Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations certificate program is designed for those seeking to advance their careers in fundraising and nonprofit administration through a combination of hands-on skills and theoretical knowledge, taught by practitioners in the field from major nonprofit institutions, research universities, and consulting firms.

Professional Development Programs

• Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations
  • Courses and Registration
  • Program Faculty
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
  • Career Options
  • Contact Us

Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations Certificate - Remote Program

This Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations certificate program is designed for those seeking to advance their careers in fundraising and nonprofit administration through a combination of hands-on skills and theoretical knowledge, taught by practitioners in the field from major nonprofit institutions, research universities, and consulting firms.

Students may choose any four courses for a customized certificate in "Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations." Those seeking a more targeted learning experience may choose to complete the "Fundraising Professional" or "Nonprofit Professional" certificate track.

Upcoming Sessions

• PHIL_NP 381-0 Essentials of Grantwriting and Program Development (Remote): December 12, 2025
• PHIL_NP 380-0 Grantsmanship for Research Professionals (Remote): December 12, 2025
• PHIL_NP 315-0 Donor Psychology and The Ask (Remote): December 12, 2025
• PHIL_NP 325-0 Nonprofit Strategy and Board Leadership (Remote): December 12, 2025

About Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

• Tracks for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations
• Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations Program Courses
• Certificate Requirements for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations
• Nonprofit Resilience and Reinvention Through a Crisis
• Grantsmanship for the Research Professional
• Tuition and Financial Aid for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations
• Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations Faculty
• Career Options for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

Featured Faculty

Paul Winters, Legal Issues in Philanthropy

Like many people who work with nonprofit organizations, Paul Winters has a passion for helping people. On top of his law practice, he teaches the Legal Issues in Philanthropy course at Northwestern University School of Professional Studies (SPS). The course “gives students an introductory set of legal tools to help them navigate regulatory compliance issues, so they can get back to the things that drew them into serving in the nonprofit community in the first place.”

Tracks for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organization Track

A customized course of study where students pick any four courses from the list below, with substitutions allowed from the Fundamentals of Leadership Program.

• Audience: Those with multiple roles within a nonprofit or those looking for a customized learning experience, blending fundraising, leadership, and management.

Fundraising Professional Track

Hands-on skills program to teach students how to effectively raise money through major gifts, planned gifts, and capital campaigns. In addition, students will learn about the psychology of donors and what makes people give.

• Audience: Frontline fundraising personnel such as major gift officers, annual fund directors, capital campaign managers, development associates

Nonprofit Professional Track

Understand financial and legal structures of nonprofits as well as how to write mission statements, strategic plans, and work with boards

• Audience: Managers and directors in nonprofits and those that want to start a nonprofit

Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations Program Courses

Explore all the Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations Program Courses for detail on the program's offerings.

Certificate Requirements for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

To be awarded a certificate of completion, students must complete four courses. Required courses for each certificate are listed below.

Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations Certificate Track

• Take any four (4) courses from the list below (Core or Elective)
• Students may substitute up to two (2) Leadership courses
• There is no need to get pre-approval as long as students follow the above guidelines

Fundraising Professional Certificate Track

• PHIL_NP 315-0 Donor Psychology and The Ask
• PHIL_NP 378-0 Major Gift Fundraising
• PHIL_NP 381-0 Essentials of Grant Writing and Program Development*
• One course from the Leadership certificate program or Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations certificate program

Nonprofit Professional Certificate Track

• LEAD_ART 200-0 Strategic Thinking and Leading
• PHIL_NP 320-0 Financial Management of Nonprofits
• PHIL_NP 325-0 Nonprofit Strategy and Governance
• PHIL_NP 330-0 Legal Issues in Philanthropy

Nonprofit Resilience and Reinvention Through a Crisis

Nonprofit Resilience and Reinvention Through a Crisis (PHIL_NP 335-0)

COVID-19 has produced major disruptions and impacted the entire nonprofit and funding sector. This two-day course, useful for anyone in the nonprofit sector but particularly for nonprofit executives, foundation program managers, and donors and development officers, upskills you with tools, case studies, and knowledge resources to advance reinvention and build resilience into nonprofits.

Grantsmanship for the Research Professional

Grantsmanship for the Research Professional (PHIL_NP 380-0)

While this is not a separate track, this course is a powerful resource for both researchers at all stages and research administrators working in any research-intensive environments or discipline who are pursuing grant opportunities from government, corporate, and foundation sectors.

Tuition and Financial Aid for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

Tuition for Philanthropy and Nonprofit courses varies depending on the course between $650 and $1,200. To complete the program, you can expect to spend between $2,900 to $4,200, not including books.

Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations Faculty

Instructors for this program have a range of expertise, specializations, and work experience.

Career Options for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

Read more on the Career Options for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations page.

Core Courses Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations

The program offers various core courses that provide students with a comprehensive understanding of philanthropy and nonprofit organizations.