The University of Northern Iowa was presented with the Campus Program Excellence Award at the 43th Annual Alliance Management Institute in Houston, TX. The awards ceremony took place from Jan. 3-5 and was presented by the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

Currently, there are 37 colleges and universities involved in this program nationwide with around 3,000 students in total- – UNI being the only one located in the state of Iowa. Out of these 37 campus programs, only five were eligible for this award.

Diefenbach commented on how rare it is to find a program like the one UNI is offering.

“It’s just something special that’s happening at UNI that is not happening at many other places,” said Diefenbach. “We wanted to recognize the campus for this exceptional experience that it is providing to students.”

The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance is a national leadership program that helps develop the next generation of nonprofit leaders.

“University of Northern Iowa was selected based on the quality of its program, its community outreach and the exceptional experience it provides students,” said Susan T. Schmidt, president of the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance

More specifically, Christa Beall Diefenbach, vice president of Marketing and Development of the program, explained how UNI went above and beyond to receive this award.

“UNI raised funds for the United Way organization,” said Diefenbach. “They taught children how to give back to their community by facilitating programs to help teach children that it is important to be volunteering and giving back through the nonprofits in the community.”

Diefenbach explained that students helped with the community well-being by volunteering and helping local nonprofits conduct training. Through the training, the organizations were able to develop strategies for success.

This program has been on UNI’s campus since 1987. Students are required to complete coursework along with a minimum 300-hour internship. After meeting the criteria, students are awarded with the Certified Nonprofit Professional credential (CNP).

Diefenbach explained how this credential can benefit students in the long run.

In a case study conducted last year by LinkedIn, they found that students with this CNP credential are seven times more likely to rise as a director or to a higher-level position in a nonprofit organization than those who do not have that credential.

UNI faculty member in the Office of University Relations, Blake Ruane, explained the significance of the award for UNI’s future.

“This award says a lot about our involvement in the community and the impact we have on the community,” Ruane said. “It’s a huge credit to the emphasis we place on putting those opportunities in front of students and allowing them to branch out into the community by getting first hand experiences that they may not get in the classroom.”

Callie Sauer, junior public relations and marketing major, weighed in on the importance of volunteering and connecting with the community.

“I think it’s so important to be involved in volunteering because it’s beneficial for both parties,” Sauer said. “You feel better after you do something for someone else, and in return, they also appreciate what you’ve done for them.”