Increasing specialization, a demand for more higher education and a new need to worry about the bottom line are all challenges facing job seekers today - and for the nonprofit sector as well. Nonprofits have grown from small organizations to a sizable chunk of the job market. Nonprofits represent over 8% of the national GDP, with assets of $2.3 trillion. Nonprofits pay 10% of American wages, with a workforce of over 14 million. The Nonprofit workforce outnumbers the combined workforces of the utility, wholesale trade, and construction industries.¹ This has inspired the development of an increasing number of higher education programs for those who are choosing to dedicate themselves to careers in the nonprofit sector. In addition, private individuals have begun job-coaching services aimed at the nonprofit sector. All of these educational opportunities are growing to meet new demands within the sector. What does this mean for today's nonprofit leaders? What are the value of these programs?  

¹Employment in America’s Charities: A Profile, by Lester Salamon, the John Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies (Dec. 2006)

Southern NH University  www.snhu.edu
Leadership of Non-Profit Organizations Graduate Certificate
Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) Graduate Certificate in Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations and/or its Master of Science in Organizational Leadership – both offered at the Maine Center in Brunswick. The Graduate Certificate is a six-course sequence that focuses on organizational development, marketing, nonprofit management and leading change in community-based organizations.  It dovetails with SNHU’s Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (or, alternatively, the MBA program), allowing completion of the full masters degree with only six additional courses.

The School of Community Economic Development (SCED) at SNHU - www.snhu.edu/ced
The School of Community Economic Development at SNHU is the first accredited program in the US to confer masters and doctorate degrees in community economic development. SCED advocates community development as a way to improve marginalized communities. With over 1,400 graduates, our students and alumni are often a leading force behind key community initiatives. SCED offers 4 interdisciplinary MS/MA/PhD graduate programs all designed for the working practitioner and policy makers.

UNH Community Leadership Program - www.thompsonschool.unh.edu/CoLead
The award-winning Community Leadership Program (CoLead) is a unique associate degree or certificate program offered at both the Durham and Manchester campuses of the University of New Hampshire.  By providing  rigorous academic and professional development experiences that combine the  study of leadership, communities, and citizen influence with a focus on nonprofit organizational behavior, the CoLead Program helps participants from diverse backgrounds and experiences build valuable skills-such as supervising volunteers, facilitating meetings, speaking in public, organizing events, writing press releases, fundraising, lobbying and creating effective communication strategies.
Graduates, from both the degree program and from the certificate options, have gone on to great success in nonprofit management jobs, public relations positions, event planning work, social work and teaching. 

UNH Masters Program in Public Administration -
http://www.unh.edu/political-science/index.cfm?id=4305E8C0-9D71-14BE-CA9566C72B0BF137
University of New Hampshire Masters degree in Public Administration has been offered through its Department of Political Science since 1963.  The program has trained and educated public service and non-profit professionals in New Hampshire and the region and offers courses both in Durham and at the UNH Center for Graduate and Professional Studies in Manchester’s historic Millyard.  It is designed for working professionals and can be completed on a part-time basis.  Prospective students interested or already working in the fields of government, public service, non-profit management, electoral politics, education and research, or individuals looking for a career change, will find the part-time evening program in Manchester’s Millyard convenient and accessible.

Antioch University New England  www.antiochne.edu/
Institute for Nonprofit Management: Nine Days Toward Better Nonprofit Management
The Institute for Nonprofit Management, developed by the Department of Organization & Management, is a comprehensive curriculum of seminars for nonprofit executives. The program provides information in areas such as human resources, fundraising, board development, marketing, business planning, and team building. It is offered annually at varied locations around the state of New Hampshire.

New England College  www.nec.edu
NEC offers a Master of Science in Management/Nonprofit Leadership (MSNPL) that gives you the opportunity to earn your Master's Degree though an online program created specifically for people working in nonprofit organizations.
Classes include Marketing Management in Healthcare and the Service Sectors, Managerial Economics of the Service Sectors and Dynamics of Non-Profit Governance.

University of Maine Hutchinson Center  www.hutchinsoncenter.umaine.edu/
The University of Maine is again offering workshops at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast leading to a Certificate in Nonprofit Organizational Management for non-profit organization executives, staff members, and leaders to deal with contemporary issues and problems using realistic, “hands on” strategies. The various workshops will encourage interactive discussion of participants in quality planning, effective program/service development, creative problem solving and issue resolution. This certificate represents yet another of the offerings that the UMaine Hutchinson has created to be responsive to the educational needs of the community.

 Articles About Nonprofit Higher Education

Woodbury College and Marlboro College have joined together to provide high-quality training to people working in nonprofit organizations by offering a Certificate in Nonprofit Management.  Workshops will be held in the Spring of 2008 beginning on March 7 in both Montpelier and Brattleboro, serving over 40 participants working in a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout the state.  The cost to Vermont residents and people who work in Vermont is $500.
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