Wayne Elsey, founder and former CEO of Soles4Souls announces 501(c)(3)U, a pioneering, fully online educational resource for social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and staff

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Nov 13, 2012, 02:05 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayne Elsey, founder and former CEO of the highly successful nonprofit organization, Soles4Souls, announced today the launch of 501(c)(3)U, a pioneering, fully online educational resource for social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and staff. "Nonprofits are always well-meaning but seldom well-staffed or trained. 501(c)(3)U offers a roadmap for non-profits to overcome lethargy or ineffectiveness while developing a strategy for success and sustainability," stated Elsey. "We are directly tackling the mindset of the non-profit world while offering online learning modules, fresh thinking and new options," he continued.

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Under Elsey's direction, within five years of its launch, Soles4Souls became one of the fastest-growing nonprofits in the country delivering 19 million pairs of shoes to needy people around the world and resided in the top 1% of nonprofits in the U.S. "My success is due to listening to experts in many organizational fields and applying best practices and successful models to our organization," Elsey said. "Now, with the launch of 501(c)(3)U, we can bring the best thinking and experience to help other nonprofits achieve success. "Online learning programs extend access to quality resources for non-profit leaders," said Elsey. "I am proud that 501(c)(3)U is the first online university to serve as a single performance resource for social entrepreneurs, private foundations, nonprofits and public charities." The online resource offers learning modules for beginners and seasoned managers that focus on the mastery of seven tracts vital to the success of any non-profit organization: Strategic Planning, Management and Governance, Formation and Compliance, Leadership Development, People Management, Marketing and Communications, and Donor Cultivation and Fundraising.

Several dozen proven leaders have joined the university to add expertise to the online portal with more adjunct faculty to come. "We will grow to meet the needs of social entrepreneurs and nonprofits and we are partnering with a wide range of experts who are leaders in their fields," said Elsey. They include campaign strategists, fundraising coaches, branding and marketing experts, public relations and engagement pros, business and nonprofit leaders, and others who bring services, support and a collection of success stories.

"The dramatic growth of nonprofit organizations to meet the country's growing charitable and educational needs was the motivation for the launch of a single resource for expertise, experience and demonstrated success," continued Elsey. In 2012, The IRS Registry included nearly 1.8 million nonprofit organizations, the majority of which are private foundations and public charities in category 501(c)(3) that can receive tax-deductible contributions.

501(c)(3)U is offering a beta membership for $49 for member signups by February 13. Benefits include access to a moderated members-only forum where members can exchange ideas and seek help; access to case studies, white papers and eBooks. Over 300 pieces of 501(c)(3)U content are available to download now for free, with more being added daily, plus discounts on other 501(c)(3)U content and a discount on Formation and Compliance services from the Foundation Group. Membership will last for two years upon sign-up. Membership will be $99 after February 13, 2013 for one year and will include the extended content with over 100 expert panels with webinars, extensive white papers and Webcasts.

About Wayne Elsey
Wayne Elsey grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, and always had a passion for helping others. He worked in the footwear industry since he was 15, starting by helping out on the floor and stockroom of a retailer and working his way up to serve as President and CEO of several leading U.S. footwear companies. In 2007, Elsey stepped down from his post as President of Kodiak-Terra USA Inc. to devote his time to Soles4Souls, Inc., the nonprofit organization he founded. Under Elsey's direction, within five years of its launch, Soles4Souls became one of the fastest-growing nonprofits in the country and resided in the top 1% of nonprofits in the U.S. Wayne is the author of Almost Isn't Good Enough, Head Coach of WayneElsey.com and the Founder of www.501c3u.com.

SOURCE 501(c)(3)U