Nonprofit Management

Serve the public good

With this concentration, you’ll gain vital knowledge and skills in all areas of Nonprofit Management—from traditional aspects such as fundraising and community service to the latest trends such as social entrepreneurship and socially responsible investing.

We also emphasize management techniques and trends that can be the key to success for many nonprofit leaders. As a result, you’ll be prepared for a leadership role in the nonprofit sector, in government agencies that deal extensively with nonprofits, or in the field of philanthropy. This is just part of why we’re ranked #1 in this area by U.S. News & World Report.

How to apply

#1for nonprofit management, U.S. News & World Report, 2024

O'Neill School: #1 Public Affairs 2023 US News and World Report

41NONPROFIT Managment MPA students (Spring 2021)

1:5Faculty : student ratio

98%All O’Neill MPA placement rate (2021)

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Alexandra Toledo, MPA-MA’14

Development Strategist and Peru Country Representative, Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), Cusco, Peru

“I could not be doing the work I am today without my training and education in Nonprofit Management. It launched me into my career at a high professional level, and I am grateful every day.”

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Michelle T. Boone, MPA’98

Chief Program and Civic Engagement Officer , Navy Pier, Inc., Chicago

“The Nonprofit Management Program provided an excellent foundation I for work in multiple fields: philanthropy, arts management, and government. The courses all yielded enormous value and practicality for me in my professional career.”

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Margaret McDougle, MPA’17

Intake Coordinator Level II, Community Human Services, Pittsburg

“The O’Neill School has given me many opportunities to grow both personally and professionally throughout my time in the MPA program. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to attend O’Neill and feel that I am well-prepared to begin my career as a professional in the nonprofit sector.”

Master the fundamentals, then add depth and detail with electives

You’ll begin by mastering the fundamentals reflected in the MPA program’s core competencies. These five courses (15 credit hours) will give you well-developed analytical skills and a broad understanding of policy issues and government processes. In addition to these highly transferable core skills, the Nonprofit Management concentration includes two required courses which provide the fundamental theories and tools of nonprofit management.

  • The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (N 521)
  • Management in the Nonprofit Sector (N 525)

The remainder of your coursework comes in a wide range of elective courses. These will allow you to tailor your Nonprofit Management program to your own specific interests. Working with your advisor, you'll be able to select from many elective options.

  • Approaches to Development (D 576)
  • Economic Development, Globalization, and Entrepreneurship (D 669)
  • Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations (F 526)
  • Public Organizations (M 504)
  • Negotiation & Dispute Resolution for Public Affairs (M 547)
  • Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations (M 602)
  • Managing Workforce Diversity in Public Organizations (M 652)
  • Human Resource Management in Nonprofit Organizations (N 522)
  • Civil Society and Public Policy (N 523)
  • Civil Society in Comparative Perspective (N 524)
  • NGO Management for International Development (N 534)
  • Proposal Development and Grant Management (N 557)
  • Fund Development for Nonprofits (N 558)
  • Principles and Practices of Social Entrepreneurship (V 559)
  • Benefit-Cost Analysis (P 541)
  • Public Program Evaluation (P 562)
  • Sustainable Communities (S 515)

Combining your Nonprofit Management concentration with another MPA concentration—such as Economic Development or International Development—may offer you unique advantages in pursuing a particular career. As they help you design your program, our faculty will work to accommodate your specialized professional interests.

The above are examples of your course options. For a complete listing, see the official Indiana University Graduate Bulletin and work with your advisor as you make your schedule.

The above are just examples of your course options. For a complete listing, see the official Indiana University Bulletin.

Faculty focused on nonprofit management

M B

Associate Professor

Phone:
(812) 855-2783
Email:
baggettm@indiana.edu
J N

Professor; Director, Master of Public Affairs Program and O'Neill Online MPA Program

Phone:
(812) 855-8406
Email:
jillnich@indiana.edu

 

Experiential learning

Our MPA offers far more than traditional lectures and lessons. You’ll also get the benefit of experiential learning – typically through an approved internship. What's more, your concentration’s course work will culminate in a project-oriented course—a Capstone—that lets you apply the knowledge you gained throughout the program.

You can also join the O’Neill Nonprofit Management Association (NMA), a professional student organization for the nonprofit management concentration that offers networking and current information on events in the nonprofit industry.

Get involved with NMA

50 years at O'Neill