An Evaluation of Performance as it Relates to the Adventist Community Services Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program in the United States

Problem The purpose of this study was to understand the effectiveness of the Nonprofit Leadership Certification Program (NLCP) by examining the relationship between an individual’s completion of the program and their individual performance growth in attitude, knowledge, and skills. Since the program represents a major financial investment on the part of the Adventist Community Services (ACS) organization, ACS leaders need to know if the time, resources, and effort that have been poured into this leadership program are actually improving the participants’ performance in skills and knowledge, and if they have effectively contributed to changes in leadership attitude. Method This study assessed the relationship between the stated learning outcomes of the NLCP and the actual learning outcomes as perceived by the participants. For this reason two research designs were used to structure the research: 1. Pre-experimental research design – Group 1 (had pretest and posttest) was compared to Group 2, the control group (no treatment, posttest only). Group 1 had a manipulated variable but Group 2 did not have a manipulated variable. 2. Ex-post facto research design – Group 2 was compared to Group 3 (Had treatment, posttest). Data already existed. Results Results confirmed that there were significant changes in the participants’ leadership attitudes, knowledge, and skills as a result of participating in the NLCP. The leadership attitude in the posttest group showed improvement, which may indicate participants were inspired and encouraged by the program. The posttest group results showed a decrease in leadership knowledge immediately after taking the program; however, leadership knowledge increased over time. The posttest group and the treatment group indicated signs of changes in leadership skills after attending the program. Conclusions ACS leaders at local, regional and national levels who participate in the NLCP indicate that there leadership benefits in significant ways from the training provided. The ever increasing complexity of the services provided through ACS at the local community, regional and national levels will continue to drive the demand for the NLCP