From Passion to Purpose: Furman’s New Professional Certificate in Nonprofit Management

Dr. Veena Khandke is teaching her students how to understand the world. She wants them to discover that they may not be able to solve the world’s problems, but if they can solve one or two families’ problems, that’s still good.

Dr. Khandke, a Furman adjunct professor, is teaching the new Nonprofit Management course, offered through Furman’s Master of Arts in Advocacy and Social Policy. Students have several ways to take the course; Furman graduate students can enroll in the course as an elective in their program or community members can enroll in the course to earn a professional certificate.

Furman’s Center for Innovative Leadership collaborated with Furman’s Graduate Studies to offer select graduate-level courses, like Nonprofit Management, to community members. Students who complete one of these courses will earn a professional certificate and academic credit that can also count toward a future master’s degree. Professional certificates are a new opportunity for community members interested in professional development, learning new skills or exploring new career paths.

Students who enroll in the course will gain the skills and insight needed to navigate the complexities of nonprofit leadership and create meaningful impact in their communities. The course offers a diverse view of nonprofits, including community-based groups and global non-governmental organizations. Dr. Khandke brings her own experience from working at a nonprofit organization and seeing firsthand how communities are addressing their challenges.

“Where do you put your passion and how do you kind of change the world, right? Nonprofits. It’s one way of changing the world because that is the goal of nonprofits,” Dr. Khandke said.

This course can benefit a wide audience on both the career interest side and the passion side. It’s beneficial for students who are interested in learning how nonprofits work—whether they aspire to work for or become a volunteer at a nonprofit organization—as topics will include nonprofit laws, regulations, ethics, values and operational management. Even for students who don’t plan to work directly in the nonprofit sector, the course provides valuable insights. Nonprofits are the backbone of philanthropy, and understanding how they operate is essential, especially when collaboration with them may be part of future professional and personal endeavors.

Having students with different backgrounds in a classroom makes the learning experience more interesting. Dr. Khandke explains, “Students came up with fabulous creative ideas during discussion and debate. ‘Oh, my nonprofit wants to raise money.’ And then the students with entrepreneurial backgrounds say, ‘OK, we'll produce this, you sell this.’ It's really fun to see how they would work together.”

Ready to make a difference? Discover how you can make an impact in your community with one of our professional certificates today.