In light of COVID-19 health concerns and travel restrictions, SNMI 2020 has been cancelled. We look forward to convening again in July 2021!
Please email snmi@ashoka.edu.in for notifications about alternative training and convening opportunities, including virtual options, for nonprofit leaders.

Strategic Nonprofit Management—India

Dates: Summer 2021
Location: Ashoka University

India’s nonprofit sector has the potential to make significant inroads into the region’s challenges — from ensuring access to clean water, sanitation, and nutritious food to improving health care and education. To succeed, social impact leaders must develop a focused mission and strategy, a solid operational model, strong governance, and effective leadership. SNMI’s professors, sector experts and alumni network prepare you for building high-performance organisations that can fulfill their missions, expand their scopes, and achieve their potential for improving lives. Developed in partnership with the Harvard Business School (HBS) Social Enterprise Initiative, SNMI is offered through the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University in India.

Key Benefits:

SNMI prepares you to build and lead an effective nonprofit organisation that drives social change and expands its impact. Empowered by the opportunity to step back and reflect on the direction of your mission and vision, you will leave with the tools needed to build a strong foundation, scale operations, and amplify your impact.

Who Should Attend?

Senior executives who are strategic decision-makers at nonprofit organisations serving communities in South or Southeast Asia.
Executive directors, chief executive officers, board members, or others who shape the mission, direction, and policies of social impact organisations.
Other executives who work closely with the nonprofit sector.

Logistics

The programme fee of ₹ 2,36,000 (inclusive of GST) covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodation, and most meals. Need-based scholarships may be available to qualified candidates. Please contact Soumya Mohil for details at snmi@ashoka.edu.in.

SNMI can enhance your social impact in myriad ways.

Focus your mission, strategy, and leadership approach

Determine your organisation’s trajectory
Define what success means for your organisation
Evolve a leadership style suited to your organisation’s mission, strategy, and stage of development

Build an effective organisation and funding strategy

Develop the core capabilities and external alliances needed to fulfill your mission and execute your strategy
Assess your organization’s performance and improve its effectiveness
Successfully raise the funds needed for ongoing operations and expansion
Communicate effectively with key stakeholders

Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, organisation types, and regions
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Through a rich learning experience — including faculty presentations, case studies, dynamic classroom discussions, small-group workshops, guest speakers, and panel discussions — you will gain a deeper understanding of how successful nonprofit organisations are addressing their challenges and achieving their mission.

SNMI’s curriculum emphasizes South and Southeast Asia, with roughly two-thirds of the cases based on organisations in this region. Participants will learn alongside peers who share the challenges of operating in an emerging economy characterized by social challenges and infrastructure gaps. In special workshops throughout the program, you will team with peers to work on challenges that each of you has identified as critical to the success of your respective organisations. These exercises will help you formulate a plan of action to address your organisation’s challenges upon returning to work.

Focused mission and goals

Setting goals and analyzing your mission in the context of your organisation’s capabilities
Pinpointing the problem you want to address, whom you will serve, and how you define success
Making tough decisions about what your organisation will and will not do
Understanding the risks of a mission that is too broad
Communicating vision, mission, and goals throughout your organisation

A disciplined approach to strategy

Understanding nonprofit strategy and how it differs from for-profit strategy
Operationalizing your mission and serving beneficiaries
Defining the core processes that make up your operating model
Developing a funding model that aligns with your operating model
Identifying potential sources of funding and how to raise funds
Developing alliances to execute your strategy
Addressing institutional infrastructure challenges and other issues unique to South and Southeast Asia

Performance measurement and improvement

Knowing whether — and how — your organization is succeeding
Measuring effort and impact
Defining key performance indicators
Assessing performance in relation to external norms
Creating more efficient and effective processes and structures
Communicating with stakeholders about performance

Responsible governance

Understanding a board’s function and goals
Deciding whom you should recruit for your board and why
Recognising the connections among transparency, reporting, and fundraising
Knowing your legal responsibilities as a nonprofit entity and demonstrating compliance

Effective leadership

Understanding the leader’s role in strategic decision-making
Choosing and evolving your leadership style
Leading authentically and ethically
Managing self, team, and organisation
Understanding and managing change
Developing leadership capacity in yourself and your organisation

SNMI is developed and taught by top faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing nonprofit leaders across the globe.

