Employees of charitable organizations and businesses that operate on a not-for-profit basis can benefit greatly from nonprofit job training. Whether a nonprofit chooses to educate staff on its own or consult with a third party to do so, there are plenty of options for training.
About Nonprofit Job Training
Companies that operate on a nonprofit basis have different training needs that profit-driven organizations, and the differences have spawned a cottage industry of nonprofit education concerns.
A growing number of colleges and universities are offering classes in nonprofit management. It's possible to major in nonprofit business as an undergraduate student. Some business schools offer Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees with an emphasis in nonprofit management. Public Administration degree programs also provide a sound academic background for those who want to work in the nonprofit sector.
Providing specialized training nonprofits has also become a specialty for consulting companies of all sizes, including numerous consultancies that also serve for-profit corporations.
Specialized Offerings
There are also many specialized offerings of nonprofit training by philanthropic concerns. Some nonprofit job training options include:
- Blackbaud: This consultancy focuses on nonprofits and training is one of many services offered by the company. Educational offerings include custom tailored programs along with classes conducted via the Internet and sold as annual subscriptions. There are courses that individuals can take at their own pace as well as seminars conducted by instructors.
- Center for Nonprofit Management: This Los Angeles-based trade association has some training materials posted on its website, which also contains a schedule of seminars hosted at the center's headquarters. The organization also offers customized learning programs that can be brought to a nonprofit's site of business. The courses last from a half a day through several days and can include interactive exercises, case studies, role play and discussion topics.
- CompassPoint Nonprofit Services: This organization offers online training and also participates in offline educational programs through partnerships with other organizations located near San Francisco. CompassPoint also does consulting and research, all of it geared toward helping nonprofits with management strategies, planning, fundraising and technology.
- Network for Good: This portal offers free educational resources on fundraising for nonprofits. There's a free weekly email newsletter, plus numerous seminars combining audio files, print transcripts, and multimedia slides. You can catch the audio while it's recorded live, or listen afterward. The site also sells software that helps nonprofits raise money.
Nonprofit Internships
Many nonprofit organizations offer on-the-job training opportunities to recent graduates through internship programs. Very often the interns start out as unpaid volunteers who have to prove their mettle for a certain period of time in order to be considered for paid employment. Not all interns get job offers at the end of the internships, but instead go on to find other paid employment that taps their newly acquired skills. Some people have to work a succession of unpaid internships before landing something that offers compensation.
Learn More
To learn more about nonprofit educational opportunities, visit NonprofitConnect.org, which contains training listings in addition to postings for nonprofit jobs and career development resources for people interested in pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector.
