Letter from the Director, Michael Bisesi

The mission of the Executive Master of Nonprofit Leadership (MNPL) program is to promote excellence in the governance and management of nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.

Discussions about the need for an academic program serving the Pacific Northwest’s nonprofit sector began during the late 1980s among a group of charitable donors and nonprofit leaders who worked together to strengthen the state’s voluntary organizations by encouraging an increase in giving and volunteering. These conversations led in 1993 to a detailed assessment of the market for an academic-based nonprofit executive degree program by Dr. Mary Stewart Hall, President of the Weyerhaeuser Foundation and former board chair of Philanthropy Northwest.

Dr. Hall conducted her research in the Fall Quarter of 1993 while on loan from Weyerhaeuser to Seattle University, and SU approved the Executive Master of Nonprofit Leadership (MNPL) degree during the 1994-95 academic year, and Dr. Hall became the founding Director. The first cohort of students began the program in August of 1995 and now, over 250 individuals hold the MNPL degree. Most of our graduates work in nonprofit or philanthropic-related leadership roles in the Puget Sound region. The Class of 2010 is our 15^th cohort.

The MNPL program was developed specifically for those who lead, or aspire to lead, nonprofit organizations. As an executive degree, the program offers opportunities to network with and learn from experienced peers while also working with a distinguished mix of instructors drawn from Seattle University faculty, practitioners, and training professionals.

The program has a unique curriculum designed to teach the core competencies expected of the best nonprofit executives. While courses will teach the latest management and leadership theory, content will emphasize practical application. Course work is intended to build on the base of experience that students will bring with them to the classroom.

Program participants also have the opportunity to meet with a wide variety of the region’s nonprofit and philanthropic leaders. Members of the Visiting Committee, a diverse advisory group of nonprofit leaders, serve as mentors and guest lecturers, among many supportive roles.

Our vision is: Better Leaders, Better Organizations, Better Communities. We hope you will consider joining us in pursuit of that vision.

Sincerely,

Michael Bisesi

Professor and Director