August 04, 2008
Should Nonprofit Employees Seek Advanced Degrees?
Should nonprofit employees bother attending graduate school to earn a masters of business administration or other advanced degrees?
Absolutely, says Heather Carpenter on her blog Nonprofit Leadership 601.
Last week the Financial Times reported that more and more nonprofit employees are going back to get MBAs.
Tracy Kaufman, who works at the Foundation Center, wrote a response to the article on the PhilanTopic blog questioning the wisdom of going back to graduate school.
“Don’t get me wrong, higher salaries and increased professionalism in the nonprofit sector aren’t bad things,” she writes. “But to suggest that what nonprofits really need to be effective is a couple of MBAs and more business discipline strikes this nonprofit employee as, well … beside the point.”
Ms. Carpenter, in a post titled “Don’t listen to them—you should go to grad school!” argues that many MBA programs are focused especially on nonprofit management, and that as the nonprofit world becomes more competitive, it’s beneficial to earn an advanced education.
She also responds point-by-point to a post by Penelope Trunk Brazen entitled “Seven Reasons Why Graduate School Is Outdated.”
What do you think? Is graduate school a waste of time and money for the nonprofit executive? Or do employees with MBAs increase the professionalism and the impact of nonprofit groups?
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This post came at an excellent time for me – I just graduated with my Bachelor’s in June and have since been working for a nonprofit. All of a sudden, I’m panicking, wondering if I should consider grad school (which I had always dismissed because I thought, with my PR and Advertising degrees, plus a Business minor, it was unnecessary). I hate to spend all the time and money in school learning what I could learn in “the real world” through professional experience. I’d like to eventually hold a leadership position in Development or special events-related field. In the end, will not having a Master’s hold me back, even if I have real talent and brains?
— Emily Tormey Aug 4, 06:13 PM #
As with most things, there are arguments to be made on both sides. I do think that for folks such as Emily, experience matters. All the education in the world without some experience “in the trenches” is not that helpful. It leads to the authenticity which I think is necessary as a leader. On the other hand, I went back for my Masters after 12 years working for Boys & Girls Clubs and found it immensely valuable for both myself and the organization. It will not pay for itself in salary however. I was lucky enough to get scholarships for most of it, but most won’t get the financial pay-off while in a non-profit. I’m very glad I did it and have been told by peers, our Exec, other agencies and board members that they have seen the difference in our organization because of it.
— Joe Hungler Aug 4, 07:31 PM #
The one element of success in a non-profit that never fails are your connections.You can be as dumb as a stump,but if your parents are wealthy or large donors, your success is insured.You can not underestimate the power of connections in the right circles.Rather than an MBA,donate money to become a patron of the arts and get to know people in the right circles.Of course,being a relative of the Governor never hurts.
— Brent Aug 5, 08:23 AM #
I have met a number of people that have taken received their masters degrees in Nonprofit Management or other programs and have often found that experience is often just as valuable as a degree.
— Jason Dick Aug 12, 11:58 PM #
Will non-profit salaries compensate for advanced degrees? I had to leave non-profits employment in order to get increased pay. My MBA was not free; it is now a monthly bill for me. Non-Profit budgets are so tight…so are salaries…even outside of recession. Today I serve non-profits in a different way; I am not on their payroll. In my opinion, getting your CFRE and other professional training is much more valuable.
— Elizabeth Aug 13, 11:19 AM #
What about MPA degrees (Public Administration)? The idea that if nonprofits ran more like private sector businesses they would be more successful seems like a rather outdated idea. Advanced degrees are one thing but it doesn’t have to be an MBA.
— Stacy Aug 14, 11:45 AM #
I’d like to get my MPA myself (looking at the Wagner School of Public Service – NYU in particular), and I’m wondering if that degree, as opposed to an MBA, would be worth it. Though I already work for a non-profit and plan on continuing to do so while working towards my degree (woohoo for night classes!) Does anyone here have their MPA, and can share their experiences/pitfalls with us?
— Eric Aug 18, 08:37 AM #
I work in the non-profit world and more than anything my education in business has helped our institution. While a non-profit does not need to run exactly like a corporation, it is more crucial to run a non-profit efficiently. I agree with the MPA vs the MBA but if you do decide to eventually move away from non-profit your MBA might be a little more versatile for you.
— Courtney Aug 29, 03:46 PM #