Certificate in Nonprofit Management with Simulation

This online certificate program, offered by our accredited school partners, introduces learners to key current management issues for nonprofit organizations. Fundraising, board and volunteer development, budgeting, reading financial statements, leadership, marketing, and setting strategic direction are all addressed, and video commentary on these crucial topics will give you insight into how nonprofit professionals apply key concepts in their own organizations. Enroll through one of our accredited university or college partners today!

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 1
Introduction to Nonprofit Management
• The purpose and structure of the nonprofit sector
• The governance of nonprofits, including the types of boards and the relationship between boards and executive directors
• How nonprofits establish their vision and strategic direction
• The nonprofit leadership role and what it entails
• Servant leadership
• Key ethical issues faced by nonprofits
• How nonprofits managers handle staff and volunteers
• Key financial issues facing nonprofits
• Key legal issues facing nonprofits
• The importance of marketing and communication for a nonprofit
• The basics of nonprofit fundraising
• The grant writing process
• The growing importance of social media for nonprofits
• Social entrepreneurship and social innovation
• Methods for assessing nonprofit performance
• Trends impacting nonprofits now and in the future

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 2
Capital Campaigns
• The five phases of a capital campaign
• Feasibility studies and why one should be conducted prior to a capital campaign
• What role consultants can play in conducting a feasibility study
• Important factors for evaluating consultants
• How tools like a gift range chart can help to organize campaign solicitations
• The different types of leadership teams and committees that may be formed to support a capital campaign
• Different techniques that can be used to troubleshoot a stalled capital campaign
• What is required for a successful solicitation meeting

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 3
Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations
• Key concepts related to nonprofit fundraising, such as annual campaigns, capital campaigns, and planned giving
• How nonprofit funds can be raised through direct mail and telemarketing
• How the Internet and social media channels may be used to generate donations
• Fundraising through corporate donations versus foundation grants
• The different sections of a grant application
• Methods for evaluating annual campaign performance
• How ethics applies to nonprofit fundraising
• The importance of donor relations

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 4
How to Read a Nonprofit Financial Statement
• The documents and financial statements included in a nonprofit organization's financial report
• The information found in nonprofit statements of financial positions
• The information found in the statement of activities
• The information found in the statement of cash flows
• The nature of business enterprises and nonprofit organizations, as reflected by the statement of financial position
• Financial (ratio) analysis and its objectives and limitations
• The various categories of financial ratios used in nonprofit analyses
• The ratios within each category

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 5
Introduction to Grant Writing
• The importance of grant writing to nonprofits and other organizations seeking funding
• How capital grants and endowment grants can be integrated into fundraising efforts, including matching funds
• How grant writing and fundraising represent complimentary methods of ensuring a nonprofit's financial stability
• The six stages of the grant writing process
• The process of identifying and establishing a need for funding (Stage One)
• How to research grantmakers and available grants (Stage Two)
• The process of establishing relationships with potential funders (Stage Three)
• The importance of alignment between a nonprofit and a funder's mission (Stage Four)
• The grant writing process (Stage Five)
• Tools and techniques employed in writing the grant proposal
• How a nonprofit should follow-up after winning or losing a grant award (Stage Six)
• Best practices for grant writing
• Case studies covering the six stages of grant writing

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 6
Budgeting in a Nonprofit Organization
• Uses and functions of nonprofit budgeting
• Different types of budgets used by a nonprofit organization
• The use of the organization-wide operating budget and program operating budgets
• How an operating budget is created
• Nonprofit operating budgets and variance analysis
• How a capital budget is used and created
• The importance of a cash flow budget and describe how it is created
• How the budget process can be managed for optimal results

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 7
Leadership in a Nonprofit Organization
• Leadership and explain its importance
• The better-known leadership theories (Fieldler's contingency theory, Path-goal theory, Vroom-Yetton-Jago theory)
• Leadership versus management and administration
• The role of ethics in leadership
• The benefits and drawbacks surrounding charismatic leadership
• The importance of training, learning, and role-playing in leadership
• The leadership shortage in the nonprofit sector and possible solutions to the problem
• The seven bases for leadership
• Why formal authority alone does not guarantee leadership
• Leadership issues that are especially important in the nonprofit environment
• Nine key qualities for leadership
• Leadership qualities that nonprofit leaders feel are important for success
• The five central skills needed for effective leadership and ways to strengthen or develop those skills in a leader

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 8
Nonprofit Board and Volunteer Development
• The reasons why people volunteer and how nonprofits can make volunteer programs more successful
• The responsibilities of the nonprofit board
• Different models for organizing a nonprofit board
• The differences between a nonprofit board and a for-profit board
• Different approaches for recruiting and filling a nonprofit board
• The pros and cons of large versus small boards
• Why board evaluations are useful
• Why nonprofit boards form committees
• Typical nonprofit board and staff interactions
• How nonprofits can develop and maintain a strong volunteer base

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 9
Principles of Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
• What marketing is within the nonprofit environment
• The service-intensive nature of nonprofit program activities
• How the marketing mix is expanded for service products (the Three Ps of Services Marketing)
• The importance of customer satisfaction and how expectations play a role in satisfaction with service products
• The role of ethics in nonprofit marketing
• The importance of a nonprofit marketing plan
• How target markets can be identified for donors
• How new service products are developed by nonprofits

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 10
Social Media for Nonprofits
• The importance of social media to nonprofits for communicating, marketing, public relations, and fundraising
• How social media can be used to better engage a nonprofit's audience
• Key questions nonprofits should consider as they become involved in social media
• Strengths and weaknesses of Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and other social media platforms
• The costs involved in social media
• The importance of establishing social media policies for your nonprofit
• The measurement of social media effectiveness in communicating messages and in fundraising
• Tools and techniques for successful social media use by a nonprofit
• The social media environment in case studies

Certificate in Nonprofit Management - Module 11
Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations
• What is strategy
• The basics of strategy in a nonprofit context
• The strategic planning process and how different approaches may be taken by different organizations
• How mission statements are constructed
• How budgets and capital budgets interrelate with nonprofit strategic planning
• The success factors for strategic planning
• The need for contingency planning

Simulation: Leading the Courtney Museum

All required reference materials are provided with this program. Technical requirements:

Internet Connection
• Broadband or High-Speed (DSL, Cable, Wireless)
Hardware Requirements
• Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher
• Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended

Software Requirements
• Operating Systems - Windows 7, 8 or 10; Mac OS x 10 or higher
• Microsoft Office 2007, 2010 or 2013 or a Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
• Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended
• Cookies MUST be enabled
• Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
• Adobe PDF Reader

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

This class is an independent-study course. Students will have all the resources needed to successfully complete the course within the online material. A student helpdesk is available for technical support during the course enrollment.