Welcome to POL 324, an upper-level, cross-disciplinary course devoted to exploration of innovations, debates, controversies, and the state of the art of the non-profit sector and  philanthropy in America and abroad.

The non-profit sector is of enormous importance in the US and in some, though not all, foreign settings.  In America, it constitutes 8.8% of the GNP, employs 11% of the workforce, and is composed of an astonishing 1.2 million organizations. It is also a sector undergoing exciting and dramatic changes which are having a major impact on citizens and communities. And, it is a sphere of public life in which virtually all of us devote considerable time – as volunteers, donors, members, employees, board members, and beneficiaries. Yet it is rarely the subject of undergraduate academic coursework and has only recently begun to be more intensively researched.

Likewise, philanthropy – whether as donations by individuals or as part of major corporate giving and foundation work – is an increasingly important source of funding and innovation across a wide range of fields. One need only look at the scale and impact of the relatively new Gates Foundation to appreciate why philanthropy warrants closer academic study.

The course is primarily designed to serve students who:

• are active in volunteerism and community organization and outreach, and wish to learn more about the sector within which they work;
• anticipate entering careers in the nonprofit sector;
• expect to play a future role in philanthropy, charitable giving, advocacy work, or as board members of non-profit entities; or
• wish to learn more about broader social and political issues linked to the non-profit sector and civil society.

Course objectives

The primary aims of the course are to provide the class with an opportunity to explore:

• the rapid changes in and expansion of the role of the non-profit sector as a service provider, as well as explanations for these changes, and debates about their implications;
• the changing relationship between the non-profit, private, and public sectors;
• the role of non-profits in civil society, and the role of civil society in democracy;
• the “state of the art” of best practices and principles in community development;
• the many public policy debates, controversies, and criticisms surrounding the impact of charitable organizations, trends in philanthropic giving, and innovations in non-profit management;
• a sampling of theories and concepts from a wide range of disciplines which help us better understand philanthropy and the non-profit sector.

Course design and method

Students who have been granted permission to take this course are all experienced leaders or volunteers in non-profits and community outreach activities on campus and/or abroad. That background enables us to approach the course as a partnership, with the expectation that all will be full participants in both learning and teaching one another. A premium will thus be placed on class discussions and debates.  This in turn places extra responsibility on all class members to come to each session having closely read the assigned reading.

The course will also invite a number of speakers to join us during the semester. In the past, we have been fortunate to attract some wonderful speakers ranging from heads of local grass-roots organizations to presidents of large foundations.  Some of these speakers will meet with us during class time; others may be scheduled to speak in a public forum in the evening.  Use of in-class speakers invariably requires a bit of flexibility in our syllabus, as speakers must sometimes reschedule with us. Be prepared for a certain amount of revision of the syllabus over the course of the semester. The current syllabus is only provisional until dates with speakers can be confirmed.

Finally, the class is very fortunate to have been given a generous $10,000 grant from the Sunshine Lady Foundation.  The Sunshine Lady Foundation grant has been made available to this course since 2001, and will enable us to engage in a “learning-by-doing” philanthropic project involving the disbursement of the grant money to one of more non-profits at either the local or state level. Details about the semester-long project are detailed in an appendix to the syllabus. Note that committee work related to this project will require that students attend a “lab” on some Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00-2:15.  By enrolling in the class you are accepting this additional “lab” requirement.

Course Grading and Requirements:

Review #1:  30%

Review #2: 30%

SLF Project paper: 10%

News journal: 10%

Class participation: 20%

Reviews: Reviews will cover all required reading, class discussions, speakers, and any other material identified by the instructor. A study guide will be made available prior to each review. The reviews will place high value on a student’s ability to thoughtfully and critically analyze complex issues and debates, and present that analysis in a clear and compelling manner.  There will be no final exam.

News journal: Students are required to follow news on the non-profit sector over the course of the semester, using sources such as the Chronicle of Philanthropy which will be forwarded to you by email each day. Each student will keep a running journal commenting thoughtfully on news items you found to be most revealing or interesting about the sector. The journals should be typed and should average about one page per week for the first 12 weeks of class, and handed in toward the end of the semester.

Note on the project paper: see appendix.

Note on participation: The participation grade will be determined on the basis of the quality, not necessarily quantity, of contributions to class discussions made by students over the course of the semester.   Thoughtful questions are often as valuable as a deep insight. This includes “project participation” — your active contribution to the Sunshine Lady Foundation grant committee work, in-class deliberations on the project, and your written assessments of each project proposal.

Students are advised that deadlines set for papers or take-home exams are strictly enforced. Requests for extensions based on overall work load will not be considered; students are asked to review their deadlines and make a work-plan at the outset of the semester to avoid problems. Requests for extensions based on personal illness or family crisis will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If those requests are made shortly before an assignment is due, the instructor may request to see a copy of drafts completed up to that point. Late papers will be assigned a 5 point penalty per day, up to a total of 20 points.

Required Reading:

Some of the required reading will be made available on electronic reserve through the library website. The following books are required as well:

Powell and Steinberg, eds., The Non-Profit Sector: A Research Handbook 2nd ed, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006.

Additional reading will be placed on the classroom electronic blackboard.

Key News Sources:

You are also required to keep abreast of current news on philanthropy and the non-profit sector.  All students are required to follow news in the New York Times, either via special student subscription (you can subscribe at the College Bookstore) or via the internet.  There is also a rapidly growing set of publications, newsletters, and websites devoted to the non-profit sector.  We will rely especially on a daily electronic version of The Chronicle of Philanthropy: http://philanthropy.com/. This is a standard source of news on non-profits and philanthropy. The library subscribes to the Chronicle, which issues a daily electronic news bulletin. I will forward the email bulletin to you each day; it has summaries of stories you can access in full with a password I will provide you with (you may not share this password outside the college).

COURSE SCHEDULE

Part I: Introduction: The History and Context of Philanthropy, Volunteerism, and the Non-Profit Sector

Tuesday, Jan. 12:  Introduction

• Introduction to the Course
• Introduction to Philanthropy and the Non Profit Sector

Read:

1. Powell and Steinberg, ch 1 (pp. 1-4); ch. 3.

1:00-2:15 pm Lab – Guest Speaker, Ms. Doris Buffett, founder of the Sunshine Lady Foundation. This talk will be held in the Baxter-Davidson Room, Chambers Bldg.

