As of December, more than 100 N.C. State graduates have completed a minor in a little-known but growing field: nonprofit studies. 

The total number of alumni from this department now stands at 104 since the program’s first graduates in 2006. A total of 110 students are currently enrolled in the minor.

Mary Tschirhart, director of the Institute for Nonprofit Research, Education and Engagement and professor of public administration, said the minor was created by a team of professors, students and community members who recognized the importance of nonprofit organizations. 

“We want to give students more opportunities to get involved with nonprofit organizations and to learn skills related to the nonprofit world,” Tschirhart said. “We want them to learn leadership and management skills, and also how fundraising works.” 

The program stresses five core concepts: aligning resources, earning the public trust, balancing personal interests versus the common good, capitalizing on opportunities associated with diversity, and moving from charity to systematic change. 

Tschirhart said that while many people think of nonprofits as small charities that don’t generate much revenue, they are essential to the economy.

Nonprofits accounted for 9.2 percent of salaries and wages in the United States in 2010, and 5.5 percent of the GDP in 2010, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics. In addition, nonprofits donate hundreds of billions of dollars every year. 

The minor now includes current students, as well as alumni, from every college at N.C. State except two. 

Tschirhart said she would like to see the minor’s capacity grow so more students can be involved with the program, which also helps students get hands-on experience by interning or working at local nonprofits.

Those interested in minoring in nonprofit studies should contact program coordinator, Eileen Hannan Ferrell.