Nonprofit Leadership Noncredit Certificate

Become a
Catalyst for change

Optimize your impact with foundational nonprofit leadership sessions.

Nonprofits are driven by passionate individuals committed to their causes. Fuel your passion with solid preparation in the five key areas essential to nonprofits―fundraising, financial management, board of directors, human resources and strategic communication.

Our Certificate at a Glance

Find out more about the Nonprofit Leadership Noncredit Certificate Program.

Dates

September-December 2026
5 Courses + Capstone

Format

Live Online Sessions (Zoom)

Investment

$169 Topic Courses
$99 Capstone
$849 Certificate

Flexible Training

Register for one or two classes to bolster specific skills or attend all five and earn a certificate. Online resources will be available via Canvas the week prior to the live online session. Live online sessions will take place Fridays, 9-11:30 a.m.

Building a Strong Fund Development Program

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?

Instructors: Shane Kohl & Amanda Charais
Cost: $169

Dates:
Live Online, September 18, 2026 Register

Developing an Active Board of Directors

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

Dates:
Live Online, October 2, 2026 Register

Foundations of Financial Management

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

Dates:
Live Online, October 23, 2026 Register

Human Resource Management

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

Dates:
Live Online, November 6, 2026 Register

Marketing & Communication Strategy

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: Michelle Dejno
Cost: $169

Dates:
Live Online, November 20, 2026 Register

Capstone: Independent Project

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

Dates:
Capstone due by December 18, 2026 Register

Save Money

If you sign-up for the five courses and capstone at the same time, you can save $95.

what is a Capstone project?

If you elect to complete all five courses, you can take what you’ve learned and apply it. Capstone projects allow individuals to complete a brief professional project that moves you or your organization ahead in an area of growth. Past participants have developed fundraising plans, action plans, board retreats, bylaws and policies, human resources research and development, plans to update branding and marketing, and many more.

Gain a Competitive Advantage

Upon successful completion of all five courses and capstone, 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 or website.

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

of the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate

Amanda Charais

Executive Director, Catalpa Foundation

Amanda Charais, CFRE, is responsible for all philanthropic work and donor engagement efforts. With a deep belief and understanding in the power of philanthropy, Amanda has been a key contributor to the development and implementation of comprehensive fundraising strategies, including capital campaigns, major gift initiatives and thoughtful stewardship.

Tori England

CEO, TL England Consulting

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

Associate Vice President of Philanthropy, ThedaCare Family of Foundations

Shane Kohl's 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, UW-Green Bay Foundation and the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton.

Patrick Nehring

Community Development Educator, UW-Madison Extension Brown & Kewaunee Counties

In his twenty years with Extension, Patrick Nehring 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.

Michelle Dejno

Executive Vice President, O'Connor Connective

Michelle Dejno is the Executive Vice President at O'Connor Connective, providing over 30 years in strategic marketing communications. Since joining in 2018, she has guided clients in research, planning, and storytelling. Previously, she held leadership roles at St. Mary Catholic Schools and Willems Marketing and taught marketing at Fox Valley Technical College.

Melinda Pollen

WI 4-H AmeriCorps Program Director and Youth Development Educator, Brown County

Melinda Pollen 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

Professor Emerita, Public Administration, UW-Green Bay

Lora Warner taught for 32 years at UW-Green Bay and led the Nonprofit Certificate baccalaureate program. She also co-founded the Nonprofit Education & Development Network. During her tenure, Lora consulted with area nonprofit organizations and supervised student internships.

Steve Zimmerman

Principal, Spectrum Nonprofit Services

Steve Zimmerman 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.

Eric Sponholtz Nonprofit Leadership Certificate participant

Meet Nonprofit go-Getter
Eric

"From a Volunteer Center perspective, we have to really pick and choose what we undertake as far as professional development. I was familiar with some of the presenters. I knew their style and what they brought to the table, so it just seemed like a good fit that way, too."

Eric Sponholtz
Executive Director, The Volunteer Center
Nonprofit Leadership Certificate

Read His Story

Need Guidance

If you have any questions or need additional guidance, please contact Kat Weber, Program Specialist, at (920) 663-7317 or weberka@uwgb.edu.

Get Guidance