International College of Leadership

This functional document will present an overview of the Non-Profit e-MBA proposed by the ICL. It will discuss the intended audience, content, delivery, and outcomes of the process.

All non-profit organizations are faced with the challenge to recruit and keep motivated and qualified participants. It is common to find individuals with sincere interest and little aptitude. This process is intended to balance that need and allow those individuals who are motivated to participate in the nonprofit organization to offer expanded benefits to the specific organization, as well as others they may be exposed to in future years.

The Non-Profit e-MBA is designed for the motivated individual, who is 1) already invested in a non-profit environment, or 2) expecting to be invested in this environment in the near future. The program offers an iterative and progressive learning style designed to plant foundational principles into the learner, followed by adding best practice knowledge patterns over these principles.

The Non-Profit e-MBA offers the learner a flexible, Internet delivered, interactive learning experience, which will immediately apply practical improvements to the learners environment. Management professionals from both the profit and non-profit sectors moderate the course. Learning is validated by directed online and offline discussions between the moderators and the students and module-based assignments.

2. Program Design

The program includes twelve online learning modules. Modules are "courses" through

which learners progress in the program. Materials and activities for learning are tightly integrated with each other across various modules in the program. A listing of the learning modules is included in the details of this section. Note that learners can choose to complete modules according to their own needs, as well as in the recommended order.

The program can be highly useful to learners regardless of the order in which they go through the modules in the program. Learning modules are arranged generally in the order needed to develop an organization from the ground up. Learners who are going through the program primarily as a form of training and development can proceed in a sequential fashion through the Learning Modules, and address the a) topics for discussion and reflection and the b) activities to build systems and practices; both of which are posed in each learning module.

Note that the activities required to build and manage a healthy nonprofit organization are usually very cyclical in nature -- for example, program planning often produces learning that, in turn, polishes previous strategic planning activities. Therefore, learners are guided to revisit certain portions of various learning modules at various points in the program.

3. Learning Modules

Module 1: Program Orientation -- Getting the Most from This Program

· Guidelines for You to Get the Most from Program

· Tips to Improve Your Reading and Studying Skills

· Extensive Free, Online Resources for You

· Designing Your Best Approach to Program

Module 2: Starting & Understanding Your Nonprofit

(Starting Your Nonprofit)

· What does it Mean to be "Nonprofit"?

· Are You an Entrepreneur?

· Jump Start with Fiscal Sponsorship?

· Complete Guidelines to Incorporation and Tax-Exemption

(Understanding Your Nonprofit)

Classification of Your Nonprofit

· Key Roles in Your Nonprofit

· Basic Structures in Your Nonprofit

· Life Cycle of Your Nonprofit

· Culture of Your Nonprofit

· Verifying Your Nonprofit Meets Regulations

Module 3: Understanding Role of Chief Executive

· What is a Chief Executive Officer?

· Role of CEO

· Major Functions of CEO

· Core Knowledge and Skills for CEO Role

· Preparation for Building Board

· Preparation for Strong Board-Staff Relationships

· Avoiding "Founder's Syndrome"

Module 4: Developing Your Basic Management & Leadership Skills

· Basic Skills in:

· Problem Solving and Decision Making

· Planning

· Delegation

· Internal Communications

· Meeting Management

· Managing Yourself

· Optional -- Advanced Topics in Management and Leadership

· Optional -- Designing Your Management and Leadership Development Plans

Module 5: Building and Training Your Board of Directors

· Understanding Roles and Responsibilities

· Building Policies and Committees

· Building Committees

· Recruiting New Members

· Ensuring Strong Participation

· Board and CEO Evaluations

· Board Calendar and Operations

· Organizing Board Manual

· Training Board Members

· Verifying Health of Your Board Practices

Module 6: Developing Your Strategic Plan

· Understanding Strategic Planning Process

· Writing Your Mission, Vision and Values Statements

· Conducting Strategic Analysis

· Setting Strategic Direction

· Conducting Action Planning

· Developing Operating Budget

· Writing and Communicating Your Plan

· Monitoring and Evaluating Your Plan

· Verifying Health of Your Strategic Planning Practices

Module 7: Developing and Marketing Your Programs

· Understanding Guidelines for Program Design

· Constructing Program Logic Model

· Your Program Outcomes, Goals and Strategies

· Conducting Market Analysis for Each Program/Service

· Developing Your Public and Media Relations Plan

· Developing Your Sales Plan

· Developing Your Advertising and Promotions Plan

· Organizing Your Marketing and Promotions Plan

· Verifying Health of Your Program Planning Practices

Module 8: Managing Your Nonprofit's Finances and Taxes

(Financial Management)

· Basics of Bookkeeping and Financial Controls

· Budgeting and Deviation Analysis

· Cash Management

· Financial Statements

· Financial Analysis

· Verifying Health of Your Financial Management Practices

Module 9: Developing Your Fundraising Plan

· Overview of Fundraising Sources and Approaches to Them

· Board’s Role in Fundraising

· Writing Your Fundraising Plan

· Writing & Submitting Your Proposal

· Online Fundraising

· Fundraising Software

· Hiring a Fundraiser

· Verifying Health of Your Fundraising Practices

Module 10: Supervising Your Employees and Volunteers

(Supervising Staff)

· Defining New Job Roles

· Recruiting Job Candidates

· Screening Applicants

· Orienting New Employees

· Delegating to Employees

· Ensuring Strong Performance

· Firing Employees

· Personnel Policies and Samples

· Verifying Health of Your Supervisory Practices

(Supervising Volunteers)

· Designing Your Volunteer Program

· Deciding Where Volunteers Can Help

· Recruiting & Screening Volunteers

· Ensuring Strong Performance

· Risk and Liabilities

· Verifying Health of Your Volunteer Management Practices

Module 11: Designing Your Program Evaluation Plans

(General Information)

· Understanding Program Evaluation, Goals and Types

· Overview of Data Collection Methods

· Guidelines for Analyzing, Interpreting and Reporting Information

· Pitfalls to Avoid

· Verifying Health of Your Program Planning and Evaluation Practices

(Outcomes-Based Evaluations)

· Getting Ready for Your Outcomes Planning

· Selecting Your Outcomes and Target Outcomes (including Developing

your Logic Model)

· Identifying Indicators for Each of Your Target Outcomes

· Deciding What Data You Need and How You Will Collect It

· Guidelines for Your Data Analysis

· Writing Your Outcomes-Based Evaluation Report

Module 12: Conducting Final Fitness Test of Your Nonprofit

· Compliance to Laws and Regulations

· Board Operations

· Supervisory Practices

· Strategic, Program and Personnel Planning

· Financial Management

· Fundraising Practices

Optional: Module 13: Practical Guide to Managing Ethics in the Workplace

· What is Business Ethics?

· Myths about Business Ethics

· 10 Benefits of Managing Ethics

· Ethics Management System

· 8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics

· 6 Key Roles and Responsibilities

· Ethics Tools: Codes of Ethics

· Ethics Tools: Codes of Conduct

· Ethics Tools: Policies

· Ethics Tools: Resolving Ethical · Dilemmas

· Ethics Tools: Training