The research examines the multidimensional relationship between employees’ perception of HR practices and employee engagement in nonprofits. The findings suggest that perception of HR practices at individual and organizational levels are associated with employee engagement. It suggests that HR practices are antecedents of engagement and emphasizes how employees perceive HR practices individually through the process of shared sense-making which influence their behaviour and attitudes. Nonprofit engagement is influenced significantly by employees’ perception of HR practices that they find valuable individually and central to the public good in the mission and values that employees are able to actualize through nonprofits. Our findings are consistent with Kahn’s (1990; 1992) and Saks (2006) explanation that the individual perception of the value, relevance and importance of the work role and membership in the organization induce the investment of physical, cognitive and emotional energy. The findings lay a foundation for research on engagement and HR practices.