Non-Profit Careers Conference
Save the dates of January 12th-16th for the 2026 NPCC
The annual Non-Profit Careers Conference is a great learning opportunity for students considering careers in non-profit and community-based organizations, activism, public service and social change.
About the Conference
The Non-Profit Careers Conference (NPCC) is a week-long immersive experience designed to introduce students to nonprofit leadership, community partnership, and public service through a community-engaged lens. Hosted annually in January during winter break, NPCC brings together Holy Cross students, alumni, and local nonprofit leaders to critically examine the social issues that shape our communities and explore how nonprofit organizations respond to them through advocacy, organizing, and systems-level change.
NPCC offers students the chance to practice civic leadership in context, built around real organizations, real community needs, and real job pathways.
Housing and food costs are covered.
Conference Goals
Students will discern how their strengths, passions, and educational experiences connect to potential roles in public service, nonprofit work, and civic leadership.
Students will build practical and civic skills that prepare them to engage meaningfully with nonprofit and community organizations.
Students will strengthen their understanding of how social issues emerge and evolve and how community-rooted organizations respond to those issues through organizing, service, and advocacy.
Students will examine how ethical principles operate in real-world nonprofit and community contexts. They will learn to recognize the practical challenges organizations face and apply creativity, collaboration, and moral reasoning to address those challenges responsibly.
What To Expect
The conference centers around four grounding questions and a number of workshops that guide students through them.
Grounding Questions
- Who am I?
- Who are we?
- What is my responsibility to the community?
- How do I harness my skills?
Sample Workshops
- Marketing Yourself
- Nonprofits 101
- Introduction to Vocation & Discernment
- CliftonStrengths
- Introduction to Case Studies
- On Mission
- Place-Based Community Engagement
- Public Speaking and Listening with Substance
- “Agitators, Innovators, and Orchestrators” Workshops
- Young Alumni Think Tank
I learned how many opportunities there are to get involved and how much good is coming from Worcester. I also learned more about non-profits and their dynamic in society, especially with addressing issues that are often overlooked or ignored by officials. I will take away the importance of helping others and asking difficult questions to create change.
Case Studies
A central feature of NPCC is the Case Study project, in which student teams work closely with local nonprofit organizations to analyze real challenges facing Worcester communities. Each case study is grounded in the ongoing work, histories, and future goals of a community partner who shares their mission, current priorities, and areas of inquiry. By engaging directly with organizations as co-educators, students learn how nonprofit leadership is practiced in real time—within structural constraints, community contexts, and local histories.
The Case Study component culminates in the presentation of a final report in which student teams offer analysis and recommendations that center equity, sustainability, and community voice. This process not only strengthens students’ leadership and problem-solving skills, but also invites them to reflect critically on what equitable partnership requires and how civic responsibility is practiced in community.
Examples of case studies from 2025 are below:
Past Conferences
In lieu of an in-person 2021 conference, the Donelan Office and the Center for Career Development held three virtual alumni panels. The stories and advice from the alumni featured in these panels are applicable to many sectors in the non-profit world and to career discernment overall. Watch them to learn more!
- "Leadership in Non-Profits"
- "The Business side of Non-Profits"
- "Entry-level jobs in the Non-Profit Sector"
Questions? Contact the Donelan Office or the Center for Career Development.