Does spending other people's money appeal to you? Even more so if it does some social good? Then foundation work might be right up your alley.

Find Out More The Council on Foundations has a comprehensive Web site that talks about the role of foundations and links to other resources. The Foundation Center, based in New York with offices around the country, is a nonprofit set up to support and publicize the role of foundations in American society. It is an excellent resource. The Chronicle of Philanthropy is also an excellent resource with all sorts of up-to-date news on the nonprofit world.

Foundations are nonprofit organizations that identify and fund nonprofits' projects, and now more and more foundations are becoming involved in international work. Bill Gates's Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is a prime example of a newer institution that is very interested in doing work overseas, particularly related to international health. Other organizations, like the Ford and Rockefeller foundations, have long been involved overseas.

Due to a strong economy that resulted in increased revenue for their endowments, US foundations gave a record amount in 1999, according to the Foundation Center, a nonprofit that helps to publicize foundations in the US. The estimated $22.8 billion in grants meant a 17.2% increase over the $19.5 billion in 1998. Corporate foundations also significantly increased their giving; grant making rose to almost $3 billion in 1999, compared to $2.45 billion for the prior year.

Types of Foundations
There are many different types of foundations. Larger public foundations involved in international work include the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation. Corporate foundations derive grant-making funds primarily from the contributions of a profit-making business; Chase, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs are all examples. Community foundations support charitable activities focused around a specific geographic region and tend to be more domestic than international. Family foundations are set up by an individual donor and are usually overseen or managed by the original donor or his or her family.

The Scoop on Foundation Jobs
Foundations are hard nuts to crack in terms of jobs. Their staffs tend to be small so funding can be directed towards grants to other organizations rather than their own administrative costs. There is a distinct foundation culture, and jobs are often filled through word of mouth. Still, there are many publications and Web sites that offer more information (see side bar).

It is important to understand the organizational structure of foundations. While they vary widely, foundations usually have a significant mid- to senior-level professional staff and a small administrative support staff. Most entry-level positions in a foundation are administrative and require only a BA. Jobs for those with a master's degree and just a few years of work experience are few and far between.

Mid-level positions, usually with the title program officer, require at least a master's degree and sometimes a PhD and usually 8 to 10 years of nonprofit experience. This professional background ensures that a program officer can readily identify and evaluate the kinds of projects that are most needed and have the highest chance of success. For example, if there is an opening for a program officer to identify and fund projects in international health, the foundation would want to hire someone with extensive experience as a practitioner or manager in the field of international public health and who has spent significant time overseas.

There are also other jobs in foundations -- those positions needed in any organization, like human resource, technical and financial professionals. These positions can be an excellent window into the foundation world and are often easier to obtain than the highly desirable program officer positions.