If you are looking for rewards from your career that you can't deposit in the bank, a position in a non-profit legal department might be right for you. For Kimberly Simpson, newly elected general counsel of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the reward is in supporting the mission of the breast cancer foundation.

“Life is short and you shouldn't do anything that you are not passionate about or do not enjoy or that doesn't really energize you,” Simpson says. “I have found that because I am working in the non-profit sector, particularly working for the cure, I am practically springing out of bed in the morning.”

Simpson, who joins the network of breast cancer survivors and activists from another non-profit–the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas–had her share of careers before deciding to go the non-profit route. After working in law firms, marketing and advertising firms, Simpson said she found the best of all worlds in non-profit legal departments.

In addition to the satisfaction of furthering a worthy cause, taking the legal helm at a non-profit offers opportunities for growth similar to those of heading a small legal department. If you want to expand your skill set, joining a non-profit will facilitate that because non-profit GCs typically have ownership of a wide spectrum of legal issues. According to Simpson, her new position gives her the opportunity to work on contracts, intellectual property and even some international issues. She will manage the legal affairs of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and its 125 affiliates, serve as secretary to the board of directors and manage the internal audit and risk management functions of the organization.

In terms of advancement, non-profit attorneys can look to larger, or more prestigious, non-profit organizations with bigger budgets and higher profile positions. But a non-profit career usually means smaller paychecks.

According to Altman Weil's “Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey,” the median cash compensation for general counsel in non-profit or government positions was $284,000 in 2006. That compares to $525,000 for general counsel in publicly held companies and $352,000 for general counsel in privately held companies.

For those like Simpson who joined the non-profit world out of a sense of commitment, the financial sacrifice is well worth it.

“There is a real mission and a real sense of urgency at non-profits,” Simpson says. “And it makes working those lawyer's hours a lot more satisfying.”

If you are looking for rewards from your career that you can't deposit in the bank, a position in a non-profit legal department might be right for you. For Kimberly Simpson, newly elected general counsel of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the reward is in supporting the mission of the breast cancer foundation.

“Life is short and you shouldn't do anything that you are not passionate about or do not enjoy or that doesn't really energize you,” Simpson says. “I have found that because I am working in the non-profit sector, particularly working for the cure, I am practically springing out of bed in the morning.”

Simpson, who joins the network of breast cancer survivors and activists from another non-profit–the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas–had her share of careers before deciding to go the non-profit route. After working in law firms, marketing and advertising firms, Simpson said she found the best of all worlds in non-profit legal departments.

In addition to the satisfaction of furthering a worthy cause, taking the legal helm at a non-profit offers opportunities for growth similar to those of heading a small legal department. If you want to expand your skill set, joining a non-profit will facilitate that because non-profit GCs typically have ownership of a wide spectrum of legal issues. According to Simpson, her new position gives her the opportunity to work on contracts, intellectual property and even some international issues. She will manage the legal affairs of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and its 125 affiliates, serve as secretary to the board of directors and manage the internal audit and risk management functions of the organization.

In terms of advancement, non-profit attorneys can look to larger, or more prestigious, non-profit organizations with bigger budgets and higher profile positions. But a non-profit career usually means smaller paychecks.

According to Altman Weil's “Law Department Compensation Benchmarking Survey,” the median cash compensation for general counsel in non-profit or government positions was $284,000 in 2006. That compares to $525,000 for general counsel in publicly held companies and $352,000 for general counsel in privately held companies.

For those like Simpson who joined the non-profit world out of a sense of commitment, the financial sacrifice is well worth it.

“There is a real mission and a real sense of urgency at non-profits,” Simpson says. “And it makes working those lawyer's hours a lot more satisfying.”