Thursday, Jan. 14:  Overview

• Mapping the NPS – Changing Relations with the Private and Public Sectors
• Data on Giving, Volunteering, and Activities of the Non-Profit Sector

Read:

1. P&S, ch. 5, 7, 23
2. 2. Independent Sector’s national survey on “Giving and Volunteering” (“Key Findings” from latest survey in 2001) — access at  http://www.independentsector.org/, select Giving and Volunteering, select Key Findings (4 page summary)

Tuesday, Jan 19: Why Serve? Why Give?

• Exploring the Mixed Motives of Volunteerism and Financial Donations
• Debates over Mandatory Community Service

Read:

1. P&S, ch 24; and pp. 170-176.
2. Eisner, “No Paint, No Paintbrushes” in Dionne, ed., Community Works pp. 75-80 (Blackboard).
3. 3. Gholson, “Charity Display?” New York Times (Jan 2 2005). (Blackboard)
4. 4. Powell, “Better Society? Or Better Résumé? New York Times (Blackboard)
5. 5. Parr, “Mandatory Community Service.” (Blackboard)
6. 6. “Community Service: Opportunity or Exploitation?” (Blackboard)
7. 7. Strauss, “Too Many Innocents Abroad” New York Times (Jan 9 2008) (Blackboard)

Thursday Jan. 21: Understanding Altruism: Scientific Research and Debates

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. Dingfelder, “Altruism: An Act of Nature?”
2. West et al, “Altruism”
3. Wade, “Is ‘Do Unto Others’ Written Into Our Genes?” NYT (Sept 18 2007)
4. Winerman, ‘Helping Others, Helping Ourselves”
5. “The Altruist’s Paradox” (and samples from discussion board) (NYT 2006)
6. Zimmer, “Chimps Display a Hallmark of Human Behavior: Cooperation” (NYT 2006)
7. Pinker, “The Moral Instinct” NYT (Jan 13 2008)

Tuesday, Jan. 26: Understanding Altruism, Cont’d – Social Science Research

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. James Scott,  The Moral Economy of the Peasant (excerpts)
2. Lee Cronk, “Strings Attached”
3. Francie Ostrower, Why the Wealthy Give: The Culture of Elite Philanthropy (1995) (excerpts)

Thursday Jan. 28: Guest lecture, Sarah Phillips (’01), “Challenges of Grant-Giving: Lessons from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation”

Tuesday Feb. 2: History of Charity

• Religious Traditions of Giving and Social Justice
• Historical Debates on Effective Charity
• The Rise of Modern Charities and Philanthropy

Read:

1. P&S ch. 1; ch 2 (pp. 32-48); ch 15 (355-64)
2. Isadore Epstein, Judaism (excerpts) (Blackboard).
3. Bremmer, Giving: Charity and Philanthropy in History (1996) (excerpts) (Blackboard).
4. 4. “This Land is Home to Me: A Pastoral Letter on Powerlessness in Appalachia by the Catholic Bishops of the Region” excerpts (1975) (Blackboard).
5. “Was Jesus Rich?” (Blackboard)
6. Andrew Carnegie, The Gospel of Wealth (1889) (Blackboard).

Thursday, Feb. 4:  Non-Profits and Public Policy since the mid-20th Century

• Rise of the Welfare State
• The Public Policy Context in the US into the 1980s
• Debates over the “Deserving” and “Undeserving” Poor
• Moral Hazard and the Debate Over Public and Private Outreach: “Is it Fair? Is it Effective?”

Read:

1. P&Sch ch 2 pp. 48-58; ch 10
2. Charles Murray, Losing Ground excerpts (Blackboard);
3. Philip Brickman, et al, “The Dilemmas of Helping,” in New Directions in Helping Vol I  (1983), pp. 17-44 (Blackboard)

Tuesday, Feb. 9: The Public Policy Context in the US since 1992: Welfare Reform and its Implications for the Non-Profit Sector.

• The Economic Context in the US: Globalization, the Post-Industrial Economy, and Rising Income Inequality.
• The Impact of 9/11.

Read:

1. Salamon, America’s Nonprofit Sector, excerpts (Blackboard).
2. Aspin Institute, “Snapshots; Impact of Welfare reform on Non-Profits” (2001) (Blackboard)
3. Paul Light, Pathways to Nonprofit Excellence, ch. 1.(Blackboard)
4. Wagner, What’s Love Got to do With It? Excerpts (Blackboard)

Thursday, Feb. 11  Legal and Tax Status of the NPS, Foundations, and Charitable Giving

• Legal Framework
• Tax status
• Tax breaks for donations

Read:

1. P&S, ch 11, 12
2. Strom, “Big Gifts, Tax breaks, and a Debate on Charity” NTY 2007 (Blackboard)
3. Reich, “Failure of Philanthropy” (Blackboard)

PART II: Trends and Transformation in Philanthropy and the Non-Profit Sector

Tuesday, Feb. 16: Transformation of Relations with the State?

• Sub-Contracting of Social Service Delivery to Non-profits
• The Issue of Autonomy

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. P&S ch 10 (again)
2. “Changing Roles, Changing  Relationships: The New Challenge for Business, Non-Profit Organizations, and Government.”(2000);
3. Chikoto, “”Government Funding and INGO Funding” (July 2007)
4. Aspen Institute, “Snapshots: “NonProfits as Contractors to Local Governments” (2007)

Thursday, Feb. 18:  Review #1 – in class, with take-home component. Take home due as electronic attachment by 11:30am Feb 23.

Tuesday Feb. 23: Church and State

• The Bush Administration’s Faith Based Initiative and its Impact on the Non-Profit Sector
• General Trends in the Non-Profit Status of Faith Groups
• Advocacy, Values, and Non-Profit Status of Faith Groups

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. Stephen Monsma, “Working Faith; How Religious Organizations Provide Welfare-to-Work Services (2002);
2. DiLulio, “The Three Faith Factors,” The Public Interest (Fall 2002);
3. David Kuo, “Why a Christian in the White House felt Betrayed” Time (Oct 2006);
4. “Faith Based-Initiative” news articles;
5. Cranish, “Religious Right Wields Clout” Boston Globe (2006)

Thursday Feb. 25: “Venture Philanthropy” and the New Philanthropists

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. “The New Philanthropists” Time
2. The Economist, ‘The Business of Giving” (2006)
3. Morino Institute, “Venture Philanthropy: The Changing Landscape” (2001)

Feb 27-March 7 Spring Break

Tuesday March 9: The Changing Role and Nature of Foundations.

