New Global Online Education Initiative To Benefit Hundreds Of Thousands Of Change Makers

Free online courses for social change leaders will build sector networks and deepen impact 

BERKELEY, California, Sept. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Philanthropy University, a new, innovative educational initiative, launched today to provide people working in the social sector specialized learning and resources to deepen their impact.

"Philanthropy University offers leaders in the social sector opportunities to strengthen their skills and grow their network of peers and mentors, ultimately increasing collaboration and efficiency and leading to a greater impact in the world," says Dr. Laura Tyson, Director, Institute for Business & Social Impact at Berkeley-Haas and chair of the Philanthropy University Advisory Committee. "Berkeley-Haas is proud to be a partner in this new effort to break down barriers to social change by providing free, accessible learning to foster the capacity of the sector around the world."

Berkeley-Haas is playing a significant role that includes helping form networks of organizations that use Philanthropy University to increase their impact, shaping the curricula, sourcing faculty from Berkeley and top universities worldwide, building an open innovation platform that provides space for learners to collaborate, and integrating its Global Social Venture Competition with this initiative.

"Imagine a workforce of social change professionals who are primed, positioned and skilled to impact the lives of millions of people and effectively change the world with their work. This is the vision of Philanthropy University," shared His Excellency Amr Al-Dabbagh, founder of Philanthropy U, the non-profit sponsor of this initiative.

Philanthropy University courses go beyond the traditional non-profit webinar through dynamic week classes lasting five to eight weeks that will be taught by leading instructors and renowned practitioners. Courses focus on team-based, experiential learning, enabled by the latest social learning technologies from NovoEd.

The seven inaugural courses, which begin September 29th, 2015, teach key skills that people need to succeed in the social change sector, including fundraising, strategic planning and scaling for impact. More than 10,000 learners have already registered to be in Philanthropy University's inaugural session. Instructors include Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva.org, Paul Brest, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, and Erik Simanis, Cornell University.

Learners can earn recognition from Berkeley-Haas including a Statement of Accomplishment upon completion of any course or a Certificate of Completion in Social Sector Leadership by completing all seven classes.

The initial course offerings and start dates are:

Starting Sept 29, 2015: 
Global Social Entrepreneurship 
Essential of Nonprofit Strategy  
Organizational Capacity: Assessment to Action

Starting Oct 6, 2015:
How to Scale Social Impact   
Leadership: 10 Rules for Impact and Meaning  

Starting Oct 13, 2015:  
Financial Modeling for the Social Sector   
Fundraising: How to Connect with Donors

Learn more and register today at www.philanthropyu.org.

About Philanthropy University 
Philanthropy University is the first-of-its-kind online education initiative for change makers, providing free non-credit courses taught by world-class instructors and powered by the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Philanthropy University is sponsored by Philanthropy U, a registered non-profit. Learners are not entitled to college or other academic credit. Learn more at philanthropyu.org.

About Berkeley-Haas 
As the second-oldest business school in the United States, the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley is one of the world's leading producers of new ideas and knowledge in all areas of business. The school offers outstanding management education to about 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students each year who come from around the world to study in one of six degree-granting programs. Learn more at http://www.haas.berkeley.edu

About NovoEd 
NovoEd powers leadership development online. Our social learning platform and design services help organizations convert in-person training to scalable online classes and programs. We leverage the latest science and tools in peer-to-peer, project-based, and team-based learning. Learn more at http://novoed.com.

For interviews contact: 
Zakiya Scott 
+1-415-874-7443 
zscott@fenton.com