Nonprofit Management

About the Certificate Program

Purchase College is pleased to partner with MindEdge in offering the Nonprofit Management Certificate Program. This program offers affordable, practical, and accessible information to people working in and with the nonprofit arena, whether they are paid staff, directors, board members, philanthropists, or volunteers. These self-paced online courses tackle skills important to the management and fiscal support of nonprofit organizations. Online courses must be completed by the end of the corresponding term. Register for the entire Nonprofit Management Certificate “Suite” and save!

Take a Demo!
Just follow this link to sample the interactive exercises and mini-cases that you will experience once you register!

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For Certified Fundraising Executives (CFRE):
The Nonprofit Management Certificate curriculum has been approved for continuing education points by CFRE International. Complete the entire suite and receive 24 CFRE continuing education points, or enroll in any of the individual courses and earn three to five CFRE continuing education points. Complete Leading the Courtney Museum Simulation and earn 10 CFRE continuing education points. Use this handy sheet (PDF) to track your CFRE points.

Nonprofit Management Certificate “Suite”
Enroll in the entire Nonprofit Management Certificate program “suite” of eight courses and prepare yourself for the real-world leadership issues confronted by nonprofit managers. You will be exposed to the latest thinking about fundraising, board and volunteer development, budgeting, marketing, and strategic direction for the nonprofit sector. Through the use of selected readings, video interviews, presentations, and interactive exercises, explore nonprofit management and the latest trends and developments in the nonprofit world.
Estimated time to complete: 24–36 hours
240-day access / $699 / Register for all eight courses

Required Courses
1   Budgeting in a Nonprofit Organization
2   Capital Campaigns (New!)
3   Fundraising in a Nonprofit Organization
4   How to Read a Nonprofit Financial Statement
5   Leadership in a Nonprofit Organization
6   Nonprofit Board and Volunteer Development
7   Principles of Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
8   Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations

Simulation
1   Leading the Courtney Museum Simulation

Certificate Courses

Budgeting in a Nonprofit Organization
Gain an understanding of budgets and how they are used in nonprofit organizational settings. Learn the uses and functions of budgets and the relationship between strategic budgeting and tactical budgeting. Learn to recognize organization-wide budgets and different budget systems. Get an overview of advanced budgeting topics, such as capital budgets, cash flow budgets, and opportunity budgets. Learn how nonprofit organizations are using different budgeting techniques to handle operating challenges. Gain the ability to analyze a nonprofit operating budget. You will have access to this course for 30 days.
Estimated time to complete: 3–5 hrs.
30-day access / $79 / Register for this course

Capital Campaigns (New!)
Recognize key terminology and practices surrounding running a successful capital campaign within a nonprofit organization. You will learn about the phases of conducting a capital campaign—evaluation, feasibility study, organization, solicitation, and post-campaign activities—as well as how to avoid common pitfalls in capital campaigns. Expert video commentary, a case study, and vocabulary game will ensure that you have a solid grasp of the content for execution in your nonprofit organization.
Estimated time to complete: 3-5 hours
30-day access / $79 / Register for this course

Fundraising in a Nonprofit Organization
Study fundraising for nonprofit organizations with an emphasis on the fundamental issues. Learn the key concepts related to nonprofit fundraising, such as annual campaigns, capital campaigns, and planned giving. Understand how nonprofit funds can be raised through direct mail and telemarketing and how the Internet may be used to generate donations. Compare and contrast fundraising through corporate donations vs. foundation grants. Learn about the different sections of a grant application. Learn methods for evaluating annual campaign performance and how ethics apply to nonprofit fundraising. Understand the importance of donor relations.
Estimated time to complete: 4–6 hrs.
30-day access / $150 / Register for this course

How to Read a Nonprofit Financial Statement
Develop your ability to appropriately interpret the major financial accounting statements that are used by nonprofit organizations. Gain an understanding of the types of financial statements that are used by nonprofit organizations and how they differ from for-profit financial reporting. Learn the power and limitations of accounting information in assessing financial performance and decision-making. Understand the uses of financial statement analysis, or ratio analysis, for nonprofit organizations.
Estimated time to complete: 3–5 hrs.
30-day access / $79 / Register for this course

Leadership in a Nonprofit Organization
Examine the foundations of leadership and what it takes to be a successful and effective leader in a nonprofit organization. Learn to distinguish between some of the better-known leadership theories (Fiedler’s contingency theory; path-goal theory; Vroom-Yetton-Jago theory). Understand the difference between leadership, management, and administration. Learn the seven bases for leadership and understand the impending leadership shortage in the nonprofit sector.
Estimated time to complete: 3–5 hrs.
30-day access / $99 / Register for this course

Nonprofit Board and Volunteer Development
Understand the responsibilities of the nonprofit board and discuss different models for organizing one. Learn the differences between a nonprofit board and a for-profit board. Study different approaches for recruiting and filling a nonprofit board and the pros and cons of large vs. small boards. Learn how nonprofits can develop and maintain volunteers.
Estimated time to complete: 5 hrs.
30-day access / $150 / Register for this course

Principles of Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
Examine the ways nonprofit organizations use marketing to publicize their mission and to gather contributions of time and money. Learn how marketing is used to determine the needs of nonprofit clients and their donors. Understand the “3Ps” of services marketing in the nonprofit organization. Explore the role of ethics in nonprofit marketing and the process of nonprofit marketing plan. Understand how new service products are developed by nonprofits.
Estimated time to complete: 3–5 hrs.
30-day access / $79 / Register for this course

Strategy for Nonprofit Organizations
Understand how a nonprofit’s strategy constitutes its decisions about what it will do and how it will do it. Learn the basics of strategy in a nonprofit context. Understand the strategic planning process and how different approaches may be taken by different organizations. Learn how to construct a mission statement. Learn how budgets and capital budgets interrelate with nonprofit strategic planning.
Estimated time to complete: 3–5 hrs.
30-day access / $79 / Register for this course

Leading the Courtney Museum Simulation
This simulation is designed to challenge and engage you while exploring key real-world leadership issues confronted by nonprofit managers. Assume the role of executive director of the troubled Courtney Museum and deal with a series of personnel, marketing, financial, and board/community relations issues. As you make tough decisions, an adaptive scoreboard reflects the impact of those choices on the museum’s prospects. Video commentary from experienced nonprofit leaders provides qualitative context and explores the consequences of choosing different paths for reviving the museum.
Level: Intermediate to advanced
Prerequisite: Experience in nonprofit management
Estimated time to complete: 10 hrs.
90-day access / $399 / Register for this course

Updated Mar. 12, 2013