Read:

1. P&S ch. 15
2. Karl and Karl, “Foundations and the Government” (Blackboard)
3. Aspin Institute, “Snapshot: Addressing the Foundation Payout Debate” (2006) (Blackboard)
4. “On the Brink of New Promise: The Future of US Community Foundation” (2005) (Blackboard)

Thursday, March 11:  Governance

• Trends in Project Monitoring and Evaluation
• The Role of Boards/Accountability
• Making Non-Profits and Foundations Learning Organizations

Read:

1. P&S ch. 26
2. James Irvin Foundation, “Mid-Course Corrections to a Major Initiative” (Blackboard)
3. Brown and Fiester, “Hard Lessons about Philanthropy and Community Change from the Neighborhood Improvement initiative,” Summary only (March 2007) (Blackboard)
4. Panel on the Non-Profit Sector, “Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations” (March 2007) (Blackboard)
5. USAID, “Tips: Building a Results Framework” (Blackboard)

Tuesday, March 16: no class

Thursday, March 18: Double session

Session One: Fiscal Trends and Relations with the Market Economy: Marketing, Commercialization, Social Ventures, For-Profit Subsidiaries, and For-Profit Competition

Read:

1. P&S ch 8, 27
2. Bill Shore, The Cathedral Within excerpts (electronic reserve)

Session Two: Mission and Advocacy

Read:

1. P&S ch 13, 25
2. Schambra, “The Long-term Perils of Aggressive Advocacy” Chronicle of Philanthropy (December 10 2007)  (Blackboard)

Tuesday March 23: Guest lecture: Mr. Michael Marsicano, President, Foundation for the Carolinas, at 1:00pm. (no class session at 11:30)

Thursday March 25: Double session

Session One: Trends in Non-Profit Fundraising: From Art to Science

• The Impact of Technology on Giving
• Debates over Endowments
• The Science of Fund-raising

Read (all on Blackboard)

1. KIVA website: http://www.kiva.org/
2. “How Long Should Gifts Just Grow?” NYT
3. Fain, “Yale’s Endowment Spending Increase Earns Praise. . .” Chronicle of Higher Education (Jan 8 2008)
4. Bank of America and Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, “Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy: Portraits of Donors” (December 2007)
5. NYT, “Where Giving has Gone” (chart)
6. Strom, “What is Charity?” NTY (2007)

Session Two:  Issues and Trends in Non-Profit Management

Read (all on Blackboard)

1. Peter Drucker, excerpts
2. Indiana University Non-Profit Overhead Cost Project, “Getting What We Pay For” (2008)
3. Silverman, “What Business Execs Don’t Know – But Should – About Non-Profits” (2006)
4. Shapira, “Fulfillment Elusive for Young Altruists. .  .” Wash Post (November 2007)

Tuesday, March 30: Non-Profits and Civil Society

Read:

1. P&S ch. 9
2. Dionne, ed, Community Works: The Revival of Civil Society in America, excerpts (Blackboard)

Part III. International Dimensions of Philanthropy and the NPS

Thursday, April 1: Foreign Aid and Int’l NGOs

Read:

1. P&S ch 14

Tuesday, April 6: Easter Holiday

Thursday, April 8: Review #2, in class, with take home component

Tuesday, April 13: Global Philanthropy

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. Global Development 2.0, ch 1.
2. Hudson Institute, “Index of Global Philanthropy 2007” pp 1-26.
3. Bruck, “Millions for Millions,” The New Yorker

Thursday, April 15: The Rise of the Non-Profit Sector Abroad

Read:

1. P&S ch 4.
2. Bornstein, How to Change the World excerpts (Blackboard)

Part IV: Sectoral Cases, and the Future of Philanthropy and the NPS

Tuesday, April 20: Health Care; Social Care, Education

Read:

1. P&S, ch. 16, 17, 18

Thursday, April 22: The State of the Art in the Non-Profit Sector: Discussion of Best Practices

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. Bill Clinton, Giving (excerpts)
2. Crutchfield,  Forces for Good, (excerpts)
3. Light, Pathways to Non-Profit Excellence (excerpts)

Tuesday April 27: The Future of Philanthropy and the Non-Profit Sector

Read (all on Blackboard):

1. Salamon, America’s Non-profit Sector, ch 12
2. “Donors of the Future Scan 12 Key Trends. . .”
3. Folton and Blau, “Looking Out for the Future; An Orientation for 21st Century Philanthropists,” executive summary

Thursday April 29: Double session – Grant allocation meeting

At this meeting we will make a final decision about the awarding of the sunshine grant.

We will use both the class session and lab period.

May 4: Discussion of lessons learned from the grant-giving exercise

Grant paper due (send electronically)

May 6: Reading day

News Journal due (send electronically)

May 7-12 exam week (May 7-10 for seniors)

Appendix A: Guidelines for written assignments

1. Sunshine Lady Foundation Grant Paper (due May 4 – send as attachment).

Write a “lessons learned” assessment on the process of allocating the Sunshine grant. You may place emphasis on whatever you deem to be most important, but your paper should address lessons on at least some of the following:

• procedural and administrative issues
• challenges of assessment of grant reviews
• the values, principles, and ethical issues at play in the process
• personal and group dynamics of decision-making
• insights into the work of grant-giving foundations
• insights into the work of grant applications by non-profits

The paper should be about 10 double-spaced pages. The grade for the paper will be determined by the following criteria:

• quality of analysis: do not just describe, but thoughtfully assess what happened
• persuasiveness: compelling, clear theses and positions backed up with specific examples from the process
• clarity and appropriateness of “lessons learned:” the paper should be written in a way such that an individual from outside the class and with no experience in grant-giving would find the piece illuminating and educational.
• quality of writing. This always matters!

Stylistically, the paper need not and should not read like a conventional college term paper. Give it the structure and tone of a policy paper.  You may make reference to ideas and quotes from our readings if appropriate, though that is not expected. If you do, footnote and use standard, complete endnote citations, including page numbers.

Honor Code considerations: The paper is unusual in that it requires you all to write on a common experience, about which you will no doubt be talking together.  You may discuss with classmates the general experience and your general observations about the process. You may not share specific plans and outlines for your papers.  General brainstorming together is not only acceptable, but the whole point of the exercise; still, make sure the paper you write is your own.

