Managing A Non-Profit Certificate Program

We are about two-thirds through a certificate program for non-profit management. This program, taught at Champlain College in Burlington Vermont and Marlboro College in the southern part of the state has evolved over several years into a fine series of one-day seminars on aspects of non-profit management.

• Leadership in the non-profit sector
  
• Financial Management I & II (two sessions)
  
• Strategic Planning
  
• Fundraising I & II (two sessions, includes membership management, grass-roots fundraising, and grantwriting) taught by Christine Graham with guest Andy Robinson
  
• Marketing with Rebecca Brookes
  
• Human Resources
  
• Conflict Resolution
  
• Boards and Governance

Each seminar starts around 9:00 AM, and ends promptly at 4:00PM with an hour for lunch. While the seminars are mostly taught by individuals, frequent guest speakers, group exercises and lively discussion break up the sessions. I walk out with an average of ten pages of hand-written notes and mind maps, as well as additional notes taken on the computer, and each seminar leader, experts in their fields, provides extensive reading material. It is definitely a "you get out of it what you put into it" opportunity; in addition to the twelve days given up to the seminars there are opportunities to dig into the extensive readings and to participate in an online Moodle discussion group.

Participants in our group of roughly 24 include members of various organizations engaged in the arts, children and families, libraries, trade organizations, hunger, etc. It is a fascinating and dedicated group.

The program is a excellent resource for anyone involved in the nonprofit sector as staff, management, volunteer, board member, or fundraiser.