Barrett Baebler

“Today’s NPO must be self-sustaining to compete. Webster’s Nonprofit Management program was developed in partnership with the nonprofit community to deliver a true capacity-building program, focused on the business-side of managing a NPO in today’s challenging business environment,” says Dr. Barrett Baebler, Assistant Professor and Director of Nonprofit Management at Webster University.

NPO leaders can no longer just focus on delivering their mission, according to Baebler. They must know how to blend the business side with mission delivery. Further, donors are increasingly expecting nonprofits to exercise good managerial and fiscal judgment in addition to delivery of mission.   

Donna McGinnis

Starting the fall semester of this year, Webster began offering a new graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management, specifically designed for individuals committed to meet today’s challenges of leading a NPO. The certificate marries theory to practice. It enables practitioners to effectively manage, promote vitally, and provide the foresight necessary to ensure financially sound nonprofits.

“Anyone planning to build a career in the nonprofit sector today must understand that business skills are a requirement. Conversely, business sector professionals making the move to the world of philanthropy need to understand the collaborative nature of the field and the distinctive leadership and governance style that must be embraced for success. Webster’s program will help build effective nonprofit executive leadership.” says Donna McGinnis, Director of Philanthropy, Sisters of Mercy Health Care, who has signed on as practitioner faculty for the program.

David Krauss

David Luckes

The 18-credit-hour graduate certificate delivers six business-focused courses for students with business or non-business undergraduate degrees. Courses focus on a holistic approach, exposing students to all aspects of the nonprofit decision-making process. Students will develop real-world nonprofit business skills focused on fulfilling an organization’s mission and achieving the goal of becoming a self-sustaining organization.

The Certificate is perfect for executive directors, middle-level staff members, board members, individuals who wish to start their own NPO, and people interested in working in the nonprofit sector, according to Baebler.

Kevin Drollinger

In addition to the primary classroom faculty, guest lecturers from the nonprofit sector are brought into the classroom – building on the Certificates real-world NPO experience. Guest lecturers have included David Krauss, Partner at The Stolar Partnership, LLP and one of the best nonprofit lawyers in St. Louis (according to St. Louis Magazine); David Luckes, CEO of Greater St. Louis Community Foundation; and Kevin Drollinger, Executive Director of Epworth Children & Family Services, Inc. Students have indicated that the value of the real-world information delivered in the classroom exceeds the cost of the tuition.

Antoinette Bailey

“Webster’s Certificate program looks at theory as well as focusing on practical applications of nonprofit organizations to ensure accomplishing business objectives and how to use resources to ensure that you're capitalizing on business assets,” says Antoinette Bailey, President, Bailey Consulting and Former Vice President of Community & Education Relations, The Boeing Company, and practitioner faculty for the program.

Patricia Arnold

Also onboard as practitioner faculty is Patricia Arnold, President of the St. John’s Mercy Foundation which supports St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur and St. John’s Mercy Hospital in Washington, Missouri through philanthropy services.

More than 70 people from the nonprofit community attended the session.  Attendees were able to visit with the other nonprofit professionals before hearing the nonprofit panel discussion. Panel members included:

• David Luckes, President & CEO, Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation
• Bill Smith, Not-for-profit Reporter St. Louis Post-Dispatch
• Cheryl Polk, Executive Vice President and COO, The United Way of Greater St. Louis
• David Krauss, partner, The Stolar Partnership, LLP, Attorneys at Law

Barrett Baebler speaks at NPO panel discussion.

The panel discussion raised awareness to the changing environment in which the nonprofit sector must now operate.  In the past, the primary concern of nonprofits was delivery of mission.  “Today, nonprofits must be able to respond to the various “assaults” on their operation.  These assaults are coming from Washington D.C., the IRS, news organizations, donors, and even their own board members,” explained Baebler.

Panel members brought real-life relevance to what is happening today and how it has impacted or will be impacting the nonprofit community.  “The panel’s focus was not that of ‘Chicken Little’ or ‘poor us’ for being assaulted – rather it was to inform and begin the process of educating nonprofit leaders to meet the ever-changing business environment,” he added.

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