A Masters in Nonprofit Leadership Online Provides Nonprofit Graduate with Community, Credentials, and Capability

Getting your master’s in the middle of a busy career can feel impossible at times. You’re so swamped that considering an online degree feels overwhelming. At Grace College, completing your master’s degree in two years while working full-time is achievable with the online format, and you use nearly every project in your classes for your current occupation.

This might feel too good to be true. But Amanda Sherman, graduate of the Masters in Nonprofit Leadership online 2020 cohort, can testify to the versatility of the online master’s program at Grace College. She was a senior in high school when she decided to pursue the online Master of Nonprofit Management degree at the same time as her undergraduate degree in Entrepreneurial Management. She graduated with both only four years later.

“It made the most sense to go to a college where I could get a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership online, rather than go to a college that only offered nonprofit management as an undergraduate option,” Sherman said. “There were very few colleges that offered nonprofit management as a master’s when I chose to go to Grace. It was a rare opportunity.”

As she dove into her master’s classes, her understanding of the nonprofit world was transformed one project at a time. She was especially impacted by the course in fundraising and her capstone Applied Learning class.

“I got out of my comfort zone and got to practice fundraising techniques I wouldn’t have gotten to do otherwise,” she said. “The classes were all so significant.”

Sherman was delighted with how well the professors online cared about their students and how well the online program prepared her for the real world. Many people in her cohort already worked full-time in the nonprofit field and were able to develop new skills to apply to their careers.

“They were doing their jobs while taking their classes because it was just that intertwined,” Sherman explained. “It was so beneficial for them because they had big projects at work to complete, and the nonprofit program allowed them the space to do those as their class assignments.”

Most of the course content for the Masters in Nonprofit Leadership online program consisted of papers and discussion posts that contributed to bigger cumulative projects at the end of each course.

Sherman graduated in 2020, then accepted a job as the Director of Students at Simple Charity, a nonprofit that helps Christians practice solidarity with the poor. She stepped into her role with boldness because all of the techniques and theories she learned were now being put into practice.

When asked if she would have gotten the position at Simple Charity without her master’s degree, she said, “Absolutely not.”

“Having these credentials is a big thing being a recent grad and businesswoman,” Sherman said. “Having a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership really sets me apart and gives me a voice among other professionals, and I’ve applied so much of my master’s education to my career. The experiences and opportunities I had made a huge impact on me and taught me so much about the field of nonprofit business. I have a lot to say because of the education I’ve had.”

Beyond her education and professional training, Sherman’s personal community today was formed through her online masters program in nonprofit management during her time at Grace.

“I did a master’s program in Indiana, and now my closest friends and my pastor in North Carolina are people I met through that program,” she said. “The network and the community I’ve built through it has honestly been life-changing.”

Sherman had much to gain personally, professionally and academically because she chose to step into the online masters program of nonprofit management. The program wasn’t just helpful —  it was transformative.

“Getting my master’s in Nonprofit Management allowed me to see the heart behind nonprofits and do it alongside people who are already in the field. It helped me see the big picture and set my own vision for where I was heading, what I was passionate about, and what I wanted to be doing.”

Learning with a team of people who were also putting their training into practice made all the difference.

“The program is just as valuable, if not more valuable, if you’re already in the field because of how applicable each class is to the nonprofit world. My cohort was able to do every project with the intent of applying it in real time to what they were doing in their careers.”

A Masters in Nonprofit Leadership online degree is not as far away as you think. Whatever else is going on in your life, we make it possible to develop the skills and training that will change the way you function in your nonprofit career. You won’t find another online Master of Nonprofit Management program quite like this one. So why not start now?