Good morning SS-
I completely understand where you are coming from with being at a job that is merely tolerable. I too am in a position that pays me a decent salary but this is not what I am passionate about. Additionally, I work with agencies, most if not all, are Non-profits that provide services based on grant funding. That being said, I have seen some of our most prominent NP agencies suffer budget cuts this year and not a huge hope on the horizon to get those dollars back. As a result, they have had to make a lot of position cuts. Most people who get into NP work do it for one of two reasons:
1) They believe in the cause and it isn’t about the money; or
2) It is merely a stepping stone of experience for the next, better paying, job.
So I would look at why you want to go to a non-profit, determine if their cause is what drives you, and go from there. Also, is it HR/Operations that you really want or Non-profit work? Maybe those lines need to be better defined. Someone below mentioned volunteering at one to get your foot in the door and get you the experience you need. See about becoming a Board member of a Non-Profit and get an up close look at the inner workings of a non-profit. Part of my current job allowed me to be a Board Member of a Non-profit for serving under privileged youth and I will tell you, it is all about passion and very little about salary. My hope was to one day secure employment with that Non-Profit and after 5 years on their board, I saw their staff go from 6 PT & FT staff, to one and ½! On a final note, I would take out the caveat of forgiven student loans. That is a bonus we would all like to have but that shouldn’t be a driving force. Again, with all the government cuts I wouldn’t be surprised if that is taken off the table when you hit your 9 years and 11 months with a non-profit. I hope this helps at least give you some food for thought.