Nonprofit Management Program Gives CCLI Director ‘Bigger Picture Perspective’

Christine Lai, a 20-year employee of Catholic Charities of Long Island who has been Director of Mental Health Services since May 2022, recently earned a certificate for Excellence in Nonprofit Management for completing a 36-credit Continuing Education program at Adelphi University.

The seven-month program, which finished up this month, was offered through the university’s Center for Nonprofit Leadership. The three-hour online courses were offered every two weeks by a live instructor.

Sessions that Christine enjoyed the most were Board and Governance, Financial Management, and Marketing/Communications. Other courses included Team Management, Planning and Change Management, Program Evaluation, and Grant Writing and Fund Development.

“This was a great experience and worth the time and effort,” Christine said, adding that “it expanded my management skills and knowledge, as well as my ability to contribute to the Catholic Charities organization in a meaningful way.”

One big impact she achieved was understanding “how all of the puzzle pieces work together to move Catholic Charities in a mission-centered direction.” The course provided “a bigger picture perspective” on organizational management and the larger environment.

“At this point in my career I was looking to expand my skills in a way that would benefit my programs and Catholic Charities as a whole,” she said.

Christine found “the peer environment” very beneficial, as fellow students came from many different types of nonprofit organizations across New York state. She knew only one of her classmates before the class began last November. The 20 students in the class were broken into smaller groups for projects and discussion.

“It was a great networking tool to meet leaders from other organizations…I walked away with a new group of professional contacts for ongoing instruction,” she explained. “I loved hearing about what other organizations are doing and how they are approaching issues that (Catholic Charities) may be facing. It offers great resources and possibilities for us to consider.”

She would definitely recommend the course to other program managers like herself who are interested in learning more about how entire organizations operate.

The course cost for Christine was picked up through a scholarship from the Dyson Foundation and Jovia Financial Credit Union, arranged by Adelphi.