about double and triple bottom lines.

Profit is so passé. You get to talk about being financially sound while also having a social impact and contributing to an environmentally sustainable world. How cool is that?

4 Tax forms weren’t interesting enough.

Now that electronic filing has simplified your personal taxes, you’re ready to ramp it up and figure out the new 990 tax forms for nonprofit organizations that went into effect in 2009. Make tax day exciting again!

3 You wanted to be a juggler, but career paths were limited.

You’ll get to apply those hard-earned skills every day in your job as ED. Who said running off to the circus didn’t lead anywhere?

2 People give you stuff.

Mary meets Jose, Jose works for a local nonprofit, Mary is impressed, Jose asks Mary to help out, Mary gives Jose a big check. Mary’s check makes a difference in someone’s life. Now that’s a good use of “stuff.”

1 You get to change the world. Enough said.

If you’re a new executive director, or you’re considering applying for or accepting an executive director position (or any leadership role, for that matter!), then don’t miss our Executive Director Academy. This five-day leadership bootcamp features sessions on evaluation, fundraising, shared leadership, grantwriting, governance and MORE—all designed to provide a fun and informative look at what it really means to be an executive director.

For more information and to register, click here.