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NLA Certificate Portfolio option

The portfolio option allows student to receive the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance certificate in a more independent and less structured way. Students need to complete the three main areas listed below by using the work completed in their general education courses, major and minor courses, seminars attended and other activities.

Documentation materials generally used to show completion of requirements:

  • Course materials, projects, or an assignment completed in class that focuses on a specific competency area
  • Transcripts of grades received in a course you completed
  • Registration Form (or receipt) and the agenda from a workshop attended
  • Syllabi and grade (printed from emich.edu account) from a course completed
  • Letters from nonprofit professionals, professors, or workshop facilitators stating that you fulfilled a competency through service, course work, or attending a workshop.

Contact the Campus Director, Dr. Petrescu, if you feel that documentation you have that is not listed above, could suffice.

Area One: Foundation Competencies

  • Career Development and Exploration
    1. Attend a Career Service Center Workshop
    2. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    3. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    4. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Communication Skills
    1. Complete EMU General Studies Course
    2. CTAC 370 Nonprofit Org. Communication
    3. PLSC 334 Personal Admin. In Govt.
    4. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    5. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    6. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Employability Skills
    1. Attend NLA Resume Workshop AND Attend a Career Service Center workshop
    2. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    3. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    4. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Personal Attributes
    1. Two Letters of Recommendation from a Field-Based Experience or Internship supervisor describing your attributes/contributions
    2. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    3. Attend a Career Service Center Workshop
    4. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    5. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop

Area Two: Professional Development Competencies

  • Nonprofit Management
    1. PLSC 435 Nonprofit Mgt & Leadership
    2. MGMT 386 Organization Behavior
    3. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    4. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    5. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Nonprofit Accounting & Financial Management
    1. ACC 246 Accounting for Public and NPO (or ACC 240 if 246 is not available)
    2. PLSC 352 Public Budgeting
    3. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    4. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    5. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Community Outreach/Marketing and Public Relations
    1. JRNL 408 Case Studies in PR
    2. JRNL 314 Writing for Public Relations
    3. MKTG 360 Principles of Marketing
    4. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    5. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    6. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
    1. PLSC 435 Nonprofit Mgt & Leadership
    2. RECR 469 Grant Writing in Recreation
    3. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    4. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    5. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Risk Management and Legal Issues
    1. LAW 393 Law of Business and NPO
    2. LAW 403 Employment Law
    3. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    4. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    5. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Historical and Philosophical Foundations
    1. PLSC 336 History and Phil Foundations
    2. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    3. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    4. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Youth and Adult Development
    1. Complete Elective Course in Human Development and Diversity
    2. EDPS 325 Life Span Human Growth and Development
    3. PSY 321/322 Child/Adolescence Psych
    4. SOCL 303 Sociology of Childhood and Youth
    5. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    6. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    7. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Board-Committee Development
    1. CTAC 370 Nonprofit Org. Communication
    2. PLSC 434 Intro to Board Development in NPO's
    3. PLSC 435 Nonprofit Mgt & Leadership
    4. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    5. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    6. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Fundraising Principles and Practices
    1. Organize Fundraising Event for NLAMI
    2. CTAC 370 Nonprofit Org. Communication
    3. RECR 469 Grant Writing in Recreation
    4. PLSC 436 Fundraising
    5. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    6. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    7. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Volunteer Management
    1. SWRK 470 Supervising Staff and Volunteers
    2. PLSC 435 Nonprofit Mgt & Leadership
    3. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    4. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    5. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Information Management and Technology
    1. Attend a Career Service Center Workshop
    2. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    3. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    4. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Ethics and Values
    1. PLSC 435 Nonprofit Mgt & Leadership
    2. PLSC 436 Fundraising
    3. PLSC 336 History and Phil Foundations
    4. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    5. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    6. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop
  • Diversity Awareness
    1. SOCL 214 Racial and Cultural Minorities
    2. AAS 231 Urbanization & African Am. Com.
    3. AAS 351 Social Cont. of African Am. Heal.
    4. Attend NLAMI or MNA Workshop
    5. Internship or Mentorship Experience
    6. NLA Advisory Board Meeting/Workshop

Area Three: Other Requirements

  • Attend Nonprofit Leadership Alliance Management Institute
  • Active NLA Student Association Participation (two semesters are required)
  • Field-Based Experiences [300 hours at a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit]
  • Portfolio Review and Certification Interview with Campus Director
  • Participate at Advisory Board Meetings
  • Participate in Mentorship Program (optional)

Competency related links

Career development & exploration

www.bridgewaycareer.com

Communication Skills

www.mindtools.com/page8.html

Youth & adult development

www.americaspromise.com

Fundraising principles & practices

http://philanthropy.com
www.cof.org
www.foundationcenter.org

General nonprofit management

www.mapnp.org/library/prog_mng/fp_progs.htm
www.cdnportland.org/nonprofit_mgt_links.html

Accounting

www.1800net.com/nprc/index.html

Nonprofit marketing

www.marketing.about.com/od/nonprofitmarketing/

Nonprofit program planning

www.mapnp.org/library/prog_mng/fp_progs.htm

Nonprofit risk management

www.nonprofitrisk.org
www.mapnp.prg/library/risk_mng/risk_mng.htm

Other

Portfolio Powerpoint Presentation designed by NLA Advisory Board Member, Diane Hockett in 2009