08/12/2026
One assumption comes up in recruiting conversations more often than almost any other:
"We're in a major city. Finding candidates shouldn't be that hard."
In reality, the opposite is often true.
The largest nonprofit markets are also some of the most competitive. Experienced professionals are being recruited by healthcare systems, universities, foundations, professional associations, and private companies—often at the same time.
Recently, we partnered with a long-established professional association in New York City to recruit a Marketing Director.
The search generated 55 applications.
Only 6 candidates were presented to the client.
Just 2 of those six applied directly.
The candidate who was ultimately hired never submitted an application. They were identified through targeted outreach by one of our recruiters.
That search reinforced something we've seen repeatedly over the years:
Applicant volume rarely predicts hiring success. Candidate quality does.
It's one of several observations that inspired our latest article on how nonprofit organizations approach recruiting in today's competitive talent market.
Learn how nonprofit recruiting changes in major cities and why successful organizations rely on thoughtful hiring strategies—not just larger applicant pools.