Nonprofit Leadership Alliance: University of Houston - University of Houston
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Nonprofit Leadership Alliance

 Dean Ira Colby

Since 1993, the David M. Underwood Chapter of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance (NLA) at the University of Houston (UH) has served as a Nonprofit Management Certificate and Credential Program available to undergraduate students from any degree program.  As of Spring 2022, the program is also available to graduate students pursuing the Master of Social Work degree at the UH Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW).  The NLA provides students the opportunity to become Certified Nonprofit Professionals (CNP) based on core competencies set by the national NLA, Inc. These include:

  • Communication, Marketing, and Public Relations
  • Cultural Competency and Diversity
  • Financial Resource Development and Management
  • Foundations and Management in the Nonprofit Sector
  • Governance, Leadership, and Advocacy
  • Legal and Ethical Decision Making
  • Personal and Professional Development
  • Program Development
  • Volunteer and Human Resource Management
  • Future of the Nonprofit Sector

The mission of the NLA is to strengthen the social network with a talented, prepared workforce.  Many of our alumni currently work in a variety of positions throughout the nonprofit sector, and we are proud to serve as the nonprofit workforce development pipeline in our community.

While the NLA program works with both undergraduate and graduate students at UH, it is housed under the GCSW.  Given the significant role the nonprofit sector plays in addressing the needs of the community, the NLA proudly supports the GCSW’s mission to prepare diverse leaders in practice and research to address complex challenges and achieve sustainable social, racial, economic, and political justice, locally and globally, through exceptional education, innovative research, and meaningful community engagement.

CLICK HERE to find out more about the NLA and how you may become a Certified Nonprofit Professional.  Please direct all inquiries to NLA@central.uh.edu.