Nonprofit Leadership Certificate

Grow Into a Nonprofit Leader

Apply today

Step Into Your Next Leadership Chapter

City Teaching Alliance is exploring a new Nonprofit Leadership Certificate—an 8-week, practical program designed to help emerging and aspiring nonprofit leaders grow their skills in fundraising, governance, program design, finance, marketing, and more.

This program is designed for managers, directors, and emerging executives in nonprofits, schools, and mission-driven organizations who supervise people, manage projects or budgets, or are preparing to step into larger leadership roles.

You’d be a good fit if you:

  • Supervise a team, manage a project, or oversee a budget
  • Work in a nonprofit, school, or mission-driven organization
  • Can commit to live virtual sessions and weekly assignments over 8 weeks
  • Have support from your manager or organization to participate

We are especially looking for leaders for whom equity is a core organizing principle and shapes how they lead their teams and serve their communities.

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What you’ll learn

Over the course of two months, participants move through a curated sequence of topics that connect big-picture purpose with day‑to‑day practice as a nonprofit leader. Each session blends frameworks, real-world examples, and space to apply learning to your own role and organization.

See below for the session topics:

Purpose and Strategy

Identify how your personal leadership priorities connect to your organization’s mission and vision, and pressure-test whether your organization’s strategy is actually shaping how you spend your time.

Governance and Accountability

Explore the roles of boards, executives, and staff in effective governance, and learn practices that strengthen accountability, transparency, and trust.

Financial Sustainability

Build the confidence to understand your organization’s financial position, ask better questions, and connect budget decisions to both strategic priorities and your organization’s mission.

People and Leadership

Deepen your skills in managing and developing people, shaping culture, giving and receiving actionable feedback, and confidently leading through uncertainty and change.

Program and Impact

Connect programming to clear outcomes, design for quantifiable impact, and use data and stories to learn, improve, and communicate results to stakeholders.

Application (Capstone)

Starting in week six, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to a real challenge or opportunity in your organization, designing a practical capstone project you can carry forward beyond the program.

Influence and External Strategy

Examine how partnerships, policy, communications, and fundraising strategies extend your impact and position your organization within the broader ecosystem.

Synthesis and Presentation

Synthesize core insights, share your capstone project with peers, and leave with a clear action plan for your next 6–12 months of leadership.

Tuition and Pricing

A non‑refundable deposit will be due upon acceptance to reserve your spot in the cohort; the remaining balance can be paid in installments.

Many participants use professional development funds; we provide a template letter to support your funding request below.

  • General Participant
    $4,000 (early bird $3,500 by August 1st). Includes all sessions, materials, and coaching touch points.
  • City Teaching Alliance Alumni
    $3,500 (early bird $3,000 by August 1st). Automatic $500 alumni discount.
  • Scholarship Recipients (if awarded)
    Up to $1,000 off final payment. Reflected in your final invoice.

    • Scholarships & Support

    We are committed to making this program accessible to leaders across the sector, especially those in resource‑constrained organizations.

    Scholarships: We are excited to offer a limited number of $1,000 scholarships, applied directly to the final program payment. Be sure to indicate your interest on the application form. We strongly encourage applications from leaders who have historically had less access to professional development opportunities, including those from smaller organizations and organizations led by and serving communities of color.

    Employer Funding: Your organization may already have resources available to fund this opportunity. Before assuming cost is a barrier, check with your HR or finance team about:

    • Learning & development (L&D) budgets
    • Tuition reimbursement programs
    • Certification reimbursement
    • Annual professional development stipends

    Still have questions about cost? Our team will follow up with next steps and final tuition details before you confirm your spot. If cost remains a barrier, please reach out to us at ceo@cityteachingalliance.org! 

     

    SAVE YOUR SPOT TODAY
    • How to apply

      Start your application:

      • Complete the brief online application (15–30 minutes) sharing your current role, what you’re hoping to get out of the program, and how you hope to apply what you learn.
      • Upload a short statement (up to 300 words) about how this certificate will strengthen your leadership and your organization’s impact.
      • (Optional) Indicate if you’d like to be considered for scholarship support.

      Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the cohort is full.

      Apply Now
    • Manager Approval Request Template

      If your organization requires manager approval for professional development, or if you plan to request tuition support through professional development funds, a downloadable letter template is available to help facilitate that conversation. It provides clear, professional language you can adapt to explain the program, its relevance to your role, and the specific support you are requesting, whether tuition coverage, time for sessions, or both.

      Download the letter

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