FSW 253 - Non-profit Leadership Development Program

Course Description

For financial assistance, check your eligibility for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant for training.

The Non-Profit Leadership Development Program is designed to equip non-profit professionals with the essential knowledge and skills to effectively lead in non-profit organizations. 

• Offering a wide-ranging curriculum covering the themes of Governance, Leadership and Strategy, and Operations, this program covers topics such as governance best practices, strategic planning, delegation, diversity and inclusion, stakeholder collaboration, conflict resolution, ESG and social justice, coaching skills for leaders, leading change, social enterprise, and fund development.  
• Through a combination of learning from experienced non-profit leaders, practical case studies, interactive exercises, mentoring and peer learning, participants will develop the competencies necessary to drive organizational success and foster sustainable growth in the non-profit sector.
• While most of the short, focused sessions (1.5 hours) are offered live online, the program also offers an in-person networking event to launch the program and a concluding graduation ceremony that provides the opportunity to enhance community in the non-profit sector and between non-profit organizations, government, and private sectors and showcase the Capstone Projects of participants.
• Eight foundational workshops are required, along with one of three (1 of 3) offered electives for a total of 10 sessions. Mentoring with an experienced leader will be provided via 3 small group meetings.  Scheduling will be worked out within each group with their mentor and a meeting space can be booked for these meetings once scheduled.

Course Details

Foundational Workshops (9 sessions)

1. Program Launch and Not-for-Profit Governance Best Practices (in-person)
2. Strategy for Your Organization (virtual)
3. Effective Delegation (virtual)
4. Creating Authentically Diverse and Inclusive Cultures in Your Not-for-Profit  (virtual)
5. Collaborating with Stakeholders: Government, Private, and Others  (virtual)
6. Conflict Resolution for non-profit Leaders  (virtual)
7. ESG-Social Justice Lens  (virtual)
8. Fund Development  (virtual)
9. Program Integration and Graduation, Capstone project (in-person)

Elective Workshops (choose one of the following three options)

1. Elective 1: Leading Change in Your Not-for-Profit
2. Elective 2: Coaching Skills for Not-for-Profit Leaders: Clarifying and Affirming Your Leadership Philosophy
3. Elective 3: Social Enterprise

Mentor Group Sessions

• Participants will be assigned in small groups to experienced mentors for discussion and application of concepts to their own environments.
• The three meetings will be scheduled in collaboration with the mentor and the group members to best accommodate the groups’ schedules.
• The learning design of this program emphasizes impactful and relevant learning over required hours and assignments.  A Capstone Project completed by each participant will summarize their learning and/or application of program concepts to their organization.  The project will require a small amount of reflection after each session and a final summary of this learning to meet the requirements of the Capstone Project.
• Each participant will be assigned to a Mentor group with an experienced mentor to help apply learning from the program in the participants’ contexts and help provide some structure for the Capstone Project.  Three meetings will be required to be scheduled as work best for the mentor and the group.