Nonprofit Management

This course explores strategic management and human resource practices within nonprofit organizations, emphasizing how mission-driven organizations can align strategy, structure, and talent to achieve social impact. Practical case studies and experiential projects will prepare students to make strategic decisions that optimize both organizational effectiveness and employee engagement.

This course will detail the role and inter-relationship of the board, executives, and other stakeholders in the governance of a nonprofit organization. Theories and histories of nonprofit boards and governance will be explored. This includes the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders as they steward the organization toward achieving its mission. Board development, board assessment, and organizational assessment will be included. Participants will learn how to develop mission, strategy, and plans while working with a multitude of stakeholders. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the various theories of leadership and apply those theories within a nonprofit context. As boundary spanners, nonprofit leaders will learn how to manage partnerships within and across sectors in order to achieve organizational sustainability.

Economic theory in relation to the nonprofit sector, including managerial economics for effective nonprofit management. This includes tools such as cost-benefit analysis and social impact measurement. Economics of microenterprise and the impact on social entrepreneurship will be examined. Students will understand critical financial concepts, including liquidity, solvency, cash flow strategies, and diversity of revenue streams. Financial management practices will be explained and applied, including planning, budgeting, controls, short-term and long-term financing, investments, and grant management. Accounting and financial decision making will be covered, with an emphasis on presentation of financial information to stakeholders.

This course will examine how nonprofit organizations and voluntary action serve to effect social change. This includes the way in which they influence the public policy process within local, national, and international contexts. The role of the various stakeholders as agents for change will be explored. Frameworks and guidelines for lobbying, including the laws governing those activities, will be explained.

This course will provide students with an understanding of marketing theory, principles and techniques, in general, and as applied in a philanthropic and nonprofit environment, including the dynamics and principles of the marketing mission in a nonprofit context. The course will explain the interrelationship between services marketing and donor marketing. Students will gain practical experience in the use of social media and other emerging means for advancing communications and public relations to internal and external stakeholders.

This course will describe the various ways that nonprofits raise funds and develop resources. This will include the strategic fund development process. Students will discuss the ethical processes and practices of different fundraising strategies to be considered such as an annual fund, planned and major giving, foundation and corporate fundraising and special events. There will be consideration of generational and cultural differences in giving and the implications for fundraising. The course will include recent trends in fundraising approaches such as the role of on-line giving, the use of social media and crowdsourcing strategies.

This course explores the global dynamics of civil society, tracing the evolution of international development from its origins to contemporary practice. Students will explore comparative approaches to civic engagement, nonprofit activity, and development initiatives across different cultural and political contexts. Contemporary challenges, including globalization, transnational advocacy, and the role of nonprofits in shaping social change, will be analyzed through case studies and critical discussion.

Students will learn about and apply models and frameworks of social entrepreneurship and social enterprise. The role of nonprofit leaders in generating new ideas and innovative strategies to meet societal needs will be explored. Participants in the course will develop an idea for a social enterprise start-up and prepare a business plan.

This course will address the role of information technology, decision making, and program assessment. Participants will learn how data analytics are used to improve productivity and effectiveness in support of organizational mission. The course will give students an in-depth understanding of program assessment for nonprofit, voluntary, and philanthropic organizations. Course participants will also learn decision-making models to take advantage of information and assessment to optimize organizational performance to meet stakeholder needs.

Students will draw upon the knowledge, skills, and abilities to work with a mission-driven organization to solve a problem.