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From membership recruitment and retention to legal issues and finance, Institute offers education on running a nonprofit organization.

In addition, its curriculum is aligned with the knowledge requirements for the CAE and CCE nonprofit industry certifications, enabling participants to achieve all their professional goals.

Each year, Institute attendees participate in six core courses and three elective courses.

Bodies of Knowledge

Institute's curriculum is aligned with the knowledge requirements for CAE and CCE nonprofit industry certifications. Upon graduation a student will have earned a total of 96 credit hours (24 credits earned per Institute session) towards their CAE certification or 28 points toward their CCE certification.

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First-Year Core Courses

C110 Financial Fitness

One of the leading reasons for subpar financial performance and job loss in the nonprofit industry is poor financial managerial skills. Don’t let this area be the cause of your demise. Learn what makes a nonprofit organization different from a for-profit company and maximize your potential.

Course objectives:

  • Establishing better comprehensive financial reporting procedures and analysis.
  • Gaining a better understanding of key compliance issues of Federal Form 990 impacting your organization and learn how to tell “Your Good Story.”
  • Understanding advanced compliance issues related to the Form 990 and governance.

C125 Hiring, Firing, and Everything In Between

Recruiting, retaining, and supporting employees can be among the most difficult and time-consuming duties of any supervisor. Learn techniques for managing employees—from recruitment to separation—and key benefit trends for retention.

Course objectives:

  • Hiring, orienting, training, and retaining top-notch employees.
  • Evaluating work performance.
  • Ensuring compliance and effective steps for separation.

C135 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Inclusive leadership is paramount for successful organizations and thriving communities. Equip yourself with foundational knowledge to prepare you to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies and practices in individual workforce performance and externally to drive business outcomes.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding the difference between diversity, equity, and inclusion; application of concepts.
  • Creating a climate that promotes an understanding, respect, and value for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Understanding the value proposition for implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion in organizations.
  • Understand how to achieve impact organizationally through conscious inclusion, a lens of equity, and a culture of trust and belonging.

C150 Communicating With Confidence

Delivering an important message can be a difficult skill to master. Learn to communicate your message whether in the mailroom or boardroom.

Course objectives:

  • Honing your verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
  • Delivering your ideas as messages that resonate.
  • Building an effective presentation.

C180 Guide to Governance

A sound governance structure is needed to ensure success at all levels of an organization. Create a great organization through strong relationships with volunteers.

Course objectives:

  • Building a solid governance structure.
  • Enhancing volunteer support for governance.
  • Reviewing key governance documents.

C185 Recruit, Engage, and Retain Your Members

Organizations that retain their members listen to them and exceed their expectations. Identify the myths and realities about keeping members and become familiar with approaches that you can use to deliver products and services to meet members’ ever-changing needs.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding typical member retention rates and patterns.
  • Identifying ways to gauge member needs and satisfaction.
  • Implementing techniques to identify and deliver the products and services your members want.

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Second-Year Core Courses

C220 Is That Legal?

Perhaps the most important part of any job is knowing the law. Don’t put your career on the line because you are simply misinformed on legal issues.

Course objectives:

  • Recognizing corporate and operational legal issues.
  • Identifying areas in which legal problems are most likely to occur.
  • Understanding legal trends that affect nonprofits.

C230 Managers Who Motivate

You play an integral part in empowering your colleagues to achieve greatness. Learn how to assess and improve your own management style tailored to the needs of your diverse workforce.

Course objectives:

  • Developing your personal management style.
  • Setting expectations and coaching your team.
  • Managing conflict and change.

C240 Foundations 

Explore strategic approaches needed for a Foundation to align its focus and output with its purpose and vision. This course is designed for anyone wanting to create, effectively operate, or leverage a foundation.

Course objectives:

  • Determining how and why to start a Foundation.
  • Creating the strategic alignment and developing the programmatic alignment for a Foundation.
  • Understanding the resource alignment for a Foundation.

C260 Marketing Strategies

Learn how to create and implement a marketing plan to promote your organization and community. Find out how to target specific audiences, develop effective one-to-one and one-to-many communications, and assess marketing programs. Focus on tactical implementation of marketing strategies.

