Are We Advancing a “People-First” Culture? Nonprofit Human Resource Management Education in the U.S.

Abstract

While earlier research in nonprofit and philanthropic studies (NPS) tracks the field’s evolution, this study focuses on resource management courses, namely human resources and philanthropy, in graduate nonprofit curricula. Drawing on publicly accessible data, I examine the availability and content of human resource management (HRM) courses between 2018 and 2021. The study examines existing HRM knowledge devel-opment essential to building nonprofit management skills and overcoming nonprofit HRM challenges. Findings highlight declining availability of nonprofit HRM courses compared to increased emphasis on philanthropic studies, alongside HRM course content that closely reflects NACC curricular guidelines. Declining HRM course availability suggests future nonprofit leaders may be ill equipped to respond to nonprofit HRM challenges, thereby limiting recruitment and retention capacity and generating associated organizational performance impacts. By examining resource management topics in graduate nonprofit curricula, the study contributes to ongoing debates regarding NPS program content.