Eller Executive Education Partnership with Community Foundation for Southern Arizona A Winning Formula
In November 2020, The University of Arizona’s Eller Executive Education launched a partnership with the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona (CFSA) to offer a nonprofit leadership and management certificate to Southern Arizona-based nonprofit professionals.
The partnership—formally started in January 2021—was part of CFSA’s COVID-19 response strategy to help regional nonprofit organizations recover from the impact of the pandemic.
The leadership and management training offered six different courses that participants could select from:
- Understanding and Overcoming Your Leadership Derailers in Times of Stress and Uncertainty
- Developing Resilience and Power in Turbulence through Sponsor and Mentor Networks
- The Paradox of Leadership
- Managing Business Models and Business Options through Turbulence and Change
- Board Governance and Advancing Project Oversight
- Value Creation for Long Term Sustainability
More than 140 nonprofit professionals from 103 Arizona organizations participated. Of those, 137 completed three of the six modules and received a Leadership and Management Certificate from Eller Executive Education. A total of 422 individual courses were completed by the end of the program.
“At a time of turbulence and need, Eller Executive Education felt it was important to support our local community with the best leadership and management insight, too often reserved only for private sector executives,” says Assistant Dean of Eller Executive Education Joe Carella.
Participants received additional support and course awareness through webinars that were hosted by CFSA and facilitated in partnership with Eller faculty.
“The program taught me some new concepts that I was able to implement right away,” says Amanda Bernal-Ransom, vice president of resource development at Chicanos Por La Causa. “It was a wonderful learning opportunity.”
Other Arizona nonprofits that participated include Parent Aid, Make Way for Books and YWCA Tucson, among others.
“Gaining a certificate from a valued institution like Eller while being supported by CFSA was a win-win partnership to bring to our community,” says Kelly Huber, senior director community investments of CFSA. “Because of this partnership, so many individuals have now built confidence and long-term sustainability for themselves and their organization.”