Spokeswoman Joan Ulmer said the 30-year-old center - a nonprofit organization affiliated with La Salle University - is offering classes in Bucks because of feedback that commuting to Philadelphia to take courses was a burden for suburban nonprofit professionals.
"In the suburbs, there are more and more nonprofits offering social services," she said. "La Salle has this great site in Bucks, and it's convenient for people in Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia as well."
Ulmer said that, besides teaching new skills, certification was sought by nonprofit professionals because it could improve chances of getting funding and loans, a particular concern in the poor economy, where private giving and government grants have dried up.
The center has also been adjusting its curriculum to educate nonprofit workers on how to innovate in the new economic environment.
"It's looking at the bigger picture and not just doing things the way they used to do them," she said, "because it won't continue to work."
The center offers 60 other courses as well. All of its courses are approved for Certified Fund-Raising Executive accreditation. For more information, call 215-951-1701.
Contact staff writer Paul Jonesat 215-854-5016 or chepp@phillynews.com.
