The ASU Lodestar Center offers flexible and accommodating learning opportunities. The planning process for each course is complex and time-consuming; consequently, we have adopted the following policy regarding the cancellation of attendance at a course by participants.

Participants may cancel their registration up to two weeks (ten business days) prior to class start date.

No refunds after the course start date or when course material has been accessed by the participant.

To cancel a registration, contact ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation Nonprofit Management Institute staff at nmi@asu.edu. We will review your request and refund your purchase appropriately. Refunds will be made in the same payment format as the original submission. No refunds will be processed from two weeks (10 business days) prior to class start date.

NOTE:  there are no refunds for no-shows. For online courses, individuals who have not logged into Canvas or contacted ASU Lodestar Center personnel by the end of the first session will be considered a no-show.  

ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Innovation reserves the right to cancel a scheduled course or program. All students will be notified and issued a full refund of the canceled course or transferred to the next available schedule.

You may submit a grievance or a cancel request to nmi@asu.edu.  This request will be subject to the same cancellation terms shown in the table above.

We understand that life happens. We will make every reasonable effort to work with you in the event you must request a course transfer. We are bound by our contracts with our instructors and have set reasonable but firm policies regarding transferring of course schedule.

We appreciate your understanding and adherence to these guidelines:

1. Transfers must be requested two weeks (ten business days) prior to class start date. 
2. No transfers will be initiated if course material has been accessed by the participant.

NOTE: Above cancellation policies apply to all full certificate purchases

No. All courses offered by the Nonprofit Management Institute are considered to be professional development credits that help students expand and flourish in their current roles in the nonprofit industry.

No, students do not receive grades for the work that they complete.  We do not issue transcripts for courses.

The courses are competency based and all of the materials within the course have a point value which is scored for "Pass" or Fail".  Students must pass the course with a minimum of a comparable "C-" within the course to pass the course and receive a certificate of completion, however, we do not issue grades for our courses.

The Nonprofit Management Institute is fully committed to upholding Arizona State University's culture of academic integrity.  Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any NMI course or certificate.  For a full description, see Academic Integrity at Arizona State University.   

Students have a total of three years from initial registration in the program to meet all of their certificate requirements. 

Applies to all certificate programs EXCEPT the Executive Leadership Certificate program which is cohort-style over 8 consecutive months.

• The Nonprofit Management Certificate (8 courses) can take anywhere from six to twelve months depending on which delivery schedule(s) you select.
  The Nonprofit Operations and Program Impact Certificate (4 courses) can take from three to six months depending on delivery. 
  The Fundraising and Sustainable Financial Management Certificate (4 courses) can take from three to six months depending on delivery. 
• The Nonprofit Marketing and Strategic Communications Certificate (4 courses) can take from three to six months depending on delivery. 
• The Grant Development and Proposal Writing Certificates will take you 7 weeks to complete the Grant Development: State and Foundation Proposals certificate and 7 weeks to complete the Advanced Grant Development: Federal Proposals certificate.
• The Social Impact Measurement Certificate is 8 weeks long.
• The Certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership (7 courses) takes up to 8 months to complete, depending on course scheduling.

• The Executive Leadership, Grant Development and Proposal Writing and Best Skills Best Churches Certificates must be done in the order delivered. 
• The Nonprofit Management Certificate, Nonprofit Operations & Program Impact, Fundraising & Sustainable Financial Management, and the Nonprofit Marketing and Strategic Communications Certificate, allow you to take required courses in any order that is convenient for you. 

Yes, to earn a full certificate, you must complete all of the courses in any given certificate program.

If you only want to take courses that interest you, you may still do so. The only exception is the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Program. You must register for all 7 courses as it is a cohort format.

Students with a grade grievance and/or any other issue pertaining to their course, are expected to communicate their grievance first to the Knowledge Specialist of the course; and if the issue remains unresolved, the student should next address their concern with the department director (or their designee).

Contact: Cassandra Coburn, cpcoburn@asu.edu.

