Nonprofits are essential partners within our North Carolina communities. When nonprofit organizations have a strong foundation and manage themselves well, they can focus more wholly on the services and support they bring to our communities.
That is why the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits launched the Nonprofit Management Institute, a virtual learning cohort of nonprofit executives, managers, and board leaders to assess their organizations’ management practices, identify successes and challenges, build capacity where there are gaps, and work towards long-term sustainability.
Developed from ongoing nonprofit management research and the Center’s guide, Principles & Practices: Best Practices for North Carolina Nonprofits, this 6-session series facilitates learning, discussion, and fundamental management strategies around board governance, program design and evaluation, strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, and human resources. Participants graduate with a Nonprofit Management Institute certificate.
We appreciate our partnership with the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium that brought about the transition of this program from the Consortium to the Center to expand the content and open the opportunity to nonprofits all across the state.
Spring Series begins April 2025
To join our interest list, please contact us.
Cost for 6-Session Series: $400 for Center Members, $600 for All Others
Register two or more members of your staff and board and use code NPMITEAM to save 25%.
If cost is a barrier, please contact us at the email address below.
Cost includes a printed workbook to be mailed to each attendee.
If you require Spanish interpretation for this 6-part series, please contact us.
Questions? Visit our FAQ page or contact us.
See all the graduates of the Nonprofit Management Institute.
Hear from graduates of our inaugural series.
Program Sessions:
Orientation, Capacity Assessment, Nonprofit Management
Participants engage in the process to assess the management capacity of their nonprofit as a benchmark to determine future capacity building. The assessment process fosters a working knowledge on 12 fundamental management principles and the current management condition of a nonprofit. The overarching significance and theory-to-practice approach to managing a nonprofit is explained, in alignment with the Center’s Principles & Practices guide. This experience offers both new and experienced nonprofit leaders an opportunity to learn and explore the twelve core management and governance principles for nonprofits to improve and strengthen their organizations.
Board Governance
Recruit and retain an active and diverse board of directors with working committees that provide governance and oversight while providing board training and development.
- Recruit and retain board members who are committed to providing governance and oversight while preserving the mission and pursuing the vision
- Foster an active board of directors and working committees with diverse members who support the nonprofit with time, money, and influence while providing governance and oversight
- Leverage an active, diverse board of directors and working committees who advance the nonprofit through strategic decision-making, fundraising, innovative thinking, and ongoing board development
Program Design, Management & Evaluation
Design and manage programs in alignment with the mission with sufficient funding and human resources to achieve program outcomes as evidenced by community impact through high-quality evaluation processes.
- Design and implement programs that align with the nonprofit’s mission and vision to meet community needs
- Manage programs with sufficient funding and human resources to achieve desired outcomes
- Provide credible evidence of program impact through a detailed and robust assessment and evaluation process
Strategic Planning
Develop annual plans and guide operations using a strategic plan created with key stakeholders, inclusive of goals, strategies, and outcomes to advance the mission and achieve ongoing and sustainable impact.
- Develop clear goals that support the mission and vision
- Create and implement a strategic plan with board members, staff, and stakeholders to advance the mission and vision and guide operations
- Commit to ongoing capacity building beyond the strategic plan to ensure sustainable community impact utilizing best nonprofit management principles and practices
Financial Management and Fundraising
Financial Management: Manage financial resources by tracking and monitoring revenues and expenses, understanding and analyzing financial reports and information, and establishing a diversified revenue portfolio to achieve financial stability and maintain the public’s trust.
- Track and monitor revenue and expenses based on accurate bookkeeping, record keeping, and financial reporting
- Understand and adhere to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and IRS accounting requirements
- Analyze and use financial reports, data, and information to maintain a diversified revenue portfolio, guide decision making, and achieve financial stability
Fundraising: Cultivate and steward donor relationships as a basis to acquire grants, sponsorships, and contributions for annual giving and major giving to achieve financial stability.
- Establish systems and procedures to identify, ask, and acknowledge donors for contributions
- Cultivate donor relationships to foster consistent donor giving, secure foundation grants and corporate sponsorships, and implement an annual individual giving campaign
- Steward donor relationships to acquire contributions through major giving, capital campaigns, and/or endowments
Human Resources and Graduation
Maintain a knowledgeable, experienced, and skilled workforce of employees and volunteers to perform leadership and management duties and responsibilities.
- Attract knowledgeable employees and volunteers to fulfill the basic duties of the nonprofit in compliance with human resource practices and labor laws
- Choose knowledgeable and skilled employees and volunteers to lead people and manage operations
- Retain a knowledgeable and skilled workforce as a result of implementing a comprehensive personnel administration plan, policies, and procedures
About the Facilitator
Dr. Pamela Palmer has over 25 years of experience providing capacity-building support to nonprofit organizations as an educator, facilitator, consultant, and coach. She has collaborated with the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits and Guilford Nonprofit Consortium to conceptualize and design curricula for the Nonprofit Management Institute. She has served in various roles related to leadership and management of nonprofit organizations and has consulted in the areas of capacity building, nonprofit start-up and management, program development and management, strategic planning, organizational development, staff development, program evaluation, and community development. She was previously an instructor and assistant professor of nonprofit leadership and management at High Point University. She is one of the founders and current executive director of the Guilford County Resource and Referral Center. Dr. Palmer has a Ph.D. in leadership studies and a Master of Science in human resource counseling from North Carolina A&T State University, and an undergraduate degree in business administration from Winston-Salem State University.
Nonprofit Management Institute Alumni