2. News journal (due as electronic attachment May 6)

You are asked to keep a weekly journal – typed, on the PC – in which you capture thoughts and observations on the non-profit sector and/or philanthropy based on news items you will monitor throughout the semester. I will forward to the class a daily news summary from the Chronicle of Philanthropy which will serve as the basis for our news coverage, though the New York Times and other sources should be followed as well. Your journal should identify the specific story or stories that caught your attention, provide a brief summary of the news itself, and then open up to your reactions and observations. This will be an especially useful exercise if you use the journal to capture “aha” moments (a news piece gives you a new insight on the sector); link news items to classroom material; and most importantly allow yourself to express your own ideas and concerns about the non-profit sector.  Length of entries can vary, but should be roughly one single-spaced page per week.  You may not wait until late in the semester to begin this exercise – it is meant as a weekly assignment (though I will only read and grade it at the end of the semester).

Appendix B

Lab sessions (1:00-2:15) schedule

Planning document/Timetable for SLF grant work (provisional)

There are core tasks for the SLF grant which need to be frontloaded in sequential order, and there are deadlines at the end of the semester from which we need to work backward on a schedule of action items. What follows is a first cut at planning and scheduling those action items. This will certainly change over the course of the semester.

T Jan.12: Guest Speaker, Ms. Doris Buffett

Th Jan. 14 Lab: First Planning Session on the Sunshine Grant Project

In this first planning session we will discuss core issues related to the Sunshine Grant.   The agenda of the meeting will include:

• Identification of essential tasks to be completed in order to advertise the grant and solicit grants from non-profits in the defined area of eligibility.
• Establishment of committees
• Agreement on deadlines and time-frames for the grant solicitation and award
• Preliminary discussion of the main priorities and principles guiding the process
• Agreement on general decision-making procedures
• Review of past class experiences with the grant from Dr. Menkhaus

T Jan. 19: Plenary Exercise: class evaluation of sample applications from 2007, 2008, discussion

Th  Jan. 21:  Committee meetings – discussion of eligibility and criteria

T Jan. 26:  Committee meetings – finalize eligibility and criteria discussions

Th Jan. 28: Plenary – discussion and votes on options for eligibility and criteria

T Feb. 2: Plenary – discussion on wording of advertisement and application; appointed committee then takes these decisions and finalizes application form and advertisement letter

Ideally, grant is advertised and application forms distributed sometime in early February

Th, Feb. 4: final read through and edits of application form and advertisement

Web site established

Advertisement of grant

Minimum 5 weeks time between advertisement and deadline for applications

Between Feb 4 and mid-March, action items:

• criteria operationalized in scoresheet

• rules, guidelines, principles discussed

• conflict of interest rule delineated

• decision-making/voting procedures discussed, agreed upon

We will schedule labs as needed, use some sessions for guest speakers

Feb. 27-March 7 Spring Break

Thursday, March 18: Committee must have scoresheets, guidelines, rules finalized

Deadline for Grant applications (on or about this date)

Friday, March 19: Distribute packets for review to each class member.

From March 20 to April 8, students review and grade each application.

Tuesday, April 6: Easter Holiday

Thursday, April 8: Individual grading completed. Committee meetings to discuss each project in turn. Revision of grades by students as desired.

Tuesday, April 13: Committee meetings to discuss each project in turn. Revision of grades by students.

Thursday, April 15: Final committee meetings to discuss and create short-lists. Results forwarded to executive committee

Tuesday, April 20 Plenary – Common short list discussed

Th, April 22: Plenary — Common short list discussed, voted on by ballot to create a finalist list.

Tuesday, April 27: Double session – Grant allocation meeting

At this meeting we will make a final decision about the awarding of the sunshine grant.

We will use both the class session and lab period.

Contact all applicants. Cut checks.

Thursday, April 29: Discussion of lessons learned from the grant-giving exercise

Tuesday May 4: SLF grant after-action review paper due as electronic attachments.

Course Description:

For thousands of years philanthropy—the desire to help humanity through charitable gifts—has built universities, hospitals, and museums, preserved the arts, fed the hungry, housed the homeless, and most importantly made the world a better place. Philanthropy, students will discover, is not just reserved for the rich, but for anyone interested in serving humanity and making a difference.

This course will be a unique opportunity and experiment in “student philanthropy” because our class will invest a minimum of $12,000* (in real money!) in local nonprofit organizations. This opportunity for grant making is made possible by Students4GivingSM—an initiative of Campus Compact and Fidelity® Charitable Gift FundSM, Fresno Regional Foundation, and a Cohen grant from American Humanics, Inc. Students will make their grant(s) after investigating a need or issue in the community, researching nonprofit organizations that meet that need, and developing a request for proposals to fund specific project(s).

Students will, therefore, have hands-on experiences in philanthropy and community leadership by developing contacts with community organizations and assessing community needs. Learning how to request and evaluate funding proposals as well as how the nonprofit sector is governed, operated, and funded are important parts of the course.

Required Materials: (All texts available at University Bookstore, 2051 E Shaw, #101 at Cedar.)

• Clotfelter, Charles T. and Thomas Ehrlich, eds. 2001. Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
• Howard, Marshall. 2005. Let’s Have Lunch Together: How To Build Powerful Relationships for Nonprofit Organizations. A Learning Novel for Nonprofits, directed by Arthur Bauer. United States of America: Kings Road Press.
• An email account & online access (The University provides free email accounts to all students. Students may sign up for email online at http://email.csufresno.edu/.)
• Use of Blackboard Course Management System (http://blackboard.csufresno.edu)
• One mini-bluebook

Recommended Materials:

• Connor, Joseph A. and Stephanie Kadel-Taras. 2003. Community Visions, Community Solutions: Grantmaking for Comprehensive Impact. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

Course Objectives and Associated Student Learning Outcomes:

This course has been designed to provide you, the student, with the opportunity to:

1. understand and describe various theories, philosophies, and practices of philanthropy;
2. describe the purpose and structure of nonprofit boards and their relationships to a nonprofit organization;
3. explain the need for fostering positive board/volunteer/staff relationships and the importance of board recognition and evaluation.
4. learn about community dynamics and become able to identify and evaluate community needs through hands-on experience gathering information and doing research through in-class and out-of-class assignments and activities;
5. increase critical thinking abilities related to evaluating information;
6. understand how information gathering and research skills prepare students for meaningful careers and for “living in a community” and being of service to others.
7. build local and regional partnerships with philanthropic community;
8. understand some of the common fundraising methods utilized by nonprofit organizations (specifically those organizations considered tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code);
9. describe the fundraising process from prospect identification, research, and evaluation to stewardship.
10. draft a “request for proposals” (RFP) and solicit funding proposals from local nonprofit organizations;
11. assess fund requests from nonprofit organizations;
12. select and award funds to one or more nonprofit organization
13. enjoy a classroom environment that is interesting, supportive, structured, friendly, and cooperative.

