UNI is Building Iowa's Nonprofit Workforce

NLA advisor, Kristina Kofoot says, “We have several alumni who are now working in fundraising in the nonprofit sector. We are proud of the work that our students are doing and the impact that is going on to have in their futures."  

UNI’s NLA not only provides students with award-winning experiences but also the ability to earn a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential. The CNP credential provides students with foundational knowledge and experiences for success in nonprofit careers. It combines critical skills and knowledge, practical experience and a national perspective for nonprofit professionals. The NLA CNP credential is the only national credential for leadership in the nonprofit sector, and UNI is the only institution in Iowa offering this certification. Last year, IAEAP completed 45 comprehensive onsite visits in 32 Iowa counties. It also provided detailed one-on-one assistance to 64 clients and brief assistance to an additional 130 clients by phone and email. Clients had the opportunity to evaluate IAEAP on its detailed assistance over the last year and the results showed that of the survey respondents, 100% rated IAEAP’s services as “excellent.” Additionally, all of the survey respondents stated that they would also use IAEAP’s services again and would recommend services to other regulated businesses. “Students who participate in NLA and earn their credential are proven to be seven times more likely to rise to the level of director or higher in a nonprofit organization, twice as likely to stay in the nonprofit sector and two years ahead of their peers when they enter the workforce,” Kofoot said.