Assessing and Augmenting Administration Skills in Nonprofits: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Due to a growing shortage of suitable nonprofit managers, we must search for alternative ways to meet the increasing need for human services leaders. This article presents results from an exploratory study of the job skills needed for successful promotion and compares these with current staff competencies in order to design a brief training intervention targeted at identified gaps. Results indicate that knowledge gains are the first step in a more challenging skill acquisition process, in which human services leaders may experience many barriers to successful leadership development. Lessons for administrative capacity building and social work education are examined.

Keywords:

• capacity building
• human services management
• leadership
• nonprofit management
• social work administration