Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership

Enroll in the Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership

What and Why

The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy’s continuing and professional education certificate course provides vital professional development opportunities for anyone looking to advance their education and further their career. Continuing education refers to learning programs one can pursue instead of or after formal education. Any brief search as to the importance of continuing and professional education will highlight how it has the potential to increase one’s likelihood of a promotion, deepen the ability to transition careers, generally improve one’s image, and enhance personal growth via the journey of being a lifelong learner. The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy has seen just that in the thousands of adults who have participated in our Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and other non-credit bearing offerings.

Who

Our Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership is primarily curated for current nonprofit professionals, on-the-ground volunteers, current or prospective board members, or those considering a transition to the nonprofit sector; however, these offerings are open to anyone.

Cost and Time

As a public land grant institution, you will not find a better value with consideration to cost, time, and the educational comprehensiveness of our offerings.

The Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership takes 10 weeks to complete in total, with an average weekly time commitment of 2.5 hours.

Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership: $1499

We offer a 10% discount for anyone actively employed by a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or United States government entity at any level whether federal, state, local, or tribal.

Participants can enroll in the Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership up to five (5) days after the certificate start date. If you enroll before the certificate start date and withdraw within the first five days of the start date, you are eligible for a full refund. No refunds are available for enrollments after the start date or drops after the 5th day of the course. The Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy does not offer any partial refunds.

Course Format

Ten weekly modules; each week covers a unique topic or subject.
Online format; must have reliable internet access to participate.
Asynchronous; once open, modules are available to complete on your own time throughout the week. There are also weekly discussion posts with the instructors and classmates. Participants must complete all requirements by the close of every week. Those requirements typically consist of listening to recorded lectures, responding to discussion questions, reading articles, and working through various learning activities. Our program does not require any homework.
The Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership program is supervised by a Continuing Education Instructor who learners can access via email and class discussion boards. The instructor is responsible for guiding participants through the educational content within the program.

Accreditation, Certificates, and Digital Badges

All certificate offerings are accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).
All participants who successfully complete all requirements earn a Texas A&M University branded certificate, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and/or Professional Development Hours (PDHs), and the Texas A&M University ‘Mastery’ micro-credential digital badge to share via social media platforms.

Course Dates

Fall 2026

September 9^th – November 17^th

Spring 2027

February 3^rd – April 13^th

Certificate Overview

The Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership (CNL) addresses various aspects of leadership that every member of your organization, from on-the-ground volunteers to Executive Directors, face on a daily basis. It offers guidance and strategies on leadership and performance expectations in times of change, strategic management models, the responsibilities of and how to engage volunteer board members, measuring success, and employing situational leadership as a tool to develop team members. Though a faculty instructor guides learners through each educational module, participants also critique articles, listen to lectures, and engage with their cohort to share insight on real-world nonprofit and public service scenarios. Your experience within our online classroom will be a blend of graduate-level education with an applied perspective to utilize learnings to benefit personal aspirations and organizational professional commitments. The academic content is based on decades of experience from leaders in public administration education and the design reflects what we believe, addressing the most vital current and future competencies for public service leaders.

Continuing Education Instructor

Biography

Dr. Tosha Cantrell-Bruce

Dr. Tosha Cantrell-Bruce serves as the Continuing Education Instructor of record for the Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership.

Modules

Module 1 – Overview of the Nonprofit Sector
Module 2 – Creating Your Individual Leadership Plan
Module 3 – Understanding the Basics of Leadership Theories for Nonprofits
Module 4 – Introducing Nonprofit Strategic Management
Module 5 – Utilizing the Strategic Management Cycle
Module 6 – How to Assess and Improve Board Performance
Module 7 – Sustaining Outcomes and Performance Drivers
Module 8 – Utilizing Ecosystem Mapping to Strengthen Nonprofit Systems and Impact
Module 9 – Strategic Decision-Making in Fundraising
Module 10 – Leadership in Action

Cost

$1499

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