Minor in Nonprofit Administration
"The primary mission of leadership in nonprofit organizations is to focus laserlike attention throughout the organization on the greater good that it is capable of providing and then to marshal the energy and resources to make that greater good happen."
-Burt Nanus and Stephen Dobbs, Leaders Who Make a Difference, 1999.
- The nonprofit sector in the United States is facing a leadership crisis as baby boomers retire and the supply of potential leaders to replace them remains desperately short. The Minor in Nonprofit Administration is for those students who have little or no experience in nonprofit administration but who feel called to make a positive difference in the lives of their fellow citizens.
- The Minor in Nonprofit Administration includes a variety of courses in several disciplines designed to cross-train students and build those specific competencies that future leaders will need to be effective in their professional careers. It also requires an internship in a nonprofit organization to provide hands-on, practical experience.
- Students may also obtain a Certificate from the American Humanics Association certifying that they have developed competencies for leadership in the nonprofit sector. To receive this Certificate, students must complete the requirements for the Minor, participate in the American Humanics Student Association, and attend at least one national conference sponsored by the national American Humanics organization.
- The University of Montana is one of 70 campuses across the country affiliated with the American Humanics program. Its guiding mission is: To prepare and certify future nonprofit professionals to work with America’s youth and families. To be the nation’s preferred source of youth and human service nonprofit professionals.
Instructor Marian Palaia writes: “My very best are Clayton Kennedy and Julie Schillreff, but they are both graduate students. Brooklyn Vosen and Anna McGahan are my very best undergrads.”
