Non-profit work eventually pays for itself. After a few months or years of volunteer work, job applicants can truthfully say they “have experience.” To an employer, non-profit work also means that an applicant has a heart.

What follows is a list of charitable organizations in Charlotte, divided up into focus areas. Choose an area that looks particularly interesting, and research the non-profit groups within it.

Legal Assistance
Legal advocacy non-profits offer low-cost legal services to low-income residents. They often represent individuals in child custody, divorce, domestic violence and landlord-tenant cases. Some legal assistance groups specialize in helping children or the elderly. Groups that help prisoners or ex-convicts are also included here.

     Legal Aid of North Carolina: http://www.legalaidnc.org
     North Carolina Guardian ad Litem: http://www.nccourts.org/Citizens/GAL/Default.asp

Umbrella Organizations
Many non-profit organizations oversee a broad range of activities or give financial assistance to numerous charitable organizations. A non-profit job seeker can start at the umbrella organization and read about its non-profit members. Better yet, some non-profit umbrella organizations maintain their own job databases.

     American Red Cross, Gaston County: http://gastoncounty.redcross.org
     AmeriCorps: http://www.americorps.gov

This is just a sample of what you'll find in the complete Charlotte guide.