Special Notes:

• The class is allotted $12,000 but may increase this amount by raising additional funds.
• Any additional funds students raise from donors are tax-deductible and must be submitted in the form of a check payable to the CSUF Foundation (American Humanics Program).
• Community organizations spend considerable time and effort to complete the Requests for Funding Proposal and interact with our students. Thus, the minimum investment is $1,000.
• Conflict of Interest: Faculty and students must disclose any significant relationships they have with any nonprofit organizations (e.g., board member or intern) in the event they submit one or more of those organizations to be considered for an award.
• “Monitoring outcomes”: Interested students are encouraged to enroll in SOC 150T Grant Writing and Evaluation in the fall semester to complete this phase of the project in which we will assess the impact of the funds distributed during the spring semester.

Course Requirements:

A. Participation (40 points). VERY IMPORTANT! Because this is an upper division seminar (not lecture), your grade will be largely dependent upon your participation. You are to be in class, on time and present for the entire period (4 tardies/early exits count as one absence), prepared (that means you’ve done the reading BEFORE you come to class), and ready to contribute. An exciting and lively classroom depends upon your keeping up with the readings, coming in with questions you had about the readings, asking questions about material we are discussing in class, and sharing your own experiences as they are relevant to our discussions. Together, we need to promote an atmosphere conducive to learning and understanding. This includes maintaining respect for the ideas and experiences of everyone. In addition, specific tasks regarding the preparation of the RFP and the scoring and assessment of the grant proposals require your participation and input in the timeframe requested.

B. Reading Checks (50 points). To help ensure your preparation for each class session and participation in discussions on the assigned readings, there will be random reading checks on Blackboard worth ten points each (only your top 5 scores will count). Each will consist of usually five “multiple-choice,” “true-false,” and/or “fill-in-the-blank” questions on the assigned readings for the week. The scoring is as follows: 5 correct = 10 points; 4 correct = 9 points; 3 correct = 7 points; 2 correct = 6 points; 0 or 1 correct = 0 points. You must complete the reading check prior to class on the day specified on Blackboard otherwise you will receive zero points. Each question will appear one at a time on the screen, and you may NOT go back after you have submitted your answer for a particular question. You have 15-20 minutes to complete the reading check, and you MUST complete the reading check the first time you log on (no exceptions).

C. Attendance. While attendance is taken into consideration for your PARTICIPATION grade, PLEASE NOTE roughly 2% (i.e., 10 points) will be deducted from your TOTAL COURSE grade for every absence after your first one. Five or six absences, then, will drop you approximately one course grade. Non-attendance of the Final counts as two absences. If absent, it is your responsibility to get notes from another student and ask if any announcements or handouts were missed.

D. “Free Writing” (15 points). Occasionally, IN CLASS, we will take 1-5 minutes to do some free writing on a particular issue being discussed or read about. Bring your free write journal to each class session for this writing. This assignment will not be graded on content or form but rather on the basis of whether or not you did the assignment and exhibited a fair degree of critical thought.

E. Reflection Essays (125 points). Each student will prepare 5 reflection essays (see instructions below). Essays are to be one page*, double-spaced. See course schedule for due dates. Please submit a copy via Blackboard and a hard copy in class.

1. Are you currently involved with organizations on or off campus that promote community service and civic involvement?
If yes, please provide the following information:

• Name and a description of the organization(s) and the nature of your involvement
• The amount of time you devote to these activities
• How you became involved with the organization
• The specific roles or tasks you have taken on

If no, explain why you have chosen not to participate in such organizations.

2. Excluding your current activities, give a history of your involvement with organizations in your community, beginning with your earliest memories. Be sure to include:

• Brief description of the activities
• Amount of time devoted to the activities
• Specific role or tasks performed

3. Think about your family and closest friends. Describe their community service activities and histories. Has their activity or lack of activity influenced the way you think about community service and civic engagement? Explain.

4. Have you or someone in your immediate family ever received any kind of assistance from an individual, a government agency, or any other community organization? If yes, explain. If no, describe the circumstances that enabled you not to require assistance.

5. Describe and comment on your role(s) in our Philanthropy Project (See Module A). In answering this question, be sure to:

• Identify the nonprofits you submitted to/reviewed for the board and/or the class. Explain how you learned about them, which nonprofits you felt most strongly about, and why you found these nonprofits especially compelling.
• Describe and comment on any interactions you have had with people from the nonprofit organizations and/or the larger community this semester as a result of this class.

F. Board Development Module (75 points) (See Module B for details.)

G. Fund Development Module (60 points) (See Module C for details.)

H. Site Visit Reflection Essay and Structured Field Notes / Transcription (50 points). Each student will prepare a one-page written assessment of the agency site visit, describing the visit and your impressions relevant to inviting the agency to apply for funds. Make note of the agency’s mission statement, overall budget, and potential impact if awarded the grant. Essays are to be one page*, double-spaced (250 words minimum). Please submit a copy via Blackboard and a hard copy in class.
Transcription (15 points): You will transcribe the interview from your site visit via a transcription device (available through the Sociology office), and submit that via Blackboard.

I. Celebration Paper (30 points). This two-page* paper (500 words minimum) is a reflection and celebration of what you have learned during this semester and is due on the day of the Final. Pick some of the more interesting, important and helpful things you learned and reflect on the following questions: What have you learned about yourself, the nonprofit sector, your community, or others since becoming involved in this course? Did your participation in the grant making experience enhance your understanding of the course material? What suggestions, if any, do you have for improving the philanthropic component of this course? What impact did this philanthropic experience have on your understanding of course concepts, on your thinking, or your behavior? Explain. Have your interactions with others or your community been altered? What was the most important, meaningful, or helpful part of this class? What aspects of the course meant the most or stretched your mind the most? Explain why these phenomena are interesting, important, or helpful to you. Is there something you think that you will take with you and have in your life a year from now? Five or more years from now? How will this impact your life or your future philanthropic and civic engagement activities? Will your relationships with others or with the community and larger society be different? Has the way you feel about yourself now changed from how you felt before this class? If so, how? What do you wish for yourself, for your fellow classmates, for your society, for the world in which you live? These personal reflections are an important part of who you are.