Course objectives:

  • Identifying key elements of a marketing plan.
  • Implementing techniques for researching your audience and measuring success.
  • Utilizing marketing tools for nonprofits.

C261 Events: Strategy and Operations

Events and programs typically bring together a wide range of stakeholders for a specific purpose. Examine events that exceed the needs and expectations of all involved.

Course objectives:

  • Creating events with a strategic purpose.
  • Utilizing technology to improve the bottom line and increase attendee satisfaction.
  • Examining financial management, stakeholder management, and event design.

C270 Effective Government Affairs Programs

Nonprofits serve as advocates for their members and communities. Despite your experience or your organization’s size, establishing a grassroots network doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Learn the basics of a successful approach to legislative advocacy and policy.

Course objectives:

  • Determining who should be involved in the program and why.
  • Creating a legislative policy.
  • Running a grassroots network.

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Third-Year Core Courses

C310 Budgeting and the Bottom Line

Every organization tries to stretch available dollars as far as possible through wise spending, responsible income forecasts, and sound expense projections. Examine the concepts you need to put together meaningful budget-based financial reports to help you better manage your organization during difficult times.

Course objectives:

  • Developing program-based budgeting for tracking the real financial results and staying ahead of the curve.
  • Building a better budget.
  • Exploring other critical budget considerations.

C330 Everyday Ethics

Become aware of the pitfalls, red flags, and troublesome routine activities to avoid. Learn how to protect your character and your organization.

Course objectives:

  • Examining how individuals and organizations think, act, and develop policies.
  • Learning how to perform an ethical analysis of an organization.
  • Determining if structure or policy changes are necessary to avoid ethical conflicts.

C340 Strategic Planning

Successful organizations plan strategically for the future. By following a few basic principles, your organization can develop a strategic plan to give direction for governance and management.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding processes for strategic planning.
  • Implementing strategic planning tools and techniques.
  • Translating the strategic plan into action.

C341 Building Strategic Partnerships

Long- and short-term partnerships with other organizations can help your organization reach community goals that may be unattainable if attempted alone. Form cooperative arrangements with others to pool resources and to achieve great things.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding the importance of coalitions and strategic alliances.
  • Implementing steps for effective collaboration.
  • Defining and evaluating outcomes of strategic partnerships.

C360 Culture of Innovation

Organizations compete to show their value and relevance among current and potential members. Learn how to build a creative and innovative culture in your organization. Utilize tools to select the best ideas, evaluate the details, and see the best ideas through.

Course objectives:

  • Defining a creative and innovative culture.
  • Creating and cultivating an innovative culture.
  • Making the business case for innovation.

C380 Volunteer Development

It is challenging to identify, attract, and retain quality volunteer leaders. Examine leadership and succession programs in nonprofit organizations through strategic volunteer development.

Course objectives:

  • Developing volunteer leadership.
  • Implementing successful strategies to recruit organizational leadership.
  • Building a volunteer structure for future leaders to emerge.

Fourth-Year Core Courses

C420 Current Legal Issues Facing Your Organization 

Timely legal issues that can and will suddenly strike; and when to contact your attorney!

Course objectives:

  • Examining issues affecting your organization and the legal pitfalls.
  • Understanding employment agreements at both executive and junior levels
  • Exploring anti-trust laws and how they relate to not-for-profit organizations.

C430 Becoming a Strategic Leader

Strategic leaders foster collaborative teams that can position the organization toward success within the business community and external organizations.

Course objectives:

  • Building positive relationships with your team and external stakeholders and collaborators.
  • Understanding the diversity of the business community and external organizations.
  • Measuring results.

C441 Industry Trends

Is your organization ready for the future? Explore trends and issues affecting the nonprofit world and prepare for the future.

Course objectives:

  • Discovering essential industry trends.
  • Understanding how the changing complexities of the global market affect your members.
  • Preparing to manage workforce trends and demographic shifts.

C460 Integrating Strategic Technology Solutions

Integrating a dynamic website, contact database, and accounting program is essential in doing business today. Take the necessary steps to further develop a technology plan that works for your organization.

Course objectives:

  • Creating a technology plan and budget.
  • Developing technology strategies for your organization.
  • Protecting and maintaining your technology solutions.

C470 Advocacy and Alliances

Once your advocacy program is in place, you are ready to take the next steps. Position your organization to be a leader in advocacy within the community and external organizations. Delve into the ins and outs of the different channels of coalition building.

Course objectives:

  • Developing political coalitions and alliances.
  • Preparing issue papers and other materials.
  • Building and managing relationships with your elected officials.

C490 Organization Leadership for the Future

Maximize your organization’s potential by keeping current on trends and the environment around your organization. Create a synergistic environment through trust, appropriate culture, and the ability to affect change when needed.

Course objectives:

  • Utilizing situational awareness.
  • Implementing techniques to lead change.
  • Developing a culture of leadership.

Elective Courses Overview

You choose what you want to learn! In addition to the required core curriculum, participants also choose three electives each year. Institute's targeted, two-hour elective classes allow you to tailor your Institute experience to meet your objectives. By covering one topic in detail, electives help you prepare for specific jobs, duties, and assignments.

All attendees take one elective from each of the groups outlined below. These courses are not dictated by your class year in the Institute program.

Group One Electives

E110 Revving Your Revenue Stream

Identify new ways to fundraise, sponsor, and build partnerships to bring revenue into your organization. Learn the steps involved to establish partnerships, including due diligence and safeguards to protect your organization and its members.

Course objectives:

  • Discovering avenues to bring revenue into your organization.
  • Examining potential new sources of non-dues revenue through creative funding.
  • Understanding the financial and legal implications associated with different revenue streams.

E120 Executive Law

There are many situations in which your organization may be found legally responsible. Examine common areas of risk for nonprofit membership organizations and discuss strategies to manage liability risk.

Course objectives:

  • Recognizing issues that land a nonprofit professional in legal trouble.
  • Implementing safeguards to protect your organization.
  • Managing roles and responsibilities of the board, committees, and task forces.

E126 Dealing With Challenging Employees

Handling difficult employee situations can be one of the most tedious and anxiety-producing aspects of management. By handling such situations effectively, it is often possible to turn a difficult situation into a great one.

Course objectives:

  • Defining unsatisfactory employee performance behaviors.
  • Learning tools and techniques to address problematic staff behavior.
  • Identifying actionable steps if you can’t turn it around.

E130 501(c)(3) Financials of Foundation Management 

Fiscal and Financial Planning and Operational Information for 501(c)(3) Foundations Paired with 501(c)(6) Membership Chambers and Associations. Learn the technical infrastructure needed to align with IRS governance and compliance, as well as accounting and audit rules impacted by received restricted funds from contributions and grants.

Course objectives:

  • Accounting and financial reporting systems adaptations.
  • Financial planning and revenue sources.
  • Form 990 and other filings.

E140 Building Organizational Excellence

Excellent organizations begin with a determination to be the best. When your board asks, “Are we the best?” know how to answer their question.

Course objectives:

  • Identifying the principles and best practices of successful organizations.
  • Benchmarking your organization’s performance against the standards of other top organizations.
  • Implementing best practices.

E142 Fundamentals of Community and Economic Development

Learn the fundamentals of community and economic development to enhance your organization’s relevance.

Course objectives:

  • Defining economic development, including the various types and forms.
  • Developing existing business retention and expansion programs.
  • Building collaborative economic development relationships and receiving examples of funding structures for economic development organizations.

E144 Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Nonprofits

This course will introduce nonprofit leaders to the fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including privacy, security, and ethical considerations for responsible implementation, and its potential applications in the sector.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding AI Fundamentals
  • AI Security & Ethical Considerations
  • Identifying AI Applications in Nonprofits

E150 Unleash the Leader Within

As we manage people, tasks, and our careers, focusing on our personal leadership style sometimes falls to the wayside. Leadership is an integral part of becoming a successful professional. Acquire the skills you need to become the leader you want to be.

