Nonprofit Management Certificate

This 11-week course will present essential introductions to nine key components of nonprofit management and offer opportunities to practice basic skills in each.

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Nonprofit Management Certificate: About

At a Glance

Program Type

Certificate (Non-Credit)

Term

Fall and Spring

Delivery Method

Online

Field of Interest

Nonprofit Organizations

Management Courses

Certificate Courses

Days of Week

Weekday

Location

Nonprofit Management Certificate Program

Length

One semester

Cost

$900

Total Units

3.0 CEUs

Course Description

The Nonprofit Management course will equip students with a deeper understanding of the nonprofit sector that is generally regarded as an organization organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit.

Students will come to understand the key elements involved in managing and working in a nonprofit. From instructor presentations and discussions, students will gain a broader perspective of the array of skills sets and abilities used in this field, plus the numerous associated occupations that are common in this sector.

For those transitioning from the for-profit or public sector, this course will provide many opportunities to better understand how their existing skills and experiences may transfer to this industry. Substantial resources will be provided for students by the instructors to facilitate further learning with the different subjects that are covered each week

Two students looking at a computer monitor Photo by Christina at Unsplash

Who Would Benefit From This Course?

New or aspiring nonprofit sector employees, professionals from other sectors transitioning to the nonprofit sector, current or prospective board members, experienced nonprofit sector employees, and current or prospective nonprofit volunteers.

Program Details

This online program is offered synchronously (in real time), via videoconference, on Tuesdays.

Each week for 11 weeks a new topic will be presented by a different instructor (“guest speaker”). In the 3- hour evening sessions, participants will be invited to engage in small group exercises and activities to reflect on new ideas and practice basic skills.

Three women sitting at a conference table with their laptops

Photo by Christina at Unsplash

The sessions will include a combination of slides, videos, small group work, article reviews and instructor-led discussion.

Faculty and Staff

Live Chat with Us

Program Coordinator/Instructor
Guest Speakers
Program Staff

Eleanor A. Smith

Eleanor A. Smith is a long-time consultant and former staff and board member to nonprofits and philanthropy. In 1997, she founded Eleanor A. Smith & Associates to provide strategic consulting services to foundations and non-profit organizations in the areas of strategic planning, program development and program evaluation.

Eleanor will teach the following course sessions: Introduction to Nonprofits, Program Development, Program Evaluation and the optional final session Putting It All Together.

Learn More About Eleanor

Guest Speakers in Order of Appearance

Beth Schecter (Boards & Governance )

Beth Schecter specializes in Executive Transitions, organizational change and management and organizational structure. She has over 25 years of executive management experience with health, social service and cultural organizations. Since 2010, Beth has provided interim leadership, sustainability planning, board governance, and program assessment to dozens of organizations. Her primary goal is to advance the missions of nonprofits during pivotal transition times using streamlined and sustainable systems and processes to prepare them for new leadership and direction. She enjoys working with staff and boards to achieve their financial, fundraising, programmatic and governance goals.

Her Interim CEO work has spanned 16 health, social service and cultural organizations, some with founder transitions and others as turnarounds. Her planning and strategy work has impacted many more. She has served on several non-profit boards. She also served as Director of Business Development for WestEd and for United Behavioral Health, both national organizations based in San Francisco. Beth holds a Master in Public Health and an MBA in organizational leadership.

Melissa Perez (Fundraising Overview)

Melissa Perez is a Senior Consultant at Glavin Jacobson Inc. (GJI), a nonprofit management consulting firm that helps nonprofits of all sizes navigate the challenges they face as they grow. Since joining GJI, Melissa has helped clients secure their first large gifts from donors and increase volunteer leadership involvement. Her proudest achievement is creating a strong culture of philanthropy among staff and volunteer leadership that work on behalf of her client organizations.

In addition to fundraising experience with annual fund, major gifts, and foundation and corporate grants, Melissa has expertise in complex corporate partnerships and management of the development office team. Throughout her career Melissa has interwoven volunteerism with philanthropy to create meaningful experiences for fellow employees, board members and funding partners.

Melissa’s career spans the non-profit and corporate communities from United Way, the San Francisco Opera and AT&T to small non-profit start-ups. She has served in staff and board roles and is currently the president of the board of directors of Development Executives (DER) Round Table. Melissa’s board experience provides additional insight into corporate partnerships, volunteer engagement, and board leadership. She is also an instructor at California State University East Bay in the nonprofit certificate management program.

Jessica Ayden Li (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)

Co-Founder and Principal of Healing Equity United, Jessica Ayden Li is a social justice activist, certified diversity coach and nonprofit consultant. Healing Equity United works with nonprofits to embrace cultures of race, equity and inclusion. With 15+ years’ experience in the social sector, Jessica specializes in ending gender-based violence and creating long-lasting social impact, particularly in communities of color. She served as the Executive Director of San Francisco SafeHouse--one of the few women nonprofit leaders of color in San Francisco. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project in Washington, D.C. and worked for the United Nations Mission in Sudan as well as the International Rescue Committee.

Deepti Sethi (Legal Issues)

Deepti Sethi's experience includes corporate governance for nonprofit institutions, for-profit businesses and law firms. Her work involves negotiation, policy advocacy, direct client representation, and she is an advisor to several nonprofit boards and grassroots advocates. Deepti has testified before international and national government committees and provided testimony and arguments for citizens appearing before the US Congress. A member of the California State Bar since 2004, she graduated from UC Hastings College of Law and Hampshire College.

Marty Low (Finance & Accounting)

Marty Low is on the faculty of the Design Strategy MBA program at California College of the Arts and is a regular guest lecturer and facilitator at other major universities. His focus is the integration of innovation and creativity into quantitative business models. He has taught Accounting, Operations and Strategic Management, as well as multi-day learning journeys on business and digital transformation. A strategist and consultant in the nonproﬁt and private sectors, Marty specializes in working with high-growth organizations. He also owns and operates a small ﬁnancial and accounting services ﬁrm in the San Francisco Bay Area. A native of San Francisco, he enjoys time at his West Sonoma County home. Marty holds an MBA and a BS in Accounting, along with certiﬁcates in Global Health Leadership, Coaching and Facilitation.

Lorianne Lee (Human Resources)

Lorianne Lee is a Senior Professional in Human Resources specializing in nonprofit management. Before working in HR, Lorianne devoted nearly two decades to teaching elementary school and training other educators. Her gifts of administration and project management transferred seamlessly to Human Resources. Lorianne’s background in education is evident in the way she prioritizes setting employees up for success and advocating for their training and development. Serving as an HR Department of one, Lorianne gained firsthand experience with many HR disciplines over the years. As an HR Manager, she managed the day-to-day operations for multiple mid-sized nonprofits supporting employees and protecting the organizations.

Lorianne utilizes her HR expertise, operational experience, strategic thinking, and passion for employee engagement and development to help her nonprofits. Her love of food and hospitality often results in treating clients to homemade goodies. Lorianne’s ability to help people feel seen and included is a testament to her commitment to putting the human back in Human Resources.

Judy Kunofsky (Grantwriting)

Judy Kunofsky, JMJ Consulting, a consultant since 1998, helps Northern California non-profits with proposal writing, prospect research, and coaching for major donor solicitations. She teaches the graduate-level grant writing course (POLS 587) at Sonoma State and has led workshops for the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, Association of Fundraising Professionals (Golden Gate, Silicon Valley, and Wine Country Chapters), Solano County Community Foundation, Foundation Center (now Candid)’s San Francisco office (now closed), California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, and other groups. Judy has a Ph.D. in mathematics from U.C.L.A. and has received leadership awards from six organizations.

Director of Professional Development Programs: John Green
Phone: 707-664-3232
Email: john.green@sonoma.edu