NMI 144: Becoming a Champion of Change (December 2025)

What does it take to be a champion of change and how can we best set up our champion for success?

Becoming a champion of change—achieving buy-in and managing complex change—is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing, competency-building process. It requires the involvement of not only champions but also change management professionals, senior leaders, managers, and employees. It requires teamwork, building coalitions, and partnerships. It requires effective communication. The big difference between companies that successfully implement key initiatives and those that don’t, lies in their ability to effectively manage change.

In this course, you'll explore the topic of organizational change what it takes to be a champion for change, including the characteristics, responsibilities, and drivers of effective champions. 

Learning Objectives:

Understand:

• What it means to be a change champion.
• The importance of change in your organization.
• Why people resist or support change.

Know:

• How to determine the need for change in your organization.
• How to support change management efforts within your nonprofit organization.
• How to recognize why change efforts fail.

Implement:

• An organizational change using Kotter's 8-step method.

This course will consist of article reading, discussion questions, authentic assessments, and self-tests to enhance learning and build upon prior knowledge.

NMI courses are taught using the Canvas learning management system and include a variety of multimedia tools and resources. To ensure you can successfully access the multimedia tools in your courses, we recommend you use a standard PC or Mac desktop or laptop. Mobile devices are not recommended. Courses are best accessed using a high-speed Internet connection and a modern web browser such as Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome or Safari.

Early Bird special: $109 (ends two weeks before course start date, retail $139).