For students driven by the desire to make a difference, understanding how a nonprofit organization operates is as important as having a passion for a cause. The Northern Arizona Center for Nonprofit Entrepreneurship (NACNE) at the W. A. Franke College of Business is designed to educate and empower the next generation of changemakers, while helping community members explore how nonprofits operate and how to turn ideas into impact.
NACNE was founded in 2016 in response to concerns that, while local nonprofits had plenty of passion, many lacked the business knowledge and operational skills needed to secure funding and sustain their work. Amanda Black, assistant director of NACNE, said that T. Paul Thomas, director of NACNE, recognized an opportunity to educate students in nonprofit entrepreneurship and introduce them to this important sector. From there, the center expanded organically as nonprofits began reaching out for services, mentorship and requests for specific certificate programs.
“On one side, we serve our students and on the other, we provide help to the community,” Black said. “We currently have an undergraduate certificate program that includes introductory courses, as well as financing and marketing for nonprofits. We are also developing a bachelor’s degree in nonprofit entrepreneurship that will hopefully launch in 2026.”
Turning ideas into impact
Students and community members can visit the center to be connected to internships and volunteer opportunities, as well as to receive guidance for opening and operating a nonprofit. One recent beneficiary of the center’s services is Trent Foreman, a recent business economics graduate who reached out to NACNE for help in starting his own nonprofit.
“My father and I have been talking for years about starting a nonprofit but were not sure how to move from an idea into something real,” Foreman said. “NACNE has been instrumental in walking us through the step-by-step process of building our nonprofit from the ground up. They helped us think about both the business side, such as structure, operations and sustainability, and the technical side of applying for 501(c)(3) status.”
Currently, the center has an office at the W. A. Franke College of Business but is looking into expanding outside of NAU to provide easier access to nonprofits and community members in the Flagstaff area.
“We offer a series of workshops for nonprofits in the community and are launching a skills-sharing coalition for those nonprofits that are struggling to find resources,” Black said. “Our first Nonprofit Skill-Sharing Coalition meeting is scheduled for Sept. 4 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Ice House on E. Birch Ave. We want to connect nonprofits, small and large, so that they can openly share their strengths and weaknesses and sort of offer to swap or share ideas, resources and even people to support one another.”
NACNE also holds a conference every April that connects students with the nonprofit community. Their fifth annual conference will take place next spring at Lowell Observatory, and Black said they are expecting the participation of about 100 nonprofit organizations.
“Students who are part of the program get hands-on experience organizing this event,” Black said. “They find the speakers, choose the topics, send the invites, pick the venue and even select the menu for the event.”
Success at every level
Aside from the current Nonprofit and Social Entrepreneurship undergraduate certificate and a future bachelor’s degree in nonprofit entrepreneurship, NACNE is launching a non-credit certificate program for high school students.
“A local high school approached us with this idea and need,” Black said. “So, we developed this certificate program where high school students can take classes introducing them to the concept of nonprofit management every Thursday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. here at the Franke College of Business.”
This will also help as a ground for recruiting students in high school who are interested in continuing their philanthropic dream—like Foreman, who, after graduating last spring, wants to keep growing the nonprofit NACNE is helping him establish so that he can apply his business economics degree and his undergraduate certificate in a meaningful way.
“The certificate program and NACNE’s support have made me feel confident about pursuing a career in the nonprofit sector,” Foreman said. “Having mentors who understand both the challenges and opportunities has been invaluable and I’m grateful to have this network as I begin the journey of starting a nonprofit.”
In addition to this work, NACNE is developing a community certificate program and has been invited to lead workshops across northern Arizona, expanding access and impact region-wide.
Find additional information about the center and its programs on the NACNE website.
Mariana Laas | NAU Communications
(928) 523-5050 | mariana.laas@nau.edu