Course objectives:

  • Utilizing tools needed to be a leader.
  • Understanding the deterrents to successful leadership.
  • Identifying styles of effective leaders.

E163 Communicating Through Media

Take a high-level approach to understand what media platforms are available, identify audiences and how to reach them, protect brands, defend positions, and mitigate risks. Learn how to maximize, or minimize, attention on an issue or event with the media.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding your audience.
  • Communicating your message with impact to different media outlets.
  • Messaging with maximum effectiveness.

E180 Building Better Boards and Committees

Learn to build strong boards and committees from recruiting the right people to successfully orienting board and committee members and planning for succession.

Course objectives:

  • Recruiting board members that reflect the diversity of your members.
  • Structuring a board or committee orientation program and setting expectations.
  • Coaching the board or committee to think strategically and prepare for succession.

Group Two Electives

E210 Executive Finance

Executives who ignore key financial compliance issues can end up with unanswered questions in front of the board, empty corporate accounts, fired, or even jailed. This course covers advanced compliance and financial issues to keep you out of trouble.

Course objectives:

  • Identifying and documenting unrelated business income tax.
  • Recognizing how audits have changed in recent years and how to be better prepared to meet the new standards.
  • Implementing strong internal accounting controls and internal control building blocks.
  • Exploring how to better communicate important financial information to your board and members

E211 Sponsorship Solicitation

Sponsoring events, publications, and programs can be a significant source of revenue. Learn how to structure sponsorship opportunities, develop a price, and solicit the right organizations to meet your goals.

Course objectives:

  • Developing sponsorship pricing structures, factors, and packaging.
  • Identifying the right organizations to solicit sponsorship.
  • Making the sponsorship sales pitch and showing the return on investment.

E230 Managing Upward

You are in charge of your performance and career development. Discover new ways of working with your supervisor to build cooperation and achieve success that benefits both of you.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding your manager and building the relationship.
  • Developing your value to your organization.
  • Building trust with your manager.

E235 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – Strategic Planning For Your Organization 

This course is designed for chamber, association, and nonprofit professionals at all stages of their DEI journey. Whether you’re just starting out, looking to revitalize existing efforts, or seeking innovative strategies to propel your efforts to the next level, this course will equip you with the tools and frameworks you need to create an inclusive and equitable organization.

  • Laying the foundation.
  • Building an impactful strategy.
  • Implementing the strategy.
  • Measuring and reporting progress.

E240 Strong Associations for the Future

Government regulation, technology, public trust, volunteerism, and a host of other issues affect the relevance and viability of associations. Become aware of key trends and issues that impact associations and discuss steps to ensure the future of the association industry.

Course objectives:

  • Examining marketplace trends in the association industry—income, revenue, and membership metrics.
  • Identifying shifts in trends to ensure that your organization stays ahead of the curve and delivers member value.
  • Investigating innovative programs, governance, and operating procedures of trailblazing associations.

E241 Strong Chambers for the Future

Government regulation, technology, public trust, volunteerism, and a host of other issues affect the relevance and viability of chambers. Become aware of key trends and issues that impact chambers and discuss steps to ensure the future of the chamber industry.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding income, membership, and competitive marketplace trends in the chamber industry.
  • Identifying shifts in trends to ensure that your organization stays ahead of the curve and delivers member value.
  • Examining innovative programs, governance, and operating procedures of trailblazing chambers.

E243 Creating a Future-Ready Workforce

In order to develop a competitive workforce, we need to empower employers, workers, and learners with the tools and infrastructure to meet current and future labor market needs. This course will provide an overview of the critical role the business community plays in transforming our workforce system while providing innovative ideas for ways in which chambers of commerce and associations can lead these efforts.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding workforce development activities, trends, and terminology.
  • Identifying common initiatives and the business role in transforming workforce systems.
  • Developing a baseline understanding of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s various workforce initiatives and how to engage and make an impact.

E244 Using Data to Grow and Sustain Your Organization

The flow of knowledge is a competitive advantage. This course explores a people-first and principle-centered approach to leverage knowledge in nonprofits.

Course objectives:

  • Evaluating relationship management systems and information that should be captured.
  • Understanding how to link member data and forecast trends.
  • Developing and analyzing data through surveys and other research tools.

E250 PACs and Political Endorsements

Is your organization ready to begin a PAC and engage in endorsements? This class will provide step-by-step instruction on how to establish and grow successful political action committees and endorse candidates.

Course objectives:

  • Addressing ballot initiatives and referendums.
  • Creating and maintaining a PAC.
  • Building an airtight endorsement strategy.

Group Three Electives

E310 Evolving Membership Models

Do you plan to reevaluate or restructure your organization’s membership investment schedule? This session looks at the major issues in developing a dues schedule and the approaches that different organizations use.

Course objectives:

  • Evaluating advantages and risks of various dues schedules.
  • Identifying steps for conducting a review of your organization’s dues structure.
  • Implementing techniques to ensure smooth implementation of a dues schedule change.

E330 Keys to Delegation and Empowerment

The stress that comes from being responsible and accountable for performance can hinder success and job satisfaction. Delegation gives others a greater stake in organizational outcomes and can increase productivity. Explore strategies for empowering others to assume more responsibility.

Course objectives:

  • Identifying what and what not to delegate.
  • Understanding how to delegate to the right person at the right time.
  • Implementing ways improve staff accountability.

E331 CEO Lessons Learned

Learn how to thrive as a nonprofit executive. Gain insight and refinement as an executive in the industry. Tips, lessons, and stories are captured and shared during this interactive session.

Course objectives:

  • Sharing best practices.
  • Exploring habits and behaviors of nonprofit executives, from challenges to everyday opportunities.
  • Assessing your career stage and growth opportunities.

E342 Advanced Strategies of Community and Economic Development

Expand your organization’s role in economic development and learn strategies to compete globally.

Course objectives:

  • Structuring a deal, identification, and use of incentives.
  • Understanding redevelopment, revitalization, and regionalism.
  • Utilizing technology in economic development.

E343 Building a Brighter Future: Business Leadership in Education

In today’s rapidly evolving world, business leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the future of education. “Building a Brighter Future” is a comprehensive course designed to equip business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and engage with the earliest part of the education and workforce pipeline. This course will provide an overview of the childcare and K-12 education landscape, including the importance of early learning, childcare as a two-generation workforce issue, and K-12 education as a workforce issue.

Course Objectives:

  • Developing a foundational understanding of the childcare and K-12 education systems, including history of education policy, basic concepts, and policy.
  • Identifying common initiatives and the business role in childcare and K-12 education.
  • Exploring resources and initiatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in the childcare and K-12 education spaces.

E350 The Art of Persuasion and Negotiation

Persuasion and negotiation require patience and determination. Learn to shift opinions through key people, case studies, power words, and presentations. Convince others to step up and take on new initiatives. Learn how to obtain the results you want through negotiation.

Course objectives:

  • Understanding the types of decision makers and how they can be most effectively persuaded.
  • Identifying words and techniques to convince others to take action.
  • Implementing a plan of action for negotiations.

E360 Strategic Communications

Your communications strategy needs to effectively convey organization products, programs, and services. Learn to evaluate your communications and marketing strategy to ensure that your organization is properly branded to reach its critical audience.

Course objectives:

  • Evaluating and structuring an effective communications stragegy.
  • Targeting the right audience for various communications efforts.
  • Determining the appropriate brand within the market.

E362 Policy Development and Implementation

Policies and procedures exist to protect the organization and the professionals within it. Determine the differences between policies and procedures and learn how to implement an appropriate structure in your organization.

Course objectives:

  • Identifying differences between policies and procedures.
  • Exploring the process for implementing policies.
  • Understanding risk management.

E380 Delivering Value

Nonprofit organizations face an increasingly competitive market for members and customers. Learn how to develop your organization’s value proposition and convey the significance of your services to current and prospective members and customers.

Course objectives:

  • Identifying your value proposition.
  • Communicating your value proposition.
  • Measuring your value proposition.