Leadership & Management of Nonprofit Organizations (B.S.)

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Passion is care in action. It’s doing work you believe in for a cause you value. With the right blend of commitment, knowledge and talent, you can conquer a challenging career that can be truly rewarding. As a nonprofit professional in the making, you probably already have the commitment. In the SDSU Leadership and Management of Nonprofit Organizations (LMNO) Program, you’ll acquire the knowledge and develop the talents to engage in your cause.

So what’s your cause – youth, children, the arts, education, animal welfare, the environment, human services or international affairs? Is it something else? Whatever it is, LMNO at SDSU will help you convert your passion into action.

An Education In Advocacy

As a student in leadership and management of nonprofit organizations, you’ll develop a comprehensive understanding of the nonprofit sector, including the role of philanthropy in the United States and the history, philosophy, ethics and organizational structure of nonprofit and social services agencies. You’ll also learn fundraising practices; see how the various roles of human services professionals intersect with the nonprofit field; and apply leadership and team development strategies to organizational structures.

To further your personal and professional skills necessary for success in the nonprofit environment, you’ll complete a 3-credit internship experience at a nonprofit organization related to your specific career interest.

Grassroots Training: What Do LMNO Majors Do In Class?

• Study business basics in accounting, financial management and fundraising courses.
• Assess societal needs with courses such as Consumer Needs and Program Funding, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation, and Principles and Practices of Social Entrepreneurship.
• Learn to effectively gain support for social causes through courses in promotion, marketing, advertising and public relations.
• Practice the principles of managing people via human resources, volunteer management and organizational leadership.
• Apply leadership strategies to nonprofit work in the real world through the senior seminar and leadership-in-action field experience and internship.
• For course information, either contact our EHS Academic Success Team or visit our program page.

From Chalkboard To Board Of Directors

Graduates in LMNO at SDSU are aptly prepared for rewarding positions within the nonprofit world. While there are common roles among nonprofit organizations, the work done by the professionals that fill them is anything but common.

Executive directors oversee all aspects of a nonprofit organization, including marketing and promotion, fundraising, program development, human resources and finances.

Marketing managers are tasked with the three-fold purpose of understanding the key stakeholders of an organization; crafting relevant and compelling messages to develop and maintain support for the cause; and, using appropriate communication channels to effectively deliver those messages.

Public relations managers often serve as the public face of an organization and are responsible for maintaining its public image. They are experts at articulating the mission, values and facts of the organization and manage media relations by writing press releases, staying current on relevant policies and interacting with media at events.

Fundraising managers are responsible for all things financial within a nonprofit organization. In addition to creating budgets and tracking expenses, fundraising managers oversee donor development, prepare grant proposals and coordinate events.

Volunteer coordinators assess staffing needs for nonprofit events and programs, then subsequently recruit, train and place volunteers based on interests, skills and knowledge.

Program directors coordinate all event and other programmatic efforts of the organization from the development of new initiatives, budgeting and staffing to logistics, execution and program evaluation.

Become a Certified Nonprofit Professional

Kayla Gullickson

This third-generation Jackrabbit is one of the first LMNO majors at South Dakota State.
"I like how broad it is. I have classes with public relations, marketing, consumer behaviors…I am getting skills in several areas. My mom works for a nonprofit. I have enjoyed seeing how she has helped the community—seeing all the changes she made from her hard work. What makes me want to be leader is the change I see in people. The way leaders have affected me is how I want to affect others."