It's Hard Out There... for a Nonprofit Pro

A close-up of a bowl of alphabet soup with a spoon lifted toward the camera. The alphabet pasta in the spoon spells out the words "NEVER STOP LEARNING," while additional letter-shaped noodles float in the golden broth below, reinforcing the theme of lifelong learning and continuous professional growth.

One of the commitments I've made to myself this year is to keep learning.

Over the past several months, I've earned my CFRE credential, joined the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP Global) and my local chapter, AFP Western Pennsylvania, and continued building my knowledge of fundraising, nonprofit leadership, communications, and strategic planning. This week, I added another step to that journey by joining the Project Management Institute (PMI) and beginning the process of preparing for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Before I can sit for the PMP exam, I need to complete the required project management education hours. Rather than investing in a costly exam preparation course, I’ve chosen an alternative path that fulfills this requirement while also strengthening my professional credentials: pursuing the Google Project Management Professional Certificate. This approach allows me to meet the required education hours while earning a widely recognized credential that emphasizes practical, real-world project management skills.

At first glance, project management may seem like an odd fit for someone whose background is in writing, fundraising, and nonprofit leadership. I don't see it that way.

Every grant proposal, capital campaign, fundraising event, strategic plan, website redesign, advocacy initiative, and organizational partnership is a project.

Success is rarely attained by just coming up with a great idea. It depends on defining a goal, managing resources, coordinating people, communicating effectively, anticipating risks, adapting when circumstances change, and ultimately delivering results. Those are project management skills.

One of the things I've come to appreciate about the nonprofit sector is that many of us become project managers without ever calling ourselves that. We organize volunteers, oversee grant-funded initiatives, coordinate marketing campaigns, manage consultants, juggle deadlines, and bring together diverse groups of people around a common mission. We learn by doing.

Pursuing the Google Project Management Professional Certificate and, ultimately, the PMP isn't about collecting another set of initials after my name. It's about learning a common framework and shared language for work I've been doing for years while identifying ways to do it even better.

For SWAN, professional development has always been about more than individual achievement. The stronger we become as nonprofit professionals, the stronger our organizations become. Every new skill makes us better equipped to steward donor dollars responsibly, manage increasingly complex initiatives, and create lasting impact in our communities.

Lifelong learning isn't a luxury in this field. It's part of the job.

I'll share what I learn throughout the process, both from the Google certificate and as I continue working toward the PMP. My hope is that it encourages other nonprofit professionals to see project management not as a corporate discipline, but as a practical leadership skill that can strengthen every organization, regardless of size.

Resources Mentioned

Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE)
Information about the CFRE credential, eligibility requirements, and certification process:
https://www.cfre.org/

Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP Global)
Professional association for fundraising professionals offering education, networking, and ethical standards:
https://afpglobal.org/

AFP Western Pennsylvania Chapter
Local chapter serving fundraising professionals throughout Western Pennsylvania:
https://afpwpa.org/

Project Management Institute (PMI)
The world's leading organization for project management professionals and home of the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification:
https://www.pmi.org/

Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
Overview of PMI's flagship project management credential, eligibility requirements, and examination:
https://www.pmi.org/certifications/project-management-pmp

Google Project Management Professional Certificate
Professional certificate program covering project management fundamentals, Agile methodologies, stakeholder communication, budgeting, scheduling, and risk management:
https://grow.google/certificates/project-management/

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