V. Kasturi Rangan

Prof. V. Kasturi Rangan is Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing at Harvard Business School. View his full bio here.

Vikram Gandhi

Prof. Vikram Gandhi is Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. View his full bio here.

Neera Nundy

Neera Nundy is a Partner & Founder at Dasra. View her full bio here.

Priyank Narayan

Prof. Priyank Narayan is Head of the Department, Entrepreneurship at Ashoka University. View his full bio here.

More than 200 social impact leaders from Africa, Asia, and Oceania have earned SNMI certification since the launch of this executive education programme in 2017. Our alumni remain connected to their cohorts and the full SNMI community, and engaged with the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy, through a range of convening and research opportunities.

If you participated in one of our SNMI cohorts and would like to be added to the WhatsApp group for your cohort and/or all SNMI alumni, please send your name, cohort year and phone number to snmi@ashoka.edu.in.

Frequently Asked Questions About SNMI

What are the SNMI 2020 application and programme dates?

In response to ongoing COVID-19 travel restrictions and community health concerns, the Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP) at Ashoka University has made the difficult decision to cancel the July 26-31, 2020 session of SNMI this year. In lieu of this certificate programme, Ashoka University and Harvard Business School’s Executive Education will be offering a separate online training for nonprofit leaders this summer, related to building resilience in these challenging times. If you are interested in learning more about this training opportunity or receiving notifications when SNMI announces its 2021 dates and programme description, please email snmi@ashoka.edu.in to join our mailing list.

Where does SNMI take place?
SNMI is held on campus at Ashoka University in Sonepat, 40 km north of Delhi, India. The closest airport is the Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).

When will accepted applicants be notified?
Applicants are notified on a rolling basis.

How much does this programme cost?
The programme fee of ₹2,36,000 (inclusive of GST) covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodation, and all meals. However, this does not cover airfare / travel to the Ashoka University campus. Payment will not be requested from accepted applicants until after June 15, 2020.

Is financial aid available?
Need-based scholarships may be available for candidates who have been accepted to the SNMI programme and are otherwise qualified for financial aid. Please contact Soumya Mohil for details at snmi@ashoka.edu.in.

Who is eligible to attend SNMI?
Now in its fourth year, SNMI is open to 80 exceptional and diverse social sector leaders in 2020. Previous cohorts have included leaders from Central Square Foundation, Clinton Health Access Initiative, CORO, Educate Girls, HelpAge India, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Paani Foundation, QUEST Alliance, and Teach for India. This programme is ideally suited for:

Senior executives who are strategic decision-makers at nonprofit organisations serving communities in South or Southeast Asia
Executive directors, chief executive officers, board members, or others who shape the mission, direction, and policies of social impact organisations
Other executives who work closely with the nonprofit sector

Is SNMI open to applicants from outside India?
Yes. We welcome diverse perspectives, including geographic diversity, to enrich the cohort experience for everyone.

What do participants gain from this experience?
SNMI’s faculty presentations, case studies, dynamic classroom discussions, small-group workshops, guest speakers, and panel discussions will give you a deeper understanding of how successful nonprofit organisations are addressing their challenges and achieving their mission. The programme’s 2020 curriculum emphasizes South and Southeast Asia, with roughly two-thirds of the cases based on organisations in the region. In special workshops throughout the program, you will team with peers to work on challenges that each of you has identified as critical to the success of your respective organisations. These exercises will help you formulate a plan of action to address your organisation’s challenges upon returning to work.

Is it mandatory to attend the entire programme?
Yes. From the keynote speeches to the small-group discussions, the SNMI learning experience is a complete package.

Where do participants stay during the programme?
SNMI participants are housed in one of the residence halls conveniently located on the Ashoka University campus. Rooms are fully furnished, air-conditioned and WiFi accessible. Housekeeping services, including laundry, are available; attendants are on call throughout the day for any cleaning-related requests. Campus breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included in your tuition, as well as morning and afternoon refreshments. Each floor in the residence hall also has a fully stocked pantry, drinking water, refrigerator, and a small-kitchenette for basic cooking needs.

I am not sure if I will be able to attend SNMI. Should I still apply?
Yes! If you are accepted and unable to attend this year, your application will be given priority for SNMI acceptance in 2021.

Still have questions? Please email snmi@ashoka.edu.in.

Watch & Learn

SNMI alumni, faculty and nonprofit sector leaders share their thoughts on the value of this executive leadership programme.