J. Final (30 points). The final day will involve a press conference and presentation of the funding awards. Your score on the Final will be based on your involvement in the planning and execution of this special event.

Topics and Readings Syllabus*

Week 1 1/15 Foundations of Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector; Introductions to each other, & this course
Facilitated by Dr. Jackie Ryle

• Preface & Introduction in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector
• Readings on Board Development on Blackboard

Week 2 1/22 Trust, Service, & the Common Purpose Reflection Essay #1 due
Staff & Board Member Roles in Fundraising
Facilitated by Dr. Jackie Ryle
Guest Presentation: Gary Schulz

• Appendix in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector
• Readings on Board Development on Blackboard

Week 3 1/29 Reflections on the Foundations of Nonprofits & Reflection Essay #2 due
Board Development
Facilitated by Dr. Jackie Ryle

• Ch. 1 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector

Week 4 2/5 Field Research & the Nonprofit Sector in the 1990s Board Case Study due
The Evolving Role of American Foundations & DRAFT RFP in class
Grant Management
Guest Presentations: Drs. Helsel, Kubal, & Griffin

• Ch. 2 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector
• Readings re: field research on Blackboard

Week 5 2/12 Case Statements & Development Plans Draft RFP materials due

• Readings available on Blackboard

Week 6 2/19 Powerful Relationship Building Reflection Essay #3 due

• Read Let’s Have Lunch Together (Marshall Howard)

Week 7 2/26 Individual Donors, Donor Identification & Reflection Essay #4 due
Maintenance Begin planning for Awards Event

• Readings available on Blackboard

Week 8 3/4 The Economy & Corporate Philanthropy
Guest Presentation: Joe Martinez

• Ch. 4 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector
• Ch. 5 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector

Week 9 3/11 Special Events & Donor Recognition Stakeholder Spreadsheet due
Guest Presentation: Ashley Howard

• Readings available on Blackboard

3/17-21 SPRING BREAK Review & Score Proposals on Blackboard

Week 10 3/25 Capital Campaigns & Planned Giving Discuss & Select Finalists

• Readings available on Blackboard

Week 11 4/1 Reinventing Philanthropy RFP Finalists

• Ch. 6 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector Oral Presentations

Week 12 4/8 Communities, Networks, & the Future of Philanthropy

• Ch. 11 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector

Week 13 4/15 Philanthropy & Outcomes: Submit grant
Dilemmas in the Quest for Accountability recommendations to

• Ch. 21 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund

Week 14 4/22 Donor Panel Stakeholder Mtg. Reflection Essay due

• Interactive Q & A
• Ch. 2 in Community Visions, Community Solutions

Week 15 4/29 The World We Must Build Reflection Essay #5 due

• Ch. 24 in Philanthropy & the Nonprofit Sector Notify Grant Awardees

Week 16 5/6 Final Event Planning and Course Wrap-up Board Meeting Reflection Essay due

FINAL Tuesday, 5/13 Award Presentations Celebration Paper due
5:45 – 7:45 pm online by end of Finals

*Syllabus is tentative & subject to change.

Module A: Philanthropy Project*

The following steps serve as guidelines for this portion of the course:

1. Students will be assigned or self-select into two or three workgroups, called Student Community Boards.
2. Faculty and American Humanics Program staff will designate one of the community needs to investigate and students will identify an additional need or two. For this semester, one of the community needs will be “health/healthcare/community health.”
3. Faculty and students will compile a list of appropriate nonprofit organizations in a position to address the identified community needs.
4. Once a list of potential nonprofits is compiled, the class narrows the list down to between four and eight 501(c)(3) organizations for each issue.
5. Students will arrange a meeting with the executive director or board president/chair and conduct a group site visit with each of prospective agencies that have nominated for an invitation to apply for funds.
6. Students determine which organizations (between four and six for each issue) will be invited to submit a proposal in response to our Request for Funding Proposal (RFP).
7. Faculty and/or students determine the RFP and evaluation criteria to be used and send it to selected nonprofit agencies with a cover letter and deadline information.
8. Upon review of the applications, the class invites the nonprofit finalists (two or three for each issue) to speak to the class about their proposal and funding needs.
9. Student Community Boards evaluate the proposals and make decisions about funding awards.
10. An awards event will be planned to present the funding awards to the selected nonprofit organizations.

*Adapted from the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project through the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement at Northern Kentucky University (http://civicengagement.nku.edu/civic-engagement/mspp-home.php).

Module B: Board Development
The first three sessions of class will focus on the mission and structure of nonprofit organizations and boards of directors and be facilitated by Dr. Jackie Ryle.

Outline
(Subject to change):

DAY 1 (3 hours):
I. Introductions (name and major; experience in volunteering and experience with nonprofit sector; plans for using this course/program)
II. Brainstorming session
Share innovative ideas for more effective board structures, organization, & participation
III. Foundation of the Course (evolution of nonprofits)
IV. Process
Form small groups of 5 to 6
Reflect on information in handouts/experiences
Meet in small groups, alternating with full group discussions, to fulfill the following:
Small Group Session One – 30-60 minutes

1. Each group will develop a case study nonprofit agency
2. Group members assume roles: Board members, Executive Director, volunteer, founder
3. Define the purpose of the agency – give it a name – write it out

DAY 2 (3 hours):
Full group report out – discussion
Small Group Session Two – 45 minutes

4. Define the purpose of the agency – give it a name – write it out
5. Develop a mission statement – write it out
6. Deliberate on and explain the purpose and structure of your nonprofit board and its relationship to the agency – include the use of/need for standing and ad hoc committees – identify for your agency – write it out
Full group report out – discussion
Small Group Session Three – 45 minutes
7. Determine strategies for determining staff support needs for your Board and committees (write it out)
8. Develop techniques for recruitment and retention of volunteers to serve the agency – and on committees (write it out)