Online courses last for two weeks, starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday. Participants should plan to spend about 15-20 hours per week in a two-week course.

Online courses can be accessed any time of day through the online platform ASU Canvas. 

In your online course, you will need a standard laptop or desktop computer to access your classes.

A mobile device, tablet, or netbook will not provide the access and functionality necessary for ASU Online courses. A webcam and headset (with microphone) may be helpful for the Zoom portions of your courses but they are not required.

High-speed internet is needed as most ASU Online courses use multimedia tools that are best viewed with high-speed internet, so having the proper connection is essential.

Additional resource tips can be found here: ASU ONLINE LEARNING TIPS.

• Asynchronous learning is self-paced study, in a course which is led by a Knowledge Specialist. You may complete your time-sensitive assignments when it best fits your personal schedule. 
• Synchronous learning is conducted with the Knowledge Specialist and students at a specific time and location.

• All NMI courses are conducted online with the ASU Course Management System: Canvas. These asynchronous courses (self-paced study where you may complete time-sensitive assignments when it best fits your personal schedule) are led by a Nonprofit Knowledge Specialist over the course of fourteen days, and require a total of approximately 15-20 hours of study/participation per week. Each course is divided into four or five sections with their own activities, readings assignments, and discussion question (DQ) boards. There is no set time to log in, however, activities and DQ's will have due dates which must be adhered to.
• All NMI courses now also contain synchronous (date and time specific) Zoom class instructional opportunities held one to two times per course for up to two hours per class.
• Participants need to log into ASU Canvas within the first 24 hours of a course to prevent being listed as a NO-Show. Students are expected to complete assignments and stay on track. 
• In order to participate in your online course, you will need an active ASURITE ID and working password. This will be your username/login for ASU Canvas. When you register for an online course you will be prompted to fill out the appropriate information so Lodestar Center staff can either find your ASURITE ID (ASU alumni, for example) or create a new one.

Costs for each certificate are listed on their individual program pages. Please review those pages for up-to-date pricing information, including details on Early Bird registration discounts.

Scholarships, financial aid, and tuition deferment are not offered for our programs as these are considered to be professional development courses.

There are no prerequisites for NMI courses, however, some certificates require advanced skillsets and/or some community connections in the nonprofit sector before taking.  All other NMI courses are available to all skill sets, including those who are unemployed, employed in the nonprofit sector, not employed in the nonprofit sector, those wanting to make a career change. 

The following certificates require prerequisite requirements: 

• Grant Development - State and Foundation Proposals Certificate:  Participants must pre-identify a nonprofit organization for which they will be writing a proposal.
• Advanced Grant Development – Federal Proposal Certificate:  Participants must pre-identify a nonprofit organization for which they will be writing a proposal. Participants signing up for this certificate must have advanced writing skills and previous experience in writing both state and foundation grant proposals. See details HERE.
• The Executive Leadership Certificate is specifically designed for the unique needs of senior-level nonprofit leaders and emerging executives of nonprofits and public organizations.  This certificate teaches the tools, perspectives, and frameworks necessary to achieve your institutional missions and create a greater impact on your organization. At a minimum, it is helpful if participants have professional or management experience within the nonprofit sector.

It is recommended that you register for a course as soon as possible, to avoid the course being closed or cancelled for low attendance. Many courses offer a discount if registered more than two weeks prior.

All participants must register 3 business days prior to a course start date.  Most courses begin on a Monday, with the last day to register being the Friday prior.  All online Canvas courses require an ASURITE ID (username for Canvas) to participate in the course.

Registration links collect information to either create an ASURITE ID or search for an already existing ID.  There are no late enrollments for users without a working ASURITE ID and password.   

To register for a course, visit our online registration page, and use the filters at the top of the page to determine the course you would like to take.

You can then pay by credit card via the site or generate an invoice to be paid via personal check (Note: Please designate payments to ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. Payment must be received by your designated course/program start date unless otherwise noted).

Business checks must be accompanied by a valid purchase order number from a registered business or governmental agency. Registrations falling outside these requirements will be canceled.