Your 10-Week Cohort
NTEN Certificate Core is run twice a year in the Spring and the Fall.
Course Overview
Description
This 10-week intensive online training cohort covers foundational topics in nonprofit technology that transcend department and job role. The Core fulfills one of the major requirements to complete the Nonprofit Technology Professional Certificate.
- Leadership: Culture and Change Management
- Transformative Leadership
- Digital Strategy
- Social Media
- IT Planning
- Data Management
- Metrics and Evaluation
- Campaigns
In addition to the 8 weekly topics, there is a final assignment which provides further opportunity to receive direct feedback from faculty on the topic most relevant to you.
The Certificate Core is offered twice each year, in fall and spring. It can be taken by itself for $750 for NTEN members (or $1500 for non-members), but most people complete the Core as part of the Nonprofit Technology Professional Certificate. Check out the prepaid option for the best pricing on the Certificate.
Prepaid Professional Certificate
Certificate Core Topics
Week 1: Leadership: Culture and Change Management
“Change is a threat when done to me, but an opportunity when done by me.” Technology projects often involve change management as your organization adapts to a new CRM or way of working. Many projects fail due to lack of adoption from key influencers inside your organization. Increase the likelihood of success by analyzing your audiences, learn practical frameworks and best practices to help you manage when implementing change in an organization.
Week 2: Transformative Leadership
Transformative Leadership is an approach that centers resilience, listening, trauma, anger, and building consensus. This week you will focus on understanding how to build community through affirmation and communication, active listening and assertive communication within your own team as well as with the communities you serve.
Week 3: Digital Strategy
Watch this video with instructor Demetrio Maguigad for a preview of Week 3.
New digital platforms bring together people and information in real-time, which poses significant challenges for today’s nonprofits. It means rapid shifts in opportunities and threats arising from being digitally connected, and perceptions about people, organizations, and issues. All these have the potential to derail your digital goals.
Nonprofits must understand and integrate this increasingly connected world into their campaigns in a strategic way. This module will help participants simplify complex technologies and prepare them to respond to new digital realities.
Week 4: Social Media
Watch this video with instructor Charrose King for a preview of Week 4.
Is your organization using its social media presence effectively? This course looks at ways to build an effective nonprofit social media strategy. You’ll learn how to develop a consistent and authentic social media identity, create engaging content, reach your target audience, and use analytics. Together, these topics will help you build a framework for your social media strategy.
Participants will also build and get feedback on social media campaigns they can implement immediately.
Week 5: IT Planning
Watch this video with instructor Steve Heye for a preview of Week 5.
Every organization should have a technology plan. How the plan is created, managed and implemented will be different for every organization. We will talk about different types of technology plans, what they focus on and how to get started with your plan. Technology plans without a budget are like a road trip without gas, so we will also cover budgeting for success.
After this session, you will understand the basics of technology planning and budgets, know where to start and have some tools to understand and improve your organization’s current technology maturity.
Week 6: Data Management
Watch this video with instructor Janice Chan for a preview of Week 6.
Data is powerful only so far as we can use it and trust it. Often times in nonprofit organizations data is thought of simply as an end product. Issues arise when there isn’t sufficient planning around methods of collection, standards for storing and management over time. How can we create structures and processes that support data-use across our organizations as well as over time?
During this course, we’ll discuss key logistical considerations, structures and process to prevent issues down the line when everything feels like a moving target.
Week 7: Metrics and Evaluation
Collecting, housing and maintaining data is only the first part of creating an effective evaluation program. Whether you are focused on internal facing metrics or external based programs there are some foundational best practices that should be kept in mind to keep you on track.
During this course, we will cover a wide range of resources, frameworks, and process you can use to make sure you are gaining the insights needed to keep your organization on the path to greater impact.
Week 8: Campaigns
Watch this video with instructor Heidi Massey for a preview of Week 8.
Campaigns area unique in that they often serve as an intersection across traditionally siloed teams and focus areas for an organization. During this course, we will work through strategies, frameworks, and best practices to help guide you through the overall lifecycle of a successful campaign, from planning to implementation, all with a focus on engaging and learning from your community throughout the process.
Be prepared for a discussion that will get you thinking about a particular campaign your organization is currently developing or getting ready to begin. You will also have a chance to develop some core elements of a campaign and get feedback directly from faculty.
Week 9: Final Assignment
This week is your chance to focus on the topic most relevant to you from the previous eight weeks and take it even further. The final assignment is your chance to develop an action plan for a current/future project within your organization with an opportunity to get additional feedback directly from faculty.
With resources to guide the process and an opportunity for direct support and feedback, this week will set you up for success as you head out of the program.
Week 10: Final Session
In this final session, we share learnings and wins from the final assignments efforts, tips to maximize the practical application of the courses and stay engaged in the NTEN learning community.
Special Prepaid Rate
Are you ready to commit to the next Certificate Core? Sign up using our prepaid option for the best rate.
Earn While You Learn - Professional Credits
In addition to our own Nonprofit Technology Professional Certificate, NTEN is an approved provider for a number of other professional credentials programs. This course qualifies for the following credits:
