Charity Begins At School Seattle U Program Develops Not-For-Profit Agency Managers

Seattle University is offering the nation’s first master’s degree program for aspiring executives of non-profit organizations - a booming sector of the economy that now employs about 10 percent of the U.S. work force.

The program at the Roman Catholic school, which began this fall with 24 students, was “developed to produce strong managers and better leaders in this sector,” said Mary Stewart Hall, who developed the program.

“I have such a strong belief that our country’s long-term future is in part dependent on how good our not-for-profit agencies are,” said Hall, a former Weyerhaeuser Co. Foundation president.

In Washington, charitable non-profits last year employed about 158,000 people - more than The Boeing Co. - with wages of $3.95 billion. There are more than 50,000 non-profit organizations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

The Seattle U program teaches management, leadership and financial skill needed by any corporate executive - and more. Non-profit leaders must also know how to inspire contributions of time and money. Plus they must understand the tax laws that affect their organizations, and be familiar with financial resources.

“So many skills are unique because of the voluntary nature of non-profits,” Hall said.

She spent five years developing the 16-month program after working with Washington Gives, a state program that urged people to contribute 5 percent of their income or five hours of time to a cause.

When that effort wound down in 1991, non-profit leaders were asked what else was needed.

More training, they said.

At the time, Washington was one of the few states without a training program in the field. There are about 50 nationwide, five of them offering degrees.

Seattle U’s program is the only one offering a master’s. Classes are scheduled evenings and weekends, to accommodate out-of-town and working students.

“If we’re going to have this sector become more like business or government but retain those unique characteristics that made it such a vital part of our society, we’re going to need very experienced, well-prepared leaders,” Hall said.

Wendy Rude of Eatonville is in the program after five years of running Northwest EquiCare, a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic horseback riding for the disabled. On her own, she learned how tough it was to inspire volunteers, go after donations and stretch her tight budget.

“Leadership skills are desperately needed,” Rude said. “It’s extremely trying. The needs are enormous. You are passionate. But the resources are small.”

She started with one client and a budget of $2,400 and now serves 25 to 45 clients a year with a budget of about $112,000. There are 35 people on her waiting list. Rude hopes to expand to serve 250 clients - but the organization will need its own indoor arena and more money to do that.

She feels her $14,700 investment in the program will pay off.

“I’m excited, because it’s going to help me personally, and the charity I serve, because I can take my learning back,” Rude said.

She said she’s already applying some of what she’s learned.

Another student, Gary Geddes, is a believer, too.

“I think it’s paying off already,” said Geddes, director since 1981 of Northwest Trek, an educational wildlife park near Eatonville that has as many as 200,000 visitors each year and a budget of $2 million.

“It’s not that anyone with my experience can’t intuitively move some of these things along,” he said. But the class “helps you organize a lot of the skills you already have.”

Rude agrees.

“I really think this information is critical to the survival of what we do.”