Employees of nonprofit groups may benefit from online education

Employees of nonprofit groups may benefit from online education

Nonprofit organizations traditionally hire degree-holding professionals to organize and host fundraisers. These individuals may contact corporate sponsors and create unique fundraising opportunities for charities, hospitals or universities.

Adults who wish to enter this field may benefit from enrolling in an online degree program. Many universities are expanding their web-based courses that are related to this industry in order to reach more aspiring professionals. For example, Pass Christian University (PCU) recently announced that it has added an online course in nonprofit fundraising.

Coursework will cover the essentials of fundraising, such as annual and special drives, corporate and foundation relations, major gifts as well as planned giving. Learners who are studying this field may benefit from contacting PCU's career center, which provides assistance in finding and applying for fundraising jobs.

Individuals who are pursuing a career in this industry may have many job opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were more than 1.64 million nonprofit organizations that employed approximately 8.7 million workers during the 2007 fiscal year. This constituted 5.9 percent of all employed professionals.

By Mark Danson