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Sign up for information about the Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise at George Mason University.

The Center on Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and Social Enterprise seeks to improve the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, and social enterprise through research, training, public education, and other initiatives that engage those who care about these important institutions and activities. Current major interests are: the state of the regional, national, and international nonprofit sectors; nonprofit-government relations; the role of foundations and philanthropy in our society; nonprofit accountability, governance, and effectiveness; global civil society; and social enterprise and social entrepreneurship. Mason’s center is a long-time member of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC), the major association of university-based, nonprofit research centers in the U.S.  This new center replaces the previous Center for Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Policy.

Benefits to Working with the Center:

• Ability to access the expertise of Center faculty and other faculty and associates at George Mason University and other institutions
• Independence and credibility of Mason’s products and conclusions
• Access to talented Mason graduate students, working under the direction of Mason faculty
• Assistance with unique and novel issues requiring innovative solutions

Selected Research Projects:

• Nonprofit Employment Data (NED) Project
• Public Policy for Social Enterprise
• How the Nonprofit Sector Advocates for Itself
• Dow-Jones Index for the Nonprofit Sector
• Government Office for the Nonprofit Sector
• Online Platform for Collecting and Sharing Data on Nonprofit Organizations
• Foundations in the Washington, DC Region
• Government-Foundation Partnerships

Selected Workshops, Conferences, and Webinars:

• Outcomes Management Workshops
• Annual Regional Community Forum
• Courses on the U.S. Nonprofit Sector for Students Visiting from Abroad
• Webinar on Nonprofit Fundraising during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Graduate Coursework on Nonprofits in the Schar School

George Mason University has one of the largest, most well-respected, and reasonably-priced nonprofit management programs in the Washington, D.C. region and the country. At George Mason University, students can complete a Nonprofit Management Concentration in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program, or they can earn Graduate Certificates in Nonprofit Management or Association Management. Students can also focus on nonprofit research in a Ph.D. program in Political Science. All are offered through George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government. Individuals can also take regular graduate courses as non-degree students.

Course offerings give students the fundamental tools they need to effectively manage the day-to-day operations of nonprofit organizations while preparing them to lead these organizations in a rapidly changing environment.

Mason graduate courses in nonprofit management include:

• Introduction to Nonprofit Management
• Leading in the Nonprofit Sector
• Advocacy and Lobbying
• International NGOs
• Marketing and Communications for Nonprofits
• Resource Development and Fundraising
• Association Management
• Nonprofit Law, Governance, and Ethics
• Nonprofit Financial Management
• Performance Evaluation for Managers
• Social Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise