News
New Nonprofit Center Education Programs Prepare Nonprofits to Face Today's and Tomorrow's Challenges
NEWS
Contact: Joan Mintz Ulmer
215-951-1710
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Economic Downturn Drives New Curriculum for Nonprofit Professionals:
Nonprofit Center at La Salle University Launches New Education Programs for Greater Philadelphia Nonprofit Organizations
(Philadelphia, PA, July 27, 2009) –
The Nonprofit Center at La Salle University's School of Business is launching a new program of full-day classes to enable staff, board members, and volunteers of nonprofit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region to obtain skills in key areas of nonprofit operation and management that will make them stronger and less vulnerable during the current economic downturn and more sustainable and employable in the future.
“We have doubled the length of every class we offer,” said Laura Otten, Ph.D., director of the Nonprofit Center, “to provide greater depth of learning and more time for interactivity and practical applications of new skills. Our research found that nonprofit professionals want more intensive learning experiences that will impact their work in essential areas like fundraising, financial management, human resources, evaluation, and marketing, “ Otten said, adding, “we also found an increasing emphasis on earning educational credentials.”
In response, The Nonprofit Center is offering five certificate programs, including a certificate in marketing & communications, all of which provide in-depth skills development through a progression of classes, in addition to the bonus of continuing education units from the La Salle University School of Business.
“With funders supporting the value of a well-trained staff with the credentials to back it up, certificate programs are gaining in popularity in the nonprofit sector,” Otten said.
With many nonprofit organizations forced to lay-off staff as a result of the economic downturn, remaining staff are busier than ever. To accommodate this added pressure, The Nonprofit Center is increasing the number of webinars it is presenting, as a more convenient way to learn without having to leave the office.
With an additional nod to the economy, The Nonprofit Center starts its academic year with a panel discussion with some of the region’s premiere funders of nonprofit services, including US Airways, PNC Bank, the Philadelphia Foundation and Wachovia Bank, on September 18 at the Arden Theater, 40 N 2nd St., Philadelphia.
For more than 25 years, The Nonprofit Center has been providing educational programs, workshops, trainings, and certificate programs that build the capacity of the nonprofit sector of the Delaware Valley, including nonprofit Boards of Directors.
The 2009-10 Education Guide is available online at www.lasallenonprofitcenter.org or by calling
215-951- 1701.
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