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Can you describe the School's commitment to nonprofit human resources practitioners?
The most important development at our campus over the last few years has been the understanding that our society encompasses three very different sectors: business, government, and nonprofit. Traditionally, universities have offered training in business administration and public administration, but seemingly viewed the nonprofit sector as so minor that it was not deserving of distinct attention. Since 2002, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) launched a comprehensive educational program in nonprofit management to complement the programs it already had in business and public administration. This was recognition of the uniqueness and distinctiveness of the nonprofit sector.

For example, in the area of HR, a pure business sector approach or a pure governmental approach would not provide the correct training for a person seeking to develop skills in nonprofit HR. The nonprofit sector is distinctly different from the other two sectors in regards to HR. It encompasses professional and salaried staff like the other two sectors, but it also includes a major personnel component of volunteers. Similarly, boards of directors, committees with outside members, and even friends groups—all represent the distinctiveness of the people involved in the nonprofit sector. Also, the motivations for personal involvement in a nonprofit organization are often quite different from the motivations of business and government personnel. For these reasons, UWM provides nonprofit HR training separate from HR programs for the business and public sectors.

UWM provides the training necessary to properly prepare nonprofit HR practitioners for the unique challenges faced throughout the sector. The programs offered by UWM address those issues specific to nonprofit practitioners as well as offering a blend of comparative techniques recognized within other sectors for success. UWM, along with other partnering organizations, recognizes the value in strengthening the nonprofit sector within our community. Studies continued to support the importance of supporting the development of nonprofit organizations for the greater good and accountability for the entire community in which we serve.

Continuing Education in Milwaukee derives its unique strength from the "Wisconsin Idea"—the conviction that the University has a mission to put the knowledge and innovation it nurtures directly into the hands of the people of the state. At UWM, our embodiment of the Wisconsin Idea is The Milwaukee Idea, a collaborative approach bringing together people from the community and the university to address challenges in education, the environment, public health, and economic development. At the School of Continuing Education, we live this mission through a combination of teaching, community partnerships, and applied research.

When did the School begin offering training for nonprofit human resources?
The School has been offering training to local governmental agencies since about 1970; however in October 2002 the department of Governmental Affairs introduced the specialized curriculum developed for the nonprofit sector entitled the Professional Certificate in Nonprofit Management.

Why do you believe that this kind of training has been crucial to the communities you serve?
Nonprofit leaders are consistently challenged to juggle the needs of their respective organizational goals, service population, and funding sources as well as Board needs. Our training program provides practical techniques to find resolutions to the current challenges.

What has the response been to the nonprofit HR training you have facilitated? What kind of feedback have you received?
Overall, the feedback has been positive. The most common response has been a sense of gratitude for the rich resources provided by the program and the wealth of knowledge that each instructor is willing to share. The participants feel as though they have a great foundation to go back to their agencies to build new/revised initiatives.

What advice would you give to a practitioner who wants to advocate for more professional development opportunities from a local university?
This is a classic chicken and egg situation. Universities will offer programs if there is a population that will register for them, while professionals will sign up for programs if universities offer relevant training. The solution is for professionals and a local institution for higher education to combine and jointly plan training programs that fit the needs of real world practitioners.

What advice would you give to a university that is interested in offering more nonprofit HR training?
Our advice to other universities, in terms of academic issues, is to be sure that your corps of instructors (whether faculty, professional trainers, or real world practitioners) understand the needs of working professionals who are students: they want information that is understandable, knowledge that is usable immediately in the workplace, and a stimulating teaching environment (no lecturing!). Our advice regarding outreach issues is to work with local networks of practitioners who are interested in receiving training as a means of identifying needs and communicating to potential students.

Are you available by email for any follow-up questions from Idealist readers or local universities?
Yes!
Shirley Bufford
Program Director
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, School of Continuing Education
sbufford (at) uwm.edu

Associate Professor Mordecai Lee
Academic Director, Nonprofit Management Program
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
mordecai (at) uwm.edu