• University of Basel logo

Entrepreneurship in Nonprofits

Take a look at the world of social entrepreneurship and familiarize yourself with new concepts and methods of entrepreneurship.

7,206 enrolled on this course

Photograph of a wall that is painted with different shapes in different blue tones. An icon with shaking hands overlays the picture of the wall.
  • Duration

    5 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours

Learn about economic tools to become a successful social entrepreneur.

Nonprofit organizations operate globally in many areas. They address societal issues in fields like health, culture and arts, environment, education and research. With their work, they make a significant contribution to sustainable social and ecological development. This course provides you with the economic tools and knowledge that are needed to become a successful social entrepreneur. It gives you an introduction to the topics that need to be addressed in order to make informed decisions in nonprofits, and it asks you to look upon your own practices in order to critically reflect your learnings.

Download video: standard or HD

Skip to 0 minutes and 14 seconds Have you ever wondered how to turn industrial fallow into a lively and inspiring new district?

Skip to 0 minutes and 23 seconds Or have you ever wanted to find a way to further global hygiene recycling refuse?

Skip to 0 minutes and 32 seconds Or have you already started your own nonprofit organisation? We were five people with one strong idea, and that’s the way we started it. We started from the scratch. So at the beginning there was like the acquisition of key partners. In this course, you will become acquainted with exciting stories of nonprofit organisations that help meet the manifold challenges we face in today’s world. We will provide you with the needed skills and knowledge to turn your ideas into tales of success.

Skip to 1 minute and 6 seconds We help you to understand how innovative concepts need to be implemented when financial means are scarce, and we give you an introduction to the topics that need to be addressed in order to make informed decisions and to apply your learnings in practise. In short, you learn how your nonprofit organisation achieves greater impact through entrepreneurial theories and tools. We feel very confident about one thing, entrepreneurship is a concept that is able to address many problems. Globally, there are innovative solutions to be found. This course helps you to devise the skill sets you need to develop them. We are looking forward to welcoming you.

What topics will you cover?

  • Organizational theories and entrepreneurship
  • Social entrepreneurship
  • Introduction to social innovation
  • New financing models for nonprofits
  • Impact measurement

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explore theories that help to analyze entrepreneurial activity
  • Investigate the potentials and pitfalls of social entrepreneurship
  • Identify your own social innovation model
  • Develop a plan for your financial resources
  • Evaluate impact measurement as a tool for communication and accountability

Who is the course for?

This course is intended for anyone interested in the topics of social entrepreneurship and dedicated people who work in the nonprofit sector or would like to do so. You don’t need prior knowledge of the economic tools that are needed to apply entrepreneurship in nonprofits - this course addresses non-professionals as well as NPO executives and employees and students of economics and management at BA and MA level.

Who will you learn with?

Professor for Philanthropy Studies at University of Basel. My major research interests are nonprofit management and governance, impact analysis, and nonprofit finances.

Who developed the course?

University of Basel

The University of Basel has an international reputation of outstanding achievements in research and teaching.

Endorsers and supporters

content provided by

CEPS logo

funded by

Fondation Botnar logo

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn

Learner reviews

Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.

Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...

You can use the hashtag #FLnonprofits to talk about this course on social media.