The first of its kind in Canada, a new Carleton graduate program set to launch in July 2013 will train students to achieve, measure, and communicate the impact of philanthropic and non-profit projects.
The master of philanthropy and non-profit leadership launched by the School of Public Policy and Administration combines online courses with a two-week nine-to-five summer session in the River Building.
Bursaries will help pay for distance learners’ transportation fees, school director Susan Phillips said.
“We know that often the difference between good intentions and making a meaningful impact has to do with non-profit leadership,” said Jo-Anne Ryan, vice-president of philanthropic advisory services of TD Wealth.
TD Canada Trust partially funded the program, according to the press release.
Courses will include financing a non-profit or philanthropic organization, assessing and communicating an initiative’s social impact to investors and donors, working in the legal framework of a charity, and understanding how to lead an organization, Phillips said.
Phillips said the experience of an overflow in a similar course offered at Carleton and research done by Canada Advancing Philanthropy (CAP), a group of non-profit officers, have shown charities and non-profits face an increasing demand to have a set of the skills the program offers.
“As the significance of this sector grows in the country, it’s already a significant contributor to the GDP. Having good leadership, people who understand philanthropy is important to the health of this sector,” CAP chair Guy Mallabone said.
Currently, no Canadian university offers a graduate degree in philanthropy. Phillips said she thinks this is because Canadian universities have not recognized the financial and social significance of the non-profit sector.
The core non-profit sector contributed to the GDP more than double the motor vehicle manufacturing industry in 2006, according to Statistics Canada.
“We think it’s going to fill an important need,” Phillips said.
The faculty will consist of public policy and administration faculty and contract instructors who can offer first-hand experience and faculty from other fields such as business, journalism and communication, Phillips said.
The program will take no more than 25 to 28 students to ensure every student can effectively participate in class, Phillips said.
The program has financed itself through provincial subsidies, tuition fees and a $350,000 donation from TD Canada Trust.
TD asked for no control over the program, and agreed to fund some of the scholarships, bursaries and an annual lecture over the next five years, according to Phillips.
Phillips said banks including TD take proposals from universities to find a program that fits with what respective banks are interested in funding.
The philanthropy and non-profit leadership program happened to be one of the programs TD “really liked,” Phillips said.
