Fulbright Scholar to Study at Center for Nonprofit Management

June 8, 2009, MINNESOTA, Bulletin Today — The Center for Nonprofit Management in the Opus College of Business welcomes Fulbright Scholar Marek Šedivý to the University of St. Thomas. A leading nonprofit expert in the Czech Republic, Šedivý received a Fulbright scholarship for a four-month stay at here.

During his time at St. Thomas, Šedivý plans to study the U.S. nonprofit sector, and identify fundraising and management strategies that may be transferable to central Europe. His general goal is to help create and develop philanthropy in Czech society, which was decimated during the communist period. As an educator, he will apply his research in the development of new training programs for leaders of Czech nongovernmental organizations. He also hopes that his immersion in Minnesota’s nonprofit world will be used as an information resource for articles in the Czech media and other publications.

Together with Ann Johnson, director of the Center for Nonprofit Management, Šedivý also is working to create an international partnership program for Czech nonprofit leaders.

"It is an exceptional opportunity and honor for the center to host Marek and collaborate on research and new applications for nonprofit growth," Johnson said. "Marek is dynamic, brilliant and humble, and we are quickly becoming close colleagues and friends!"

Šedivý is the executive director of Neziskovky.cz (Nonprofits.cz), the education and information center for nonprofit organizations. He graduated with a master’s degree in agriculture in 1998 and has been working at Nonprofits.cz since then. He is a member of the Czech Government Advisory Board for Nongovernmental Organizations and has written several publications and books, including Successful Nonprofit Organizations, his most recent book, which will be published this fall, and the popular Role of the Board of Directors in NGO Management for public benefit corporations.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Program is the nation’s flagship international educational exchange program. The program offers opportunities to students, scholars and professionals to study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Recipients of the prestigious Fulbright grant are chosen on the basis of academic or professional achievement as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

For more information about the center or Šedivý's stay, contact the Center for Nonprofit Management, (651) 962-4300, or online.