Frequently Asked Questions About Nonprofit Academy

What is the Nonprofit Academy for Excellence?
Why should I attend the Nonprofit Academy?
How many classes do I need to take to attain a certificate?
What is On-Demand?
How long are the classes?
How much does it cost?
As an employee of the University of Utah, does the Tuition Reimbursement benefit apply to these classes and the certificate?
If I don't need a certificate, can I just take one or a couple of the courses offered under the Nonprofit Academy without enrolling in a certificate?
If I take individual courses and then decide I want to attain a certificate, what do I do?
Do you offer scholarships?
If I enroll in a certificate program and am unable to finish, will I get a refund?
If I'm interested in a topic that isn't offered, can you offer it?
Can I receive Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for courses taken in the Nonprofit Academy?
Where are these classes held?

The Nonprofit Academy for Excellence at The University of Utah is a unique certificate-based program customized for managers, staff, and trustees of Utah's nonprofit community. It promotes enhanced organizational capacity and effectiveness to professionals seeking training and development in nonprofit management. In addition to high-quality, affordable courses, the Academy offers a meeting place for nonprofit professionals to share ideas and strategies and build relationships that last beyond the classroom. The Academy is a collaborative effort among The University, Utah Nonprofits Association, and the Utah Society of Fundraisers. In addition, respected representatives from the nonprofit, business, academic, and funding communities participated in the creation of this Academy. Its goal is to inspire excellence in nonprofit management and governance.

Research has shown that funders actively look to see how an organization is improving organizational capacity. Training is an important tool for capacity building. For other talking points on how to convince your management and/or board that you need this training, read more about making a case for training.

Each certificate requires 50 contact hours or seven full days of training. All courses, except those listed as On-Demand, will run each year.

The On-Demand program allows students to let us know when they are interested in a course. When we receive enough interest, we will contact the interested persons and the instructor and schedule the course. We usually schedule the course in the subsequent semester.

Most classes are one full day, although we do offer some courses that are only half-day, such as Foundations of Nonprofit Management and Strategic Budgeting for Nonprofits.

The tuition fee for a complete certificate track is $1275. This is a discounted fee of at least $75 if the participant took the classes on an individual basis. This fee includes instruction and materials. Copyrighted material requires an extra fee that is passed through at the best rate we can. Individual course tuition fees are $179 plus material fee for a full day course and $99 plus material fee for a half day course.

Yes, for eligible University of Utah employees and their spouses, the Tuition Reimbursement policy does apply. You need to follow the requirements and guidelines outlined by the U of U Human Resources Department.

You may take as many courses as you like to improve your professional skills. However, by taking individual courses, you will not receive a University of Utah certificate and you are responsible for the regular per-class tuition and materials fee.

You will need to apply for the Nonprofit Academy for Excellence. You may do this at any time. The application is easy! Simply visit the Application page to fill out the application and call us at (801) 585-1780 to discuss your status and acceptance. Many individual courses can count toward certificate completion.

Yes. Please visit the scholarship page for available scholarships, criteria, and the application process.

Typically refunds are not given on certificate programs; however, if you find yourself in this situation, please call our office at (801) 585-1780 to discuss options.

Yes. Professional Education at the University of Utah is committed to delivering relevant and practical training for nonprofit and for-profit professionals. Visit our On-Demand page to check out courses you may request, or send us an email at proed@aoce.utah.edu to let us know about a unique class we may not have listed. When we receive enough interest, we will contact the interested persons and the instructor and schedule the course. We usually schedule the course in the subsequent semester.

As an accredited university, all Professional Education at the University of Utah courses provide continuing education units. However, individual industry associations, societies, and licensing boards decide which courses are accepted. Please check with your industry association, society, licensing board, or other governing entity to find out if the courses you are taking meet its criteria.

The majority of the Nonprofit Academy for Excellence classes will be held at the University of Utah Murray site located conveniently off of I-15. The University does have other sites and occasionally a class will be held at these other sites including Park City, Sandy, Bountiful, and the main campus.