Q. I was job hunting last summer and there seemed to be more openings advertised than there are now, in the winter. Are some times of year better than others for seeking nonprofit jobs?

A. You're right, the nonprofit job market is chillier during the winter. In part, that's because many organizations plan for new hires to start work on the first of the year, says Deborah Sawyer, a partner in the Atlanta office of the recruiting company Morgan Howard Worldwide. "As organizations begin budget planning, " she says, "they anticipate the need for new hires to be on board the first of the year, and therefore gear up the hiring machine in late summer."

Scarcer job openings in the winter are also a result of the way that organizations often run their fiscal years concurrent with the calendar year, says Kristin Mannion, senior client partner at the recruiter Korn/Ferry International, in Washington. As the holiday season draws near, she says, "organizations review their goals and evaluate how close they are to realizing them. This leads to discussion, internally and at the board level. These discussions act as a catalyst for change and often trigger the need for new management and direction." That in turn can translate into a job posting, but by the time everyone signs off on the decision, the weather's already thawing. You'll likely see an increase in job postings beginning in the spring.

Of course, this doesn't mean that all nonprofit employers hibernate during the winter. Jobs crop up that must be filled immediately -- such as when a staff member leaves unexpectedly. And some organizations don't peg their fiscal year to the calendar year, so new job postings can pop up at any time.

Q. Where can I get a free list of all 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with their Employer Identification Number numbers and their current status? Is there a directory available online?

A. The Internal Revenue Service has a list of registered charities available for a free download on its Web site. The catch: The information that it provides is far from comprehensive. You'll find the charity's name and address, and that's about it.

You'll find more comprehensive information about charities on GuideStar. Here you can look up charities by name, city, category, keyword, and so on, using the site's advanced search function. But the free search function is not intended to provide you with a directory -- GuideStar charges for that information. Familiarize yourself with the usage policy here and learn about reports that you can buy from GuideStar here.

Q. I'm going to begin raising money for a church that was founded by my late grandfather. I'd like to raise enough money to renovate it over the next two years, but I don't know where to begin and our membership has dwindled to just a few, very financially needy members. What can you tell me about the funding options that might be available to us?

A. When you're trying to raise money, and your membership is cash-strapped, it's time to get creative. John Sellars, senior vice president for institutional advancement at Syracuse University, and a former minister for the Community of Christ Church, encourages you to explore every angle. For example: Is your church's building historically significant? If so, he says, you might find money to help preserve the structure. (Search for grants via the Foundation Center library -- and don't forget about The Chronicle's own Guide to Grants.)

Then, think expansively about the people who have a stake in your church. "Review old membership records to see if there are wealthy children or grandchildren who no longer live in the area, but would enjoy the opportunity to help preserve the church, " suggests Mr. Sellars. "Are there friends of the church who are not currently members but would feel like they have a stake in preservation of the building? Relatives of the pastors who served the church over the years? I know a pastor's granddaughter, who is very wealthy. She paid the full cost of restoring her grandfather's church."

You might also think about fund-raising events that make sense for your church. For pointers, take a look at The Fundraising Guide for Chairpersons: Seven Steps to Coordinating Non-Profit and Church Organizations Fund-Raising Events, by Ron Urbanczyk (Universal Publishers, $19.95, 2001). Such events probably won't solve your fund-raising problem completely, says Mr. Sellars, but they might help give you a start. You didn't mention what denomination your church is, but you might find it helpful to review the fund-raising standards of the Evangelical Council for Fundraising Accountability.

For more inspiration and ideas, you might want to read Growing Givers' Hearts: Treating Fundraising as a Ministry, by Thomas H. Jeavons and Rebekah Burch Basinger (Jossey-Bass, $26.95, 2000).

Q. I'd like to start a charity that would help young children and teens diagnosed with certain mental disorders that affect their decision-making abilities, such as oppositional defiant disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity, and so on. Where should I start?

A. Start by making sure that there isn't an organization that's already focusing on your potential mission. For example, a quick check of GuideStar, an online database of nonprofit groups around the country, revealed about 50 organizations that are focused to some extent on attention-deficit disorder, so you'll want to do some research and see how your idea checks out against the competition.

If you find an organization with a similar mission, you might want to take the opportunity to volunteer. This will give you a sense of what's required to run a charity, and it will also help you to further hone your own idea for a new organization.

Debrah Constance, founder of A Place Called Home, a children's charity in Los Angeles, volunteered with other youth organizations before she launched her own group in 1993. If you do decide to step out on your own, she suggests looking for a way to collaborate with an existing organization. She started her charity in a room of a local church, before she had her own facility. "It was a steppingstone in the funding process that took me years to accomplish, " she says. She started out serving 11 children, and now serves more than 400.

For additional help, check out these resources for starting a charity.

Got a question about job hunting, recruiting, or managing in the nonprofit world? Send it to us at hotline@philanthropy.com.

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