Nonprofit Management Certificate

The Nonprofit Management Certificate

(Five Courses, 15 Units)

The University of Redlands’ Certificate in Nonprofit Management produces highly qualified graduates who are ready to lead confidently and effectively in the nonprofit sector. This five-course, 15-credit program dives into the leading theories in the nonprofit profession, including financial management, personnel, and team management, leadership styles, fundraising and development, communication, and program analysis.

“Nonprofit” is inclusive of non-governmental, nonprofit, civil society, voluntary, and philanthropic organizations (Nonprofit Academic Centers Council 2015). By completing a program specifically designed to address known knowledge gaps across all areas and settings for this field, graduates attain a competitive advantage in the job market and are better prepared to undertake leadership roles.

Program overview

The Nonprofit Management Certificate is designed for students and working professionals who desire to be more effective and advance their careers in the nonprofit sector, helping them to improve career prospects for both their current and future positions. Furthermore, students are able to expand their professional networks through close interaction with leading faculty and classmates who are also working within the nonprofit world.

Graduates of the Certificate in Nonprofit Management are:

• Equipped with essential nonprofit management skills and educated in recognized knowledge gaps affecting the workforce
• Educated by successful nonprofit professionals who will inform the coursework, serve as educators and guest speakers, develop real-world case studies for classroom use, and be accessible for consultation
• Prepared to manage staff, volunteers, and a board of directors and have a working knowledge of the complexities they will encounter in the nonprofit environment
• Coached to continue career development through nonprofit networking, the study of industry journals and papers, and peer-recognized professional organizations

Inaugural Year Launching Online

This program will be available entirely online during its inaugural year. The Nonprofit Management program will eventually be available in-person on the Redlands campus and in Marin at our Graduate School of Theology.

Nonprofit Management Program Structure and Curriculum 

The Nonprofit Management curriculum includes five courses (15 credits) at the cost of $425 per credit and a total certificate program cost of $6,375. The certificate is designed so that a student can complete the series of courses in one academic year from August to April. 

The flexible structure is ideal for working professionals balancing busy schedules, and the coursework challenges students to actively apply theories, allowing for immediate career impact. As an open enrollment program, courses can be taken in any order and do not have prerequisites or application requirements, fostering an easier re-entry into the academic world.

Students who are not yet ready to commit to the full certificate program are able to take one course in the series instead of registering for the complete certificate program.

Led by esteemed professionals with academic and career experience in the nonprofit sector, the coursework brings students cutting-edge knowledge and skills needed to thrive in their careers. Review the certificate’s complete required and elective coursework below.

Required Certificate Courses

NPCS-300 Nonprofit Fundraising and Development Principles (3 credits): understand the various sources of nonprofit revenue and philanthropic giving; learn fundraising strategies including major gifts, grants, campaigns, annual giving, etc.; understand relationship management principles, donor stewardship, and the roles of boards, staff, committees, and volunteers in development work.

Developed and taught by Nicole Orr 

NPCS-301 Leading and Managing Organizations (3 credits): study organizational theory and behaviors in the nonprofit environment including leadership and leadership styles; learn strategies for managing the various needs of staff, board members, and volunteers; discover ways to facilitate teamwork, engagement, development, and collaboration to achieve the mission.

Developed and taught by Jennifer and Damien O’Farrell

NPCS-302 Nonprofit Board Governance and Volunteer Management (3 credits): understand the role of nonprofit boards and best practices for engaging with community leaders to enact change and further the mission of the nonprofit organization; learn rules of governance and policies; understand effective volunteer management and relationship-building practices.

Developed and taught by Nicole Orr

NPCS-303 Nonprofit Financial Management (3 credits): examine accounting principles and concepts, budgeting and reporting, financial policies; comprehend ethics and nonprofit best practices; review theories and considerations to make when evaluating expenses and return on investment of time and financial resources.

Developed and taught by Lisa Wright

Elective Courses (Choose one)

NPCS-304 Nonprofit Communications and Marketing (3 credits): learn principles of interpersonal communication with internal and external stakeholders; study techniques for marketing and messaging in the nonprofit environment including social media and other current tools.

Developed and taught by Julia Bennett

NPCS-305 Public Policy, Ethics, and Social Change (3 credits): study how public policy impacts the nonprofit sector and how organizations and individuals engage with philanthropy; understand the legal concepts governing nonprofit organizations; learn how individuals and groups can impact social change through organizing, lobbying, education, advocacy, and engaging in policymaking.

Developed and taught by Adriane Lamar Snider

NPCS-306 Advanced Fundraising and Development (3 credits): build upon the concepts studied in the NonProfit Development and Fundraising Principles Course. Students will learn about various sources of revenue, the strategic choices and issues associated with those sources, and best practices and methods used to secure funding for the organization’s mission.

Developed and taught by Nicole Orr and Lisa Wright

NPCS-307 Organizational Capacity Building and Program Analysis & Evaluation (3 credits): Gain an understanding of the key principles required to build organizational capacity to effectively create equitable systemic change in communities; study equitable systems approaches for developing, implementing, assessing, and analyzing programs; learn strategies for measuring and evaluating organizational and programmatic outcomes.

Developed and taught by Mindy Silva

Advance Your Career in the Nonprofit Sector at the University of Redlands

The University of Redlands Certificate in Nonprofit Management prepares you to be a well-rounded leader in the nonprofit sector with the ability to manage personnel, fundraise, and communicate effectively. 

For questions about the certificate program, please contact our School of Continuing Studies team at 909-748-8869 or info-scs@redlands.edu. 

If you are ready to get started, register for a Nonprofit Management course now!