Prepared by Laura J. Dewberry, Director
The YSU Center for Nonprofit Leadership, housed within the Williamson College of Business Administration, continues to advance its mission of preparing students for meaningful careers and leadership roles in the nonprofit sector. The Center offers a distinctive academic pathway that includes the Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership, the Nonprofit Leadership Minor, and nonprofit-focused upper-division business electives. Both the certificate and minor are designed to complement any major, allowing students across disciplines to integrate nonprofit management into their academic experience.
Through academic coursework and co-curricular experiences, students gain the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for entry-level positions in nonprofit organizations and community leadership roles. Students in the program consistently demonstrate a commitment to “making a living while making a difference,” and benefit from extensive networking opportunities with nonprofit professionals as well as real-world learning through internships and fellowships.
This year, the Nonprofit Leadership program completed a comprehensive curriculum overhaul. The updated curriculum, launching in Fall 2026, streamlines both the Certificate and Minor to enhance clarity and better align with the evolving needs of the nonprofit sector.
Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership (9 hours):
BUS 3720C (Web-based)*
Fall 2025: 25; Spring 2026: 23
BUS 3740C (Traditional)*
Fall 2025: 6; Spring 2026: 3
BUS 3780 (Web-based)
Fall 2025: 29; Spring 2026: 28
*=Community Engaged (CE) course
BUS 3740 (Nonprofit Community Service) course enrollees and members of the Student Nonprofit Leadership Organization (SNLO) gained hands-on experience in philanthropy through the Pay It Forward: Student Philanthropy Initiative. Pay It Forward offers YSU students a unique chance to act as funders and make a significant impact in the Mahoning Valley through grant-making and service.
This year SNLO completed their grantmaking process and selected Clothed in Strength (clothedinstrength.org) as the 2026 Pay It Forward grant recipient. The organization was awarded $2,000 to support its mission of helping bridge the gap between government assistance and long-term financial stability for low-to moderate-income single mothers and their children in the Mahoning Valley.
Clothed in Strength operates through three core pillars: Free Boutique Operations, Emergency Financial Grants, & Workforce Development & Stability.
SNLO reviewed 17 applications for this yearʼs funding cycle. The three additional finalists were Ursuline Sisters Mission, NOAS (Northeast Ohio Adoption Services), and Heart Reach Neighborhood Ministries. Each finalist demonstrated strong alignment with the initiativeʼs priorities and contributed to a robust learning experience for the students.
The Center for Nonprofit Leadership introduced the 2026 cohort of the Zoldan-Yampolsky Family Executive Fellows Program, an endowed initiative established by the Zoldan Family in 2020 to honor Abe Yampolsky and provide YSU students with paid, high-impact professional experiences in the nonprofit sector. Fellows completed 225 hours of hands-on work under senior nonprofit leaders, developing practical skills in marketing, development, operations, and community engagement while serving with the Butler Institute of American Art, Leadership Mahoning Valley, OH WOW! The Roger & Gloria Jones Childrenʼs Center for Science & Technology, and Youngstown Area Goodwill Industries. Fellows earned $16 per hour and received a $500 scholarship to enroll in BUS 4841, the Nonprofit Leadership Internship Seminar, creating a shared cohort experience. The cohort experience included site visits to each host organization during summer 2026. These visits deepened studentsʼ understanding of local societal challenges, expanded their professional networks, and highlighted career pathways in the nonprofit sector. The endowment supports multiple Fellows each summer. The next round of funding will open in October 2026 for host organizations and students beginning in January 2027.
The WCBA hosted its annual Dare to Care event on April 10, 2026, engaging 75 students, faculty, and staff in a day of service across 11 nonprofit organizations. After a morning brunch and program in the WCBA, volunteers spent time completing projects such as historical artifact inventory, preparing museum exhibits, assisting with mailings, gardening and facility clean-up efforts, and more. Partner organizations included Boardman Park, the Butler Institute of American Art, Dorothy Day House, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, Inspiring Minds Youngstown, Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio, the Mahoning Valley Historical Society Archives, OH WOW!, the Rich Center, the Youngstown Steel Museum, and United Returning Citizens. Participants made a meaningful impact while strengthening the WCBAʼs commitment to community engagement.
The Center for Nonprofit Leadership hosted the annual United We Care volunteer event for 70 WCBA students, faculty, and staff on Friday, October 24, 2025. The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley hosted volunteers at their Volunteer Resource Center. Volunteers packed and sorted food, hygiene items, clothing, and school supplies for Care Closets serving Austintown Local Schools and more than two dozen schools across the Valley. Students across the Valley rely on these resources to overcome barriers to learning. The event served as a fall companion to WCBAʼs Dare to Care initiative, reinforcing the Collegeʼs commitment to community engagement and meeting critical needs across the Mahoning Valley.
Executive Team 2025-26
SNLO is the student organization supported and guided by the Center for Nonprofit Leadership.
Site Visits & In-Class Presentations
Volunteering:
Networking:
David & Patricia Sweet Internship Program
Beginning this academic year, the Center for Nonprofit Leadership took over the management of the David & Patricia Sweet Internship Program. The David and Patricia Sweet Public Service Internship Endowment was established through the YSU Foundation to honor Dr. David C. Sweet, former YSU president, and Patricia M. Sweet for their decades of leadership in public service, higher education, and nonprofit engagement. The fund supports a 225-hour internship at Youngstown CityScape annually.
Other Nonprofit Leadership Internships
In addition to the Zoldan Fellows, these additional students were placed in nonprofit leadership internships: Summer 2025: J. Pirigyi, Help Network Spring 2026: T. Berry, Youngstown CityScape (Sweet Intern) & A. A. Nadkarni, Junior Achievement of Eastern Ohio Summer 2026: D. Urichko, Economic Action Group
Laura Dewberry has served as the Director of the Center for Nonprofit Leadership and as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Management & Marketing since 2009. This year she taught a variety of courses in both the traditional, community-engaged, and web-based formats including the nonprofit leadership electives (BUS 3720C, BUS 3740C, BUS 3780, & BUS 4840C/4841C), and Foundations of Business (BUS 1500 & BUS 1500H)
Service Highlights:
Portal