Baylor Continuing Education Introduces Nonprofit Certificate Program

This fall, Baylor Continuing Education is proud to introduce a new certificate program for professionals in the nonprofit sector. The certificate comprises courses in six key areas of concentration: governance and leadership, financial management, fundraising, marketing and communications, human resources, and planning and evaluation.

The certificate requires completion of six core courses, one in each area of concentration, as well as six electives. Continuing Education students may concentrate their electives in one field of study or spread them out between several disciplines for a broader educational experience. The certificate is earned by completing the requirements within three years, but participants are encouraged to take the courses even if they are not seeking certification. Each course is offered as a one-day training on Baylor’s campus, with a lunch break in a nearby dining hall.

Instructors for these courses include Baylor faculty and staff, as well as local professionals. By design, the program incorporates the wealth of knowledge and expertise found on our campus and within the Waco community, which is a great benefit to the participants. Many of the instructors come from organizations such as Family Health Center, Prosper Waco, JRBT, Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, Hankamer School of Business, The Baylor Lariat, Baylor University’s sociology department, and the Division of Marketing and Communications at Baylor University.

At the completion of the certificate, participants will have developed the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for effective leadership and service in the nonprofit sector. One student of the nonprofit courses reported that, as a result of taking these classes, she was able to help her organization obtain a grant. Another commented that her participation in a financial management course helped her identify which policies her organization needed to review or implement to further protect against internal and external fraud. Students often report that they benefit both from learning from the practical experiences of the instructors as well as considering how they might apply these lessons to their own work and having conversations with peers from other organizations.

Continuing Education staff have been working closely with local nonprofit organizations since 2016 to launch this highly anticipated certificate program. These external partners have long been leading efforts to provide training opportunities for nonprofit professionals in Central Texas and were very eager to support the development of this certificate.

This certificate program is designed to make high quality, comprehensive training accessible to a wide array of people, including staff, volunteers, board members, and others who contribute to a nonprofit’s mission. Continuing Education has already served more than 42 organizations that have sent individuals to the nonprofit courses. Participants who have enrolled in these courses have included CEOs, CFOs, EDs, development directors, grant managers, program directors, office managers, volunteers, advisory council members and board members.

For a small nonprofit, sending an employee out of town for training can be costly, especially when it requires accounting for the cost of transportation, lodging and meals. By making this training available locally, more people from more organizations are able to participate in professional development, which makes for a stronger local nonprofit sector better equipped to serve their populations.

Courses being offered during the spring 2020 semester include Employee Supervision for Nonprofits, Planning and Evaluation Essentials for Nonprofits, Professional Selling and Stakeholder Relationships for Nonprofits, Governance and Leadership Essentials for Nonprofits, Integrity and Financial Reporting for Nonprofits, and Marketing and Communications Essentials for Nonprofits. Registration for each of these classes opens on November 18 and will remain open until the day before the class, if it does not fill up prior to this date. For more information, including course descriptions, dates, and registration information, please visit baylor.edu/continuingeducation.