As far back as I can remember my mother has always worked at some level of nonprofit. This was not a career that she set out to do necessarily. In fact when I was very small she was a dental hygienist. But I guess this field didn’t really appeal to her in the long term and as her kids grew she was freer to explore other industries where the hours may not have been conducive to her life of getting kids on and off the bus. She started working as a secretary in one nonprofit and has worked for many organizations since then – working her way up the ladder into fundraising and even nonprofit management. Now that she’s reached a certain level, however, regardless of her work experience, she has hit a salary ceiling because she does not have her degree.
Not one to let something like this stop her from getting what she wants, my mother – at the age of 61 – simply decided that she would go back to school. I was worried and couldn’t imagine her running around between classes and work and trying to juggle studying and homework on top of it all. She would run herself ragged and I wasn’t even sure she would be able to make it work with the schedule as it was.
But as usual my mother was right and I was wrong. She had no intention of returning to the classroom and no intention of commuting to and from campus. Not at all. Instead she had explored the possibility of getting an online nonprofit management degree through a reputable online school.
This seemed the perfect solution to me. My mom could pursue her degree in nonprofit management from the comfort and convenience of her home and not have to sacrifice her career. When will I learn that mother always knows best?
Popularity: 33% [?]
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No matter what I plan ahead of time I always wind up having to change what I started because things somehow, some way go awry. It’s not always for the worst; things change and sometimes it turns out that it was the best thing that could have happened in the end. But it can be frustrating to put things in motion only have to turn and go in another direction. Most of this change has been because of upheaval that happened earlier in my life – having to drop out of college, moving far from home, having a baby at a young age. You just adapt, do the best you can, and keep on going.
Getting my college degree, however, had really turned out to be a thorn in my side – until now anyway. I dropped out into my second year of college and had tried to go back several times but to no avail. Every time I worked something out something else would come up to block my path. I had a job where I had changed my hours so I could leave early for school but then that fell through when one of the other employees quit and I had to take over the shift. Then I got laid off from that job and I enrolled in classes only to find another job – which I was happy about but which stopped me from once again pursuing my degree in nonprofit management.
But this time I found a foolproof plan to get my nonprofit management degree. I enrolled in an online degree program that will give me the ability to work and go to school. No excuses. No changes. No stopping me now. I’m finally getting that nonprofit management degree and the Internet is my key to the education I started all those years ago.
Popularity: 8% [?]
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My daughter did not have the typical college experience; she had my granddaughter when she was only nineteen years old and, while she had started her college classes, she wasn’t able to finish out the year, let alone earn her degree. Her subsequent marriage didn’t last and before long she and her daughter were living back at home with us – the entire family pitching in to try to make things work. She found a great job with a nonprofit organization and time marched on – all of us caught in the whirlwind that comes with having small children and working adults in a household. I was so proud of everything my daughter had accomplished on her own but I knew that she had things she still wanted to do and before long she found a way to go after them.
She told me that she was glad that she had gotten this job in nonprofit because while it may have just been a way to pay the bills at first it was quickly revealed to her as something about which she was passionate. In fact, she told me, she wanted to pursue nonprofit management as her long term career and she had found a way to earn her degree – online.
With an online nonprofit management degree program she could continue to work full time and care for her daughter, while doing all of her schoolwork at night or on the weekends when we could help with the baby. Everything was done online – on her computer – and it was the most convenient and best way possible of earning her degree.
She earned that nonprofit management degree – and we were all so proud. But she didn’t stop there! It seems she really caught the bug after earning her undergraduate degree and so she’s quickly moving on to get her online MBA. Nothing can stop her now!
Popularity: 8% [?]
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In the last post I talked about my choice when I was younger to forgo college; to instead try to find the thing in life that would inspire my passion. I was less than enthusiastic about having to suddenly decide on a career and spend substantial money on a degree program that I could wind up settling for in the end. I would rather really discover my true path in life before I committed my education and my money. So that’s what I did. I chose work over college and after bouncing around for some time I finally found my place in the world – in nonprofit.
In nonprofit I was happy, I was myself, and I was home. It didn’t take long to decide that I wanted to pursue nonprofit management in terms of my formal education. But here was the dilemma. In order to go to school would I have to give up my job? The answer, ultimately, was absolutely not. Online learning offered the perfect way to pursue nonprofit management and still keep my job.
The nonprofit management online degree program was the answer to everything that I needed. It would give me the opportunity to do all of my schoolwork online where I could complete assignments, reading, even submit projects, and take exams. This was all on my own terms – in the time during which I was free from work and other responsibilities. This was not to say it was going to be easy in any regard; it would still be a lot of work to juggle. But at least I knew that with online degree programs I would have the option to juggle both instead of having to choose.
My nonprofit management online degree program begins soon and I couldn’t be more excited to start. I finally feel comfortable in my own skin and ready to go after what I want.
Popularity: 6% [?]
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I am not a quitter. When I start something I will finish it; even if it takes me awhile. This was certainly the case with my college degree. It’s not like I went to school and had to leave. I just didn’t think it was worth going at that time. I think I was like a lot of kids my age at that time. College looked appealing but for all the wrong reasons. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life – what I wanted to be – and I could hardly imagine pursuing an education for just anything that seemed okay. I didn’t want to settle and I didn’t want to spend all that money on a degree that meant nothing to me. I guess it was the right choice for me at the time.
I will say this, not going directly to college allowed me to really explore what it is that I did want to do. I was really happy in the land of nonprofit and so I wound up settling there after I floated around awhile in marketing and even financial jobs where I was anything but a perfect fit. When I found myself finally working in nonprofit I knew that I had found my home – the place where I gelled; where I was meant to stay.
Finding that comfort zone, however, never lessened my desire for a college education. In fact, it increased my desire to go to school. Now here I was – older, sure but certainly wiser – and finally really passionate about something. I really knew what I wanted to do and I was so excited to pursue it in the classroom. But this was the catch. How could I go back to school for nonprofit management – what I had finally focused on as my degree program of choice – without giving up my career even temporarily? I would soon discover another way.
Popularity: 7% [?]
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In the last post I talked about my career path and how it had not included a college degree – something that I had chosen to do as I was much more interested in working than I was in going to school. I immediately pursued a career in nonprofit and had remained there ever since, working my way up, gaining experience and respect in the industry, and loving every minute of my role in helping people in a variety of ways.
When I realized, however, that I would not be considered for a role in nonprofit management because I had not gotten my college degree I decided that I needed to make sure that I was more competitive in the marketplace if I was going to be able to earn more money. I loved my job and wanted to continue in the field but I had reached an earnings ceiling which made it difficult to keep pace with my family’s financial needs.
Going back to school was not a difficult decision at this time in my life but I was more concerned with the logistics of balancing school and work. I couldn’t afford to take a leave of absence but some of the class schedules for the nearby university included daytime lectures. That was when I found an online nonprofit management program – something that would allow me to continue working while still completing my degree during my off hours. All I needed was a computer and an Internet connection and I was able to get right to work.
Online learning is nothing new and I have seen a whole host of online programs including an online MBA, Masters in Education, and even an online IT degree program. The online nonprofit management program was the perfect scenario from my situation and has allowed me to take the next steps in my career.
Popularity: 9% [?]
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When I first began working in nonprofit I was young – just out of high school – with not the slightest desire to go to college. I was ready to work and I knew that my heart was – and had always been – in helping people. My first job paid next to nothing but I was really happy working for an organization that helped raise money for cancer and that helped allocate those funds appropriately. I was energetic, enthusiastic, and willing to do what it took to make my way in the world without a college degree.
For quite some time this worked well for me. I steadily worked my way up the nonprofit ladder by proving my prowess in everything from fundraising to event coordination and patient services. During this time I moved between several organizations and always managed to find my niche. When I reached a particular age, however, I began to realize that I had essentially hit the ceiling in terms of my earning potential and while I was still as passionate as ever about helping people I had a financial obligation to my family as well. Quickly thereafter a job in nonprofit management opened up and while I certainly had enough experience to handle the job I did not have a college degree – something that the organization was requesting of all applicants.
It became obvious that if I was going to continue on to the upper ranks of management I had to get the education that would support my experience and so I decided to enroll in a nonprofit management degree program. Initially I had been concerned that I would have to take a leave of absence to complete my education but then I found online learning programs that offered everything from an online IT degree to a Masters in Education. I had found a way to do it all. More in the next post…
Popularity: 8% [?]
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I am not what you would call the traditional student. I am 46, have been out of the job market for some time while I was home raising my children, and never received my bachelor’s degree. But my life is different now that my kids are older and I have more time to do the things that are important to my own sense of self-accomplishment. I decided that it was never too late to do what you love to do and it wasn’t too late for me to go back to school and finish what I was not able to all those years ago. And so now I am enrolled in a nonprofit management degree program and loving every minute of it!
I have to say that my biggest concern about going back to school in the traditional sense was sitting in a classroom with kids that were half my age. I just felt like it would really derail my efforts and all that I would be consumed with was how I old I was and out of place. I know that may seem silly and in the end maybe I would have really loved it but I just know that it was a huge obstacle for me to go from thinking about going back to school to actually doing it.
But then I discovered the option of online learning and everything changed for me! I knew the Internet was a powerful modern tool but I had no idea that it would allow me actually go back to school from the comfort of my own home – where I could focus on my studies and not my age!
I immediately set to work finding the program that would suit me – that would give me the option to do something that I really loved and that’s when I found the nonprofit management degree program. I had volunteered for many nonprofit organizations over the years and this would allow me to really get involved and embark upon a career that I loved.
Popularity: 8% [?]
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If you’re considering going back to school to earn an online business degree, there are a number of options available to you. Should the idea of actually receiving two paychecks on a consistent basis appeal, nonprofit management might be right up your alley. While it’s possible that this field won’t technically pay as much as others an online MBA could open up, the rewards tend to astound.
Nonprofit managers receive their paychecks in two forms. The first comes in actual money, of course. The second is found in the rewards that come from helping a cause that one finds important. The personal rewards can be as great for nonprofit managers as they are for individuals who seek out masters in education degrees.
Those who take the nonprofit management specialty when seeking out an online business degree will find going to school via the Internet does offer some major benefits. Some of the biggest include:
Choice of programs – The nonprofit management specialty isn’t one that’s taught at every school in the country that offers MBA degrees. When you go online, however, you can find a variety of locations all over the country that offer this specialty to remote students. Some of the best private colleges in the country, in fact, offer this option to students right along with more traditional Internet-based programs like the online IT degree.
Convenience – Going to school online is much more convenient than other choices. When an online program is selected, there’s no reason to relocate, quit a day job or even have to sacrifice too much time away from family or friends.
A nonprofit management degree can give you the ability to earn two paychecks on a regular basis. If the work you do must be rewarding and important to society, this unique field can deliver exactly what you’re after.
Popularity: 11% [?]
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Getting a degree to launch a career takes time and dedication. Unfortunately, the time factor can be a real problem for some people. When there’s a need to get on the road to success in a more timely fashion, going online for a nonprofit management degree or other course of study can make a big difference.
While those who seek out an online IT degree, an online business degree or other programs of study will still have to put in the hours, the convenience factor can make a big difference. When classes are pursued at home via the Internet, it is often feasible to take a larger course load to speed up the process. It is also feasible to get started earlier since geographical obstacles and commuting will not come into play.
As more highly respected universities and colleges bring their programs online, students interested in nonprofit management or other areas of study will find they have a lot of choice. It is possible, for example, to live on the east coast and obtain a masters in education or an online MBA from a school half way across the country.
Online degree programs deliver some benefits that on-campus students generally do not enjoy. They include:
Having the ability to retain full-time employment – Online classes are generally set for students to be able to pursue them in a manner that fits their own schedules. This means going to school full-time and working full-time becomes a little bit easier. While this course of action will still be very challenging, the flexibility will make doing so more convenient.
Enjoying potential cost savings – Online classes will cost standard college rates for nonprofit management and other degrees, but there is still savings to be had. Relocation and commuting expenses, for example, can be completely eliminated. Other cost savings can also come into play.
A nonprofit management degree can provide entry into a very rewarding career field. Getting that career launched can happen faster when an online education is pursued.
Popularity: 7% [?]
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