Certificate in Nonprofit Management

Nonprofit organizations can capture people's imaginations. The good works accomplished by nonprofits inspire people to join and serve others – translating volunteer effort and charitable giving into meaningful care and program assistance for needful people and their communities. Nonprofit organizations (NPOs) provide skills-enhancing and new-knowledge opportunities for people willing to volunteer and work together for the common good and to accomplish a shared organizational mission, purpose, and vision. Furthermore, services provided to help NPOs achieve their mission count as valued experiences for people applying for future employment with or outside the nonprofit community.  

In the OLLU Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate Program students acquire practical knowledge to lead and manage NPO operations and effect constructive change. Students must think critically, communicate clearly, express themselves concisely but convincingly, and act strategically and ethically.    

The Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management is designed for people interested in learning more about the nonprofit sector and several of its key functional areas. Study topics for the graduate certificate provide students with an overview of nonprofit operations, financial management, and outcomes-oriented marketing. The graduate certificate is offered completely online and asynchronously to meet the schedule of busy professionals and other people with time-demanding obligations. Students who complete the NPMT Graduate Certificate may, within five years, apply their earned semester hours to enroll in and complete the OLLU MS Nonprofit Management degree program taking a reduced course load, since three courses will have been completed during the graduate certificate program.  

Courses are offered in the Fast-Track format. Only three courses from the NPMT degree study plan are required to earn an NPMT Graduate Certificate. Graduate certificate students complete one course per semester from the certificate study plan. They may begin their studies during any semester (e.g., fall, spring, or summer) and complete their graduate certificate courses in any order.