16 Oct Alpha Phi Omega & Nonprofit Leadership Alliance Announce Strategic Partnership

Alpha Phi Omega and the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance are joining in a new partnership that will offer students leadership and professional development training in social sector volunteer and career fields. Existing and future APO members will now have access to the Alliance’s exclusive Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential. The CNP is a unique leadership training program that prepares students for successful nonprofit careers through education, coaching, service and connections to the nonprofit workforce.

“With Leadership as one of our three Cardinal Principles of APO, the strategic alignment with the Alliance represents a natural progression in our long history,” said Executive Director Bob London, CAE. “This partnership will bring our students access to additional leadership and professional development training, coaching and career preparation that will set them on a path to success as either a nonprofit professional or volunteer.”

The Alliance has been developing nonprofit leaders for more than 70 years through its Certified Nonprofit Professional program. Independent research shows that CNPs are seven times more likely to reach a leadership position as compared with non-CNPs who have similar career paths and educational experiences.

“The Alliance and APO share a common vision and purpose: To build effective 21st century leaders,” said Susan Tomlinson Schmidt, CNP, President of the NLA. “Both organizations have proven track records…the Alliance for building nonprofit leadership capacity and APO for engaging a tremendous network of service-minded individuals. Together, we will create a pipeline that addresses the need for talented and prepared social sector leaders.”

The Alliance was started more than 70 years ago by former Kansas City Mayor and APO Past National President H. Roe Bartle and a group of other visionaries who believed that the greatest determinant of nonprofit success was the quality of its workforce. Its CNP program operates on nearly 40 campuses across the country. Past President Bartle was instrumental in the expansion of APO during its early years, implementing strategies that supported chapter growth and organizational sustainability.