Balancing the Mission Checkbook » FLiP http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog Nonprofits Assistance Fund shares thoughts and insights on nonprofit management and finance Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:28:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 Back to School Time – MBA, MPA, MANM, Whatever http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2008/08/12/back-to-school-time-%e2%80%93-mba-mpa-manm-whatever/ http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2008/08/12/back-to-school-time-%e2%80%93-mba-mpa-manm-whatever/#comments Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:21:11 +0000 Kate Barr http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2008/08/12/back-to-school-time-%e2%80%93-mba-mpa-manm-whatever/ A couple of weeks ago The Financial Times posted an online article, MBAs lift non-profit sector, which sings the praises of MBA degrees for those seeking leadership roles at nonprofits. The article portrays those with MBAs as possessors of a set of skills and abilities that have been unavailable to nonprofits. The FT article and similar postings over the past few months have generated a variety of responses, both from fans of MBAs and from contrarians. There’s the “nonprofits need to be more business-like” school of thought, and then there’s the “but we’re really different” argument. At the PhilanTopic blog, Tracy Kaufman posted What’s so great about an MBA? with a skeptical view of MBAs. She hits it exactly right, I think, with this comment, “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.”

Exactly. It is beside the point what degrees the leaders or staff have. It’s the skills and knowledge that matter, and the ability to use those skills, knowledge, experience, etc. to effectively impact the community. It’s worth considering why this needs to be a debate at all. Is this an example of a chip on the shoulders of the nonprofit sector?

The best hope for the next era of leadership depends, I think, on flexible, adaptable, and smart people of all stripes. The Future Leaders in Philanthropy blog has a nice post that describes the benefits of, and distinctions between, MBA and MPA degrees. My advice is that (1) graduate degrees are great for learning, opening your mind to new and emerging ideas, and working collaboratively with different people; (2) any professional degree program with rigor will be a good experience; and (3) you should pursue the degree program that sounds like it will get you where you want to be.

Disclaimer: After two decades in a for-profit business, I spend my days helping nonprofit organizations navigate the most business-like aspects of their organizations – the finances. I’m pretty good at it. I do not have an MBA.

]]> http://www.nonprofitsassistancefund.org/blog/2008/08/12/back-to-school-time-%e2%80%93-mba-mpa-manm-whatever/feed/ 2