I agree with the sentiment around getting into government work. I somewhat stumbled into my current job but love a lot of things about it. Our company contracts with the US federal government and I work specifically with the VA.

Don’t know what specific skills you have experience in but I know we’re pretty much always hiring: https://oddball.io/jobs/

For government work, I stumbled into it. A friend got me the foot in the door. I really wish I could give you better advice on that but thats the truth. Its really flipping hard to get a job in my local gov area. Gov pay can be bad but it heavily depends on what/where you are. I make around -15% less than my last place, but I get a pension after a couple of years, so it evens out. Plus I dont feel like im selling my soul for a couple of bucks.

For non-profits, I simply searched for them on linkedin/indeed and found a couple in my area looking for software devs. The interview process is about the same as any other place, but they did take a look at my GitHub profile more than some others. At least when I got started.

So just like anything:

1. Make sure you know your stuff.
2. A portfolio of work is always going to be seen as a positive.
3. Keep your resume up to date.
4. Go to your local meetup groups on subjects you like (networking is important)

Hope that helps!