NEPA Nonprofits Benefiting from Leadership Program

The University of Scranton’s Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program seeks to develop future executives who will serve at Northeast Pennsylvania nonprofit institutions. Since beginning in 2017, 47 participants, representing 40 separate regional nonprofit organizations, have graduated from the program.

 “The Nonprofit Leadership Certificate is a unique credential that can help graduates advance to executive leadership positions at nonprofit organizations,” said Ryanne Jennings, president and CEO of the Wayne County Community Foundation and a Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program graduate.

“The coursework in not hypothetical. Participants can apply concepts learned in class immediately. That is very powerful and inspiring. The experience in this program was well worth the investment.”

“The courses were very thorough in educating participants in all the aspects involved in managing a nonprofit, from financial best-practices to board cultivation and grant writing and everything in between. The program provided a depth of knowledge that was extremely beneficial to me and the other students,” said Ron Prislupski, president of NativityMiguel School of Scranton and graduate of the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program.

Prislupski and Jennings valued greatly the colleagues and mentors they met through the program.

“I moved here from Philadelphia,” said Jennings. “The program allowed me learn about the landscape of fundraising in NEPA and to develop a cohort of peers locally who have been a great source for discussing challenges and successes. They have served as sounding boards for ideas and as professional references.”

“The instructors are absolutely wonderful and, three years later, I still keep in touch with them on a regular basis,” said Prislupski. “Also, the 15 members of my cohort share the same career paths. Through this program, you connect with individuals who have their hearts in the nonprofit sector.”

The certificate program combines a rigorous academic component taught by Kania School of Management faculty with expertise in nonprofit organizations, a mentorship and experiential learning. The program includes capstone project that requires participants to form a comprehensive plan to solve a current issue faced by the nonprofit organization they represent.

“My project was to create an annual fundraising plan, which, subsequently, I also developed and implemented at NativityMiguel,” said Prislupski. “What I learned in the program, specifically through the capstone project, has helped a local nonprofit organization develop a stabilized financial plan.”

The University of Scranton is accepting applications for the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program for the 2022-2023 academic year. The deadline to apply is Nov. 11 for classes that begin in January 2023.

For additional information, visit the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program webpage or call 570-941-4047.