Northern Illinois University
Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence

Leading a highly successful mission-driven nonprofit requires more than goals and plans; it requires concrete knowledge and abilities. NICNE's five-course certificate in nonprofit management program will teach you the skills needed to strengthen your leadership, sustain your organization and better achieve your mission.

Whether you are a working professional, aspiring leader, or seasoned nonprofit professional in our region's vibrant nonprofit community, or somewhere in between, this program will help you:

• Lead with compassion and manage for results
• Raise funds to sustain and enhance the mission of your organization
• Build familiarity with nonprofit accounting procedures and best practices.
• Enhance human resources functions and position your organization as a top employer
• Hone communications to enhance your mission impact
• Build your confidence as a leader

"Every week the class had something new for me to take away! I've improved my knowledge, kept up to date with changes, and built connections with peers."by CNM participant

How It Works

The program includes five individual courses focused on core topics to build sustainable organizations and strengthen your leadership. Each course has four individual sessions. Courses may be taken a la carte or complete all five courses to earn your Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) at Northern Illinois University.

This program is valuable for new nonprofit professional, those who desire a career in nonprofit management, board members seeking to serve in a more strategic advisory role, or advanced professionals seeking to refresh skills and build their professional networks. Each course is led by an accomplished expert in their field. Instructors and guest speakers include nonprofit executives, doctorate-level leaders committed to collaboration as a tool to drive social change, instructors with advanced certifications and decades of experience in nonprofit leadership and subject matter experts who lead businesses and organizations across the region. Courses are offered in the spring and fall of each year and are posted on our Eventbrite page as registration opens.

This program is geared towards working professionals. While attendees are expected to engage in activities during class, there is generally no homework required. Expect to spend no more than 30-60 minutes per week outside of class. In-class activities, discussion and engagement will enhance your learning and relevance to your work. Resources will be shared on best practices, current laws, trends and other topics to help you adhere to legal standards and position yourself as a top organization in our region.

Human Resources Management

Gain a strategic view of human resources management and the HR function within the nonprofit sector.

Strategic leadership is necessary to foster an environment for positive employee relations. Explore the employee and volunteer recruitment process, understand the broad umbrella of talent development, performance management, employee relations and policy management and discuss current trends and impacts on human resources. Review current laws and legal compliance factors that guide HR actions and learn how to implement best practices for staff and volunteers.

• Foster an environment for positive employee relations.
• Explore considerations related to employee and volunteer recruitment.
• Review current laws and legal compliance factors that guide HR actions.
• Implement best practices for staff and volunteers.
• Understand the broad umbrella of talent development, performance management, employee relations and policy management.

Facilitator: Tyler Smith, Culture Craft Consulting, LLC

Financial Management

Build your confidence as a leader by building familiarity with nonprofit accounting procedures.

Familiarity with nonprofit accounting procedures can strengthen your confidence as a nonprofit leader. Financial acumen is essential to your work and the health and sustainability of your organization. This course simplifies the nonprofit accounting process while teaching fundamental financial and budgeting terms and concepts and key elements of financial statements. You will leave with a stronger understanding of the accounting cycle, financial risk, budgeting, significance of the Form 990, financial management decision-making, financial controls processes and independent audit process. These are vital skills that any nonprofit leader will need to lead with confidence.

Facilitator: Dan Ross, President, Community Foundation of Northern Illinois

Leadership, Management and Governance

Learn how to lead with compassion and manage for results.

Non-profit organizations that are led with a service heart and a business mind are most likely to thrive and have the greatest impact. This course will provide you with a path to becoming an authentic, purpose-driven leader and for developing a high-performing team. You will also learn how to understand the evolving needs of the sector, the critical role of ethics in leadership and the key tenets of effective governance. We'll explore a variety of leadership and governance topics including qualities of high-performance boards, impact measurement, strategic thinking, collaboration and partnerships, innovation, advocacy and more.

Facilitator: Lisa Novak, MA - Chief Executive Officer, Northern Illinois Hospice

Marketing and Communications

Gain essential skills, tools and techniques to develop a strategic marketing plan to enhance your organization's bottom line and mission impact.

Focus your promotional efforts to promote your organization’s mission and ensure your organization stands out in a cluttered marketplace.

• Explore the role of strong branding and strategic marketing and communications to engage employees, donors and key stakeholders.
• Engage in activities to identify your target audiences.
• Engage in SWOT analysis from a marketing and communications perspective.
• Begin to develop a marketing and communications plan for your organization.

Topics covered include the building blocks of marketing, budgeting, marketing audits, audience analysis and segmentation, differentiation and brand management and integrated communication campaigns. The course will also discuss social media marketing plans and strategies, metrics and performance.

Facilitator: Martesha Brown, MBA

Fund Development

Develop the skills you need to succeed in raising funds to sustain and enhance the mission of your organization.

Building relationships with donors, identifying and cultivating prospects and donor stewardship are some of the most important things a nonprofit leader can do to ensure sustainability. This course provides a comprehensive overview of core elements of fund development planning, fund diversification and the stages through which a donor moves as their financial commitment increases. A special focus will be placed upon the key elements for success that are essential to every form of fundraising. You will discover tools available to access new funding sources, best practices to leverage your resources, set goals and assess and improve your current fund development practices.

Facilitator: Kay Larrick, M.N.A., CFRE

We provide a variety of board training sessions customized to the needs of your board of directors. Training can be offered online, on-site or at the NIU Rockford campus. Board training perfect for your next board retreat, or when you're welcoming new board members, preparing for fundraising campaigns, or engaging in strategic action planning. Our facilitators are trained by BoardSource, the leading authority on purpose-driven board leadership.

Our two-hour basic training session is available for $500. It includes:

• Basic board roles and responsibilities
• Legal duties
• Governing documents
• Leadership expectations
• Fiduciary responsibilities

Our four- to six-hour advanced training sessions are available for $800-$1,000. It includes all the basic training topics, as well as selected customized topics such as:

• Board’s role in fundraising

• Conflicts of interest
• Governance models
• Best practices and principles
• Board advocacy
• Parliamentary procedure
• Traits of an exceptional board
• Common questions and challenges
• How to read financial statements and audits

Additional customized services are available through our professional services and consulting team. We consult on:

• Strategic action plan facilitation
• Fund development
• Financial strategy and analysis
• Grant writing
• Facilitation and collaboration leadership
• Human resources and organizational culture
• Volunteer management and development
• Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging training
• Leadership development and mentorship
• Survey development
• Full organizational assessment
• Organizational sustainability, growth and transition
• Feasibility studies
• And many other customized topics

Contact us today to discuss your needs or learn more about our team.  

The Rockford Area Case Management Initiative (RACM) provides a community-wide approach to deliver individualized, strength-based, and person-centered support services that helps participants achieve specific, self-defined outcomes leading to self-sufficiency. Foundational training, topical training modules and a Case Management Community of Practice are the key components of this initiative. Learn more at the RACM webpage.