NONPROFIT GRADUATE LEADERSHIP EDUCATION

The purpose of this study was to elevate the discussion about a nonprofit graduate leadership program competency and to address what nonprofit leadership students say about their nonprofit education experience. A quantitative analysis surveyed one hundred and three (103) nonprofit leadership graduate students to find out what leadership competencies were the most important to them. The scope and delimitation of this study focused on one seven-week leadership course. The post-course questionnaire asked the respondents nine questions related to the course. The respondents answered yes or no questions, ranking questions highest to lowest, and students provided suggestions in an open field format on leadership competencies that were missing, or that might have enhanced their leadership learning experience. A table was constructed using the Microsoft spreadsheet showing a listing of competencies that the students stated they would like to receive in the course. Although topics ranged from learning about leadership to understanding the 501(c) (3) process, students showed more interest in 5 of the 15 areas presented. Accurately, 15% of the students reported that they would like to receive more training in the area of budgeting, 12% reported training on board governance and leadership, and 9% reported more on grant writing and employee well-being. The study found that students seeking nonprofit leadership degrees were more focused on competencies related to budgets, governance, grant writing, and employee well-being. These topics are not readily available in nonprofit leadership courses.