Full group report out – discussion
Small Group Session Four – 75 minutes

9. Develop strategies for recruiting and retaining members of the Board of Directors (write it out)
10. Determine and list elements of staff/Board roles and responsibilities – relate to your agency (write it out)
11. Discuss the importance of Board recognition and evaluation; develop a recognition and evaluation process for your Board (write it out)
12. Discuss and list legal and ethical issues which could arise with your Board of Directors – (write it out)

DAY 3 (3 hours):
Full group report out – discussion

V. Reflection of learning and application
ASSIGNMENTS (75 points):

1. Individually, prepare a written outline of your case study, including the issues decided by your group and a brief reflection on the process and outcomes of these exercises. Papers should be between five and ten pages, typed and double spaced, with a cover sheet. Submit via Blackboard ONLY on or before the fourth week of class (50 points).
2. Students will attend ONE board meeting of a local nonprofit organization (options to be made available) between now and the end of the semester and submit a 250-300 word “debriefing” or “assessment” of the board meeting in relation to what was learned in class (25 points; due the 16th week of class).

Module C: Fund Development

A. APPLIED FUND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (60 points):
Stakeholder Identification. Determine what project/organization for which you are raising money. Profile four characteristics of your ideal stakeholder (“Don’t chase money; identify and chase strong relationships”). Generate a targeted list of 5-10 potential prospects for funding of a specific request and organize prospective stakeholders on a spreadsheet that includes name, title, company/organization, contact information, how you or the referrer knows the prospect, and a column for stakeholder evaluation.

Stakeholder Evaluation and Prioritizing. Once you have generated a list of stakeholders, you must evaluate and prioritize that listing based on accessibility, influence, financial potential, strength of relationship to you or the referrer, and match to the specific project/organizational mission. Your spreadsheet of stakeholders is to be submitted via Blackboard by the 9th week of class (25 points).

Securing Introductions. If you are relying on someone you know referring you to another person, you need to secure an introduction from the relationship holder to at least one of your prospects. Provide the referrer talking points and provide step by step coaching (See Marshall Howard’s book).

First Contact and Setting the Appointment. Make contact with at least one prospective stakeholder. Inform the individual of your enrollment in an American Humanics’ course that requires learning about the individual’s involvement with community-based nonprofit organizations, his/her positive and negative experiences with nonprofit organizations, etc. Develop an initial picture about the person, ask one or two open-ended questions, and set the appointment for a one to one meeting.

One to One Meeting. Conduct a relationship-building meeting with at least one stakeholder. Ask questions and share personal information, such as what you are studying at the University, what you see yourself doing after graduation, and, if you are in the AH Program, why you are in the AH Program and what some of your experiences have been in the AH Program thus far. This is NOT an interview assignment. It is a two-way communication and relationship-building interaction. The dialogue should involve a give and take about each other’s backgrounds and involvements with community-based nonprofit organizations among other things.

Deliver a “Touch” or “Win” to the Stakeholder. If possible, follow up your one to one meeting with a “touch” or a “win” for the stakeholder (examples to be provided in class).

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT: Prepare a ONE-PAGE ESSAY in which you describe your communication with the individual stakeholder, evaluate the likelihood of the individual accepting an invitation to invest in the project/organization you originally had in mind, and personally reflect on your experience during this project. If an “ask” is made before the end of the semester, report the outcome. (Due the 14th week of class; 35 points).

Course Description:

Surveys the role of the nonprofit and voluntary organizations in American society including the history, theory and challenges of the third sector. Includes a service learning project where students serve as philanthropists to their local community through the Students4Giving Project. Prerequisites: WR 115, RD 115 and MTH 20 or equivalent placement test scores. Recommended: BA 101.

Please note: This course qualifies as a business elective at PCC and PSU and as a PCC social science general education elective.

Course Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will:

1. Apply their knowledge of the nonprofit sector and its interrelationships with government and business to frame their perspectives on social issues
2. Appropriately respond to basic legal, governing and ethical issues faced by nonprofit organizations
3. Critically evaluate factors impacting the efficiency and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations around them
4. Appreciate the diversity of social issues served by the nonprofit community
5. Participate in civil society using various tools including philanthropy, volunteer service or nonprofit employment
6. Appropriately respond to issues and potential conflicts involving international work performed by American nonprofits.

Course Website on Blackboard:

We will be using the course website on Blackboard extensively during the term to submit homework, share information, and download reading material and documents. You should be in the habit of checking your email and the discussion board several times a week in this course. Please go to this website and locate the syllabus. Also, post your introduction on the discussion board as a response to my introduction. This is your first assignment and is worth 5 points!

Attendance and Participation:

This course is not recommended for students who expect to miss more than one or two class sessions. Because attendance is so critical for participation in the group decisions made in this course, each of the 20 class sessions is worth 3 points, for a total of 60 points for the term. You can be forgiven for only two missed class sessions. Most importantly, you can only miss 4 classes and pass the course. You should be an active learner in the course and are expected to participate fully in class discussions. This course will involve the discussion of contentious and sometimes emotional topics and it will be important for us to maintain our critical thinking skills. We will cover some basics rules for maintaining a respectful and productive learning environment. Degrading comments towards anyone in the classroom or any group of people will not be tolerated under any circumstances. You will probably find that it is usually better to consider ideas than to state conclusions!

Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know of, or who need special arrangements in the event of evacuation, should contact the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of the term.

Homework Assignments:

All homework will be submitted online in Blackboard. Readings and homework assignment are shown on the attached Course Schedule. You are encouraged to discuss all assignments with your classmates, but the actual preparation of individual homework assignments must be done by each student. Because the entire class will be relying on your input for the Students4Giving project it is critical that all homework assignments be completed on a timely basis. Late homework will only be worth half credit and must be completed within one week of the original due date.

Term Paper:

A term paper will be due at the end of the term covering the concepts learned in this class and including your reflections on the Students4Giving project. Guidelines for this paper will be discussed later in the term.

Midterm Examination:

There will be one open-note exam during the term as shown in the course schedule. This exam will cover homework assignments, reading material and concepts covered by the guest speakers. If you are going to miss an exam, you must contact the instructor before the exam to schedule an alternate date. Failure to do this will result in a score of zero for the missed exam.

Academic Integrity Policy:

Students of Portland Community College are expected to behave as responsible members of the college community and to be honest and ethical in their academic work. PCC strives to provide students with the knowledge, skills, judgment, and wisdom they need to function in society as educated adults. To falsify or fabricate the results of one’s research; to present the words, ideas, data, or work of another as one’s own; or to cheat on an examination corrupts the essential process of higher education.

Students4Giving Philanthropy Project:

In September 2007 Campus Compact and the Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund announced an alliance to educate and inspire a future generation of philanthropists in a new era of giving. Portland Community College was one of five academic institutions in the nation to receive $15,000 to create a donor advised fund to offer grants to non-profit organizations within their communities. This project has continued its funding through student fundraising efforts including online auctions and faculty textbook drives. As Students4Giving participants learn about the non-profit world from their regular course curriculum they identify a specific community need for that term’s Students4Giving project. They identify nonprofits serving this community need in the Portland Metro area and ask these nonprofits to submit a request for proposal (grant application). The students evaluate these grants using criteria learned in class, conduct site visits to the nonprofit organizations and select the grant recipients. Students4Giving emphasizes the importance of understanding social issues, the grant-making process, and the role played by philanthropists and nonprofit organizations in meeting the needs of our community. Please visit www.pcc.edu/students4giving for more information.

Course Grade:

Your grade in this course will be based on the material covered.

Complete Mandatory Pre-Survey in Blackboard (available through Introduction, Syllabus or Survey Module), 5

Introduction on Blackboard discussion board,  5

Selecting Community Needs Assignment (Blackboard assignment), 10

Finding Nonprofits Assignment (Blackboard assignment), 10

Accounting and Form 990 Assignment (Blackboard assignment), 10

Midterm, 20

Grant Reviews – Round 1 (Blackboard assignment), 15

Site Visit Narratives (posted to Blackboard discussion board), 15

Select Final Grant Recipient (Blackboard assignment), 15

Attendance

(20 class sessions & 2 absences forgiven with less than 5 to pass), 60

Term Paper (Blackboard assignment), 20

Complete Mandatory Post-Survey in Blackboard, 5

Awards Ceremony (required attendance & participation), 10

Total points 200

A = 90%

B = 80%

C = 70%

D = 60%

Assignments and due dates:

5/10

• Select site visits and start scheduling
• Read Site Visit materials
• Complete site visits & post narratives on discussion board
• Post by night of 5/19

5/12

• Site Visits
• Complete site visits & post narratives on discussion board
• Post by night of 5/19

5/17

• Site Visits
• Complete site visits & post narratives on discussion board
• Read Mercy Corps material
• Post by night of 5/19

5/19

• Discuss progress of site visits
• International Perspective
• Speaker: Nick MacDonald, MercyCorps
• Select Students4Giving grant recipients assignment
• (please note special due date) 5/23

5/24

• Start discussion of final selection Reread proposals based on class discussion 5 / 2 6

5/26

• Finish final selection
• Read Idealist: Ch’s 12-13 & Conclusion
• Due 6/2

5/31

• Memorial Day No classes

6/2

• Nonprofit Employment
• Speaker: Glenna Barrick-Harwood
• Complete mandatory post-survey and submit term papers in Blackboard and get ready for awards ceremony by 6/7

6/7

• Papers due on Blackboard
• Awards Ceremony (Required attendance & participation)
• Enjoy your summer!

Effective management and leadership in the nonprofit sector requires both an understanding of the basic principles of nonprofit organization and associated management challenges (covered in PAFF 551) and familiarity with current debates that are changing how they operate (PAFF 552).

The purpose of PAFF 552 is to introduce students to a range of challenges facing nonprofit organizations and to identify approaches that nonprofit practitioners and academics have proposed for addressing those challenges.

PAFF 552 is an “Issues” course, intended to introduce students to a range of topics. This year, as last year, I have organized the course to address the role philanthropy plays in the nonprofit sector. The course has a central service learning component, the distribution of grants to local nonprofit organizations, with funding from Campus Compact/Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, South Central New York Community Foundation and fundraising by students and alumni.

The course will involve close collaboration with the Social Work course, Advanced Social Work Practice with Communities, which also meets on Tuesday afternoons. The two classes will meet together periodically for discussions and presentations by outside speakers. One team assignment and organization site visits will involve members of both classes working together. In addition grantmaking decisions will be a shared process involving both classes.

Course Goals

1. To review the role of nonprofit organizations in the United States and the context within which they operate (theoretical explanations for nonprofit organizations, tax and legal setting, etc).
2. To introduce students to various forms of institutional philanthropy, how they operate and their strengths and limitations.
3. To review strategies and concerns related to grant making, including accountability, performance measurement, capacity building and relevant data analysis.
4. To introduce students to innovative approaches to nonprofit work, emphasizing marketization and social entrepreneurship.
5. To expose students to similarities and differences in the approach to nonprofit organizations in social work and public administration.

Course Knowledge & Skill Objectives

Upon successful completion of PAFF 552, students should be able to:

1. Discuss theories that explain the reason for a nonprofit sector and the implications of those theories for management;
2. Demonstrate critical thinking and writing skills;
3. Identify current and historic approaches to philanthropy, their strengths and weaknesses and their impact on nonprofit organizations.
4. Assess what information is useful in evaluating nonprofit organizations and requests for funding, with particular attention to accountability, capacity and data analysis.
5. Identify emerging debates in philanthropy and nonprofit management and relevant sources of information about them.
6. Identify and discuss differences in approaches to nonprofit organizations in social work and public administration.

I have organized the course content to cover this material in several blocks or units:

Week 1-2: Nonprofit Sector Role and Context and the Philanthropy Incubator
Weeks 2-6: Philanthropy, its Institutional Mechanisms, Strategy
Weeks 6-10: Management Issues in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations.
Weeks 11-14 Emerging Approaches to Philanthropy and Nonprofit Work

Course Timeline

The distribution of funds to local nonprofit organizations is central to this course. To complete the process of assessing organizations and making grants requires careful adherence to deadlines. I have summarized below key course milestones:

Timeline for Key Philanthropy Incubator Milestones

• Feb 9: Focus Area Selected
• Feb 23: Draft RFP
• March 2: Finalize and Distribute RFP
• March 23: RFP Due, Final Proposal Evaluation Rubric Developed
• April 6: Initial Review of Applications
• April 6-20 Site Visits
• April 20 Funding Decisions
• May 4 Awards Ceremony

Required Texts

I require two books for purchase. Other reading will be available through the BU library (e-journals), on electronic reserve, from websites (links provