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As a leader at a Connecticut nonprofit organization, George Reid-Perry wanted a way to continue to grow as a professional. He saw the University�Ӱ�ԭ��s Nonprofit Leadership, Innovation, and Organizational Sustainability graduate certificate as an opportunity to further develop as a leader at his organization.

For Reid-Perry, senior director of adult services for , which offers services and programs to children and adults with differing abilities across Connecticut, the graduate certificate program was a great way to explore how nonprofits can apply business-focused principles to enhancing their services and operations. He was among the graduates of the program�Ӱ�ԭ��s most recent cohort this fall.

�Ӱ�ԭ��Being able to learn from a group of diverse professionals �Ӱ�ԭ�� including from academic and nonprofit-based organizations and institutions �Ӱ�ԭ�� was a great balance of experiences,�Ӱ�ԭ�� he said. �Ӱ�ԭ��The conversations that were generated really enabled me to think outside of my sector of services and see how I could learn best practices that I could apply to my work.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��What I took away from the program�Ӱ�ԭ���Ӱ�ԭ��

The new graduates, who represent a variety of nonprofit organizations such as the and the , developed their leadership and strategic management skills as part of the graduate certificate program. It was created to prepare current nonprofit managers to move into executive-level roles.

Candidates develop competencies in financial planning and analysis, strategic project management, and marketing while developing the business acumen they need to help their organization adapt to a changing environment. They learn by doing, creating a two-year strategic plan for their organization to help strengthen it while increasing its impact on the community and those it serves.

�Ӱ�ԭ��What I took away from the program that was most pertinent was the importance of emergency preparedness,�Ӱ�ԭ�� said Reid-Perry. �Ӱ�ԭ��An organization needs to be able to adjust on the fly and have a strong communication plan. This directly relates to business continuity, which is at the forefront of what I do.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��A small, intimate community�Ӱ�ԭ��

As part of the program, candidates learn and gain insight from their classmates and from more than a dozen speakers and professors. Ron Kuntze, Ph.D., an expert on nonprofit management and the program coordinator, says the graduate certificate provides �Ӱ�ԭ��real practical value�Ӱ�ԭ�� to both the candidate and their organization.

�Ӱ�ԭ��Our candidates work on a project they can use immediately in their organizations,�Ӱ�ԭ�� he explained. �Ӱ�ԭ��These organizational growth projects often result in the candidate receiving positive attention from the organization, as well as creating real and positive change. I believe this is very unique to our program.�Ӱ�ԭ��

Housed in the University�Ӱ�ԭ��s Pompea College of Business, the certificate program enables candidates to gain hands-on social entrepreneurship and business-planning experience. They also become part of an important network of likeminded professionals, something Dr. Kuntze says is an invaluable component of the program.

�Ӱ�ԭ��It gives future �Ӱ�ԭ�� and current �Ӱ�ԭ�� leaders a chance to create a small, intimate community of local nonprofit managers that meets regularly over an 18- to 24-month period,�Ӱ�ԭ�� he said. �Ӱ�ԭ��They become quite close to each other and also forge relationships with our expert executives, consultants, and professors who teach as part of the program. I�Ӱ�ԭ��m very proud of these very unique elements of our program.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��Challenge your traditional way of thinking�Ӱ�ԭ��

The program has further enhanced long-term relationships between community nonprofits and the University �Ӱ�ԭ�� both before and since it started. That was important to Andrew Eder, a philanthropist and chairman of , which has been in the wholesale wine and spirits business for more than eight decades, when he developed the idea for the program.

�Ӱ�ԭ��We arrived at the goal of this program from conducting face-to-face interviews with more than 15 executive directors of nonprofits in the New Haven area and asking them how our program could be of the most help to them,�Ӱ�ԭ�� said Eder, who has served on a variety of nonprofit boards and is chair of the advisory board for the University�Ӱ�ԭ��s Nonprofit Institute. �Ӱ�ԭ��Almost all of them said words similar to, �Ӱ�ԭ��I was woefully unprepared for this job, and I grew into it over time.�Ӱ�ԭ��

�Ӱ�ԭ��We seek to better equip individuals who were being promoted within their nonprofit institutions, as well as current executive directors, with skills that match the complexities of guiding today�Ӱ�ԭ��s nonprofits,�Ӱ�ԭ�� he continued. �Ӱ�ԭ��This program, taught by individuals with nonprofit experience, seeks to significantly shorten the ramp-up time for these up-and-coming managers, and to add new tools for their executive directors.�Ӱ�ԭ��

At the end of the program, candidates and educators celebrated their achievements during a graduation ceremony. The next cohort of the program will begin in the spring. Reid-Perry says the program was an opportunity for him and his fellow candidates to learn and grow in their roles as nonprofit leaders.

�Ӱ�ԭ��The program prepares working professionals at different phases of their career,�Ӱ�ԭ�� said Reid-Perry. �Ӱ�ԭ��The uniqueness of the program is the schedule that allows for learning and the ability to implement what was covered during the classes. The courses cover a wide variety of topics that encourage you to challenge your traditional way of thinking and experience a multitude of approaches to meet your organization�Ӱ�ԭ��s mission.�Ӱ�ԭ��