Nonprofit Leadership Alliance

Complete one of the following courses: PACE 250 (Nonprofit Fundraising and Volunteer Management, 4 credits) or IDIS 350 (Nonprofit Leadership, 3 credits) or COMM 409 (Nonprofit Communication, 4 credits). By taking any of these courses, you will acquire knowledge and skills needed to professionally advance in the nonprofit sector. The above courses are also part of the requirements for the Nonprofit Leadership Minor. While all courses are open to all SU students, PACE 250 and IDIS 350 have no prerequisites at all.

CNP Online Exam: Requirement: Pass the CNP Exam

100 short-answer questions; 76% is passing

To prepare for the exam you may take one of the eligible courses (PACE 250, IDIS 350, or COMM 409) offered in the Fulton School at Salisbury University and/or study the CNP Study Guide. You are encouraged to take other courses useful for the nonprofit sector such as marketing, professional writing, and others, and to participate in virtual or in person webinars and workshops offered by other schools as well.

How to Prepare for the CNP Exam

1. Take Nonprofit Coursework

Have you taken any nonprofit focused college courses? If you haven’t, plan to take one. (Reminder: you have 3 years from your enrollment date to complete the requirements and earn your CNP). How do you know if your campus has a nonprofit course available next semester? You can go to the SU online course catalog and search “nonprofit.” If you find a course, you can build it into your schedule. You may also talk with your advisor in your major about whether a nonprofit course could count as an elective.

And don’t forget, many topics are relevant to nonprofit management. If you have taken any of the following courses, think about how the content applies to nonprofit organizations:

• Leadership
• Management
• Human Resources
• Budgeting
• Financial Management
• Accounting
• Ethics
• Marketing or Communications
• Cultural Competency and Diversity

HELPFUL HINT: When taking a course, be sure to ask yourself, how does this content relate to nonprofit organizations? If you have an opportunity to select a leader or an organization for a project, go with a nonprofit focus. (These assignments can help you learn more about organizations where you might want to work.)

2. Review the CNP Study Guide

Once you are enrolled in CNP Central, you will have access to the CNP Study Guide. This e-guide is designed to take 2-3 hours per week for 12 weeks. However, it is completely self-paced, so feel free to review the materials on a schedule that works for you. The CNP Study Guide is organized into six modules with four lessons each.

3. Participate in Webinars and Workshops

We encourage you to participate in as many nonprofit-focused trainings, webinars and workshops as you can fit into your schedule. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance offers free and discounted webinars and e-courses. The CNP Central Announcements will keep you informed.

Eligibility: You may take the CNP Exam at any point after being enrolled in CNP Central. Join a study group to prepare for the exam. You can also access the CNP Study Groups through CNP Central.

Volunteer Service: Volunteerism is a key component for most nonprofits. More than 70 million adults (30% of the population) volunteer each year for nonprofit organizations—resulting in nearly 6.9 billion hours of volunteerism. This represents an estimated $167 billion in economic value. The Volunteer Service requirement encourages CNP participants to understand the value of volunteerism.

You'll gain first-hand perspective on how organizations work with volunteers to further their mission. This experience will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about an organization relevant to your interests and to make valuable connections in the nonprofit sector.

Requirement: Complete at least 20 hours of volunteerism at a nonprofit organization.

Eligibility: You may complete the volunteer experience and report it at any time.

Eligibility: You may complete the nonprofit experience requirement at any time. Up to four experiences may be recorded to meet the requirement. Please note, your supervisor/s might be contacted about your experience.

Other information: The most effective way to truly understand how nonprofits “work” is to work at a nonprofit! Nonprofit experience allows you to apply classroom concepts to a real-world setting. Completing projects, working with a team, and receiving feedback on your work all allow you to advance your understanding and build confidence in your knowledge and skills. In addition, these connections with nonprofit organizations create your professional network for job seeking and future problem-solving.

We offer several pathways to completing the nonprofit experience requirement. Select the one that fits you best!

Option #1: Previous paid nonprofit work experience

• A minimum of 6 weeks of part-time employment meets this requirement

Option #2: The Washington Center , AmeriCorps or other service year experience

Option #3: Internship at a nonprofit organization through your major or IDIS 490

• Internship could be organized through the university or by the student. The internship tasks should focus more on the “behind the scenes” activities rather than the nonprofit programs, providing students opportunities to develop transferable knowledge and skills that can serve in nonprofits with different purposes. For example, if you gain knowledge and skills about fundraising in an health nonprofit, you can apply that fundraising knowledge in a nonprofit that provides a literacy program or another one that serves the homeless population.
• The internship does not have to earn college or university credit, but it must be supervised.
• Minimum of 120 hours

Option #4: Micro-Internships/Job Shadowing

• Minimum of 120 hours combined
• A minimum of 20 hours must be spent in a professional office environment (job shadowing, etc.)
• A minimum of 20 hours spent on project-based activities (micro-internship)

Leadership Development: Participate in at least one nonprofit conference (in person or online)

Leadership Development: Succeeding as a leader is not always straightforward. Effective leadership requires “soft” skills (also known as essential leadership skills). This is less about your straight knowledge and more about understanding complicated organizational and interpersonal dynamics. The best way to ensure you are setting yourself up for success is to adopt two mindsets. The first is continuous learning. The most successful leaders have a voracious appetite for learning new skills and developing their leadership capacity. The second is building professional networks. We know that a well-networked leader is a more successful leader. It is critical that you are building your ability to build those networks. Networks that will serve you today and for years to come.

Requirement: Conference, networking, career services

Eligibility: You may complete the leadership experience requirement at any time.

How: Attend the virtual conference Elevate, hosted by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance in February every year. Another option is to attend the in-person Lower Shore Nonprofit Summit, every spring in our SU campus. A third option is to attend a national nonprofit conference like AFP.

If you do not attend one of the above conferences, you must complete “Leadership Development in Practice” and meet the three requirements listed below. We include examples of what networking and collaboration, and career exploration experiences can look like. Pick one experience from the list that best suits you!

Leadership Development Requirements

1. Professional development: Attend a national conference focusing on the nonprofit sector.
2. Networking and collaboration (pick one):
   • Attend a local networking event
   • Connect with various online communities on CNP Central
   • Complete APO Leads if you are an APO member
3. Career exploration (pick one):
   • Take the DeBruce Agility Assessment (available at Elevate)
   • Take part in Career L!FT Mentor Match!
     • Sign up for informational interviews
     • Sign up for resume review

The nonprofit sector is the fastest growing area of the U.S. economy today and includes organizations from neighborhood associations to large foundations focusing on such areas as the environment, the arts, international development, and social services. Research shows that professionals who receive their Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential are seven times more likely to raise to director or higher levels than their non-CNP peers.

Prepare yourself for the future and start pursuing your CNP credential today!