Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership Noncredit Certificate

Become a
Catalyst for Change

Optimize Your Impact

Nonprofits play a critical role in the health and vibrancy of Wisconsin communities. They are a major economic force, providing an enormous array of important community services and solutions. Nonprofits are catalysts for change, playing a critical role in civic engagement. Nonprofits are driven by passionate individuals committed to their causes. We have developed a certificate program to ensure they optimize their impact.

Dates

August 19-November 11
5 Courses + Capstone

Format

Online Study + Scheduled Virtual Sessions
Sessions 9-11:30 a.m.

Investment

$169 Topic Course
$99 Capstone
Save $95 if you sign up for all courses & capstone
$849 Certificate

Take the Next Step in Your Career

Gain a Competitive Edge

Upon successful completion of all five courses, you will receive an exclusive UW-Green Bay credential, a digital badge validating your accomplishment and signaling to employers your mastery of the curriculum. The digital badge can be featured on LinkedIn, your resume, email signature and website.
Register for Fall Classes

The Impact of Nonprofits Matters

Nonprofits not only fuel local, state and national economies, they improve lives by creating more equitable and thriving communities.

Operating a nonprofit is not easy these days. Challenges can exist internally and externally. We can help you navigate these challenges.

Advance Your Mission

Nonprofits are laboratories where people can learn leadership. This certificate program will be relevant to all levels of nonprofit changemakers, including:

Executive Directors or Team Leaders
Program Directors or Managers
Board Members
Event Coordinators
Volunteers

Courses

The format for courses is online mixed training, which will involve scheduled online study and virtual scheduled sessions. Virtual sessions will take place 9-11:30 a.m. Now enrolling for Fall 2022.

Spring 2023 registration is also open

Core Courses	Semester	Dates	Description
Building a Strong Fund Development Program	FALL 2022	Virtual: August 26 Self-Study Beginning: August 19	Learn the components of a strong strategic development program, team, and culture of philanthropy in your organization. You will learn how to make a compelling case for support, how to strategize for prospects, how to design purposeful events, how to engage corporate donors, and how to stimulate online giving and continue to steward your supporters. What should the board’s role be? How might you use analytics to track your success? When should we consider a capital campaign? Instructor: Shane Kohl Cost: $169
	SPRING 2023	Virtual: January 20 Self-Study Beginning January 13
Developing an Active Board of Directors	FALL 2022	Virtual September 16 Self-Study Beginning September 9	Align your top staff and board in a strategic leadership approach. Engage in pointed discussions to explore effective leadership in your community and organization. Assess your own board and learn how to shape a high performing board. This program will help you explore the optimal size and committee structure for a board. Further, you will understand board members’ legal obligations in order to implement strategies to develop the board’s role in fundraising. Instructors: Patrick Nehring & Melinda Pollen Cost: $169
	SPRING 2023	Virtual February 20 Self-Study Beginning February 3
Foundations of Financial Management	FALL 2022	Virtual October 7 Self-Study Beginning September 30	To truly be a financial leader, one must first become financially literate. This session is designed to increase the financial literacy of (aspiring) senior leaders by removing the jargon so they can understand and make decisions based on financial information. Participants will read and interpret key data from essential financial statements, assess the organization’s financial health, mitigate financial risks and align budgeting with strategic priorities. Instructor: Steve Zimmerman Cost: $169
	SPRING 2023	Virtual March 3 Self-Study Beginning February 24
Human Resource Management	FALL 2022	Virtual October 28 Self-Study Beginning October 21	Learn the essential human resource policies and practices, including consideration of when and how to use service volunteers. We will consider how to construct effective job descriptions, recruit and hire the right person for the job and evaluate employee performance. How can managers effectively motivate employees and develop a positive and inclusive workplace culture? You will develop your own strategic human resources plan. Instructor: Tori L. England Cost: $169
	SPRING 2023	Virtual March 24 Self-Study Beginning March 17
Marketing & Communication Strategy	SPRING 2022	Virtual April 29 Self-Study Beginning April 22	A visible and positively-viewed organization can achieve greater success in many ways, including fund development. In this workshop you’ll learn how to assess and update your image, identify your uniqueness and devise messages and strategies to communicate with your core audiences. What are the best ways to deal with negative publicity? Evaluate your own electronic presence as you integrate social media marketing and communicating into volunteer recruitment, donor communications and advocacy. Instructor: Bridget Krage O'Connor Cost: $169
	FALL 2022	Virtual November 18 Self-Study Beginning November 11
	SPRING 2023	Virtual April 14 Self-Study Beginning April 7
CAPSTONE Independent Project	FALL 2022	Complete by December 9	Apply what you’ve learned by completing a project tailored to your own leadership development or your organization’s needs. Potential topics include the following or another project of your own choosing that relates to one or more of the seminars: An action plan that addresses the five seminar topics New human resource policies or board manual A social media marketing strategy A development program plan Instructor: Lora Warner Cost: $99
	SPRING 2023	Complete by May 5

* If you sign-up for the five courses and capstone, you can SAVE $95. Classes are also available ala carte.

A Calling
Becomes a Career

"Taking this certificate program helped me to become a better nonprofit leader in many different ways."

Emily Fread
Development Director
Habitat for Humanity Lakeside

Read Her Story

Instructors

Tori L. England

B.S. Public Relations
M.S. Corporate Communications

Tori L. England brings over 20 years of project management and learning & development experience in the insurance, hospitality and utility industries. She has led many Fortune 500 companies through major transformational change. Tori is certified in the PROSCI change management model and is a PMP certified project manager. Tori has created, developed and led teams that have won industry credentials in instructional design and training operations.

Shane Kohl, CFRE

B.A. Communication Processes
M.A. Liberal Studies
Executive Education Fundraising Management

Shane Kohl is Director of Foundations for the ThedaCare Family of Foundations, Appleton. His experience includes work in special events, alumni relations, annual giving, major giving, capital campaigns and planned giving. Prior to joining ThedaCare in 2012, he served in development roles with the CP Center of Green Bay, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Foundation and the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton.

Patrick Nehring

B.S. Architectural Studies
M.S. Urban Planning

Patrick Nehring is a Professor in the Department of Community Resource Development with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. In his twenty years with Extension, he has worked with over 200 entrepreneurs, organizations and local governments empowering them to strengthen the local economy and enhance the local quality of life. Patrick holds a geographic information systems graduate certificate and a certification with the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Image of instructor Bridget Krage O'Connor

Bridge Krage O'Connor

Founder & Owner
O'Connor Connective

Bridge Krage O’Connor is a marketing communication strategist, possessing over 25 years of experience in helping organizations tell their unique stories. Her company, O’Connor Connective provides strategic communication, marketing, public relations, strategic planning and training for organizations large and small.

Melinda Pollen

B.S.
M.S. Human & Community Resources

Melinda Pollen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Youth Development with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. She has over 20 years of working with community and youth development, and has a strong passion for facilitation and addressing community opportunities with community resources.

Lora Warner

B.S.
M.S.
PhD

Lora Warner is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Public Affairs at UW-Green Bay. She teaches in the Public Administration program and leads the Nonprofit Management Certificate, working with her students in numerous public and nonprofit organizations in the area each year on internships and service learning projects.

Steven Zimmerman

CPA
MBA

Steven Zimmerman the Principal of Spectrum Nonprofit Services where he provides training and consulting in the areas of finance and strategy for community-based organizations, foundations and government agencies throughout the country. Steve is a co-author of two best-selling books on nonprofit sustainability which highlight Spectrum’s integrated approach to nonprofits which balances mission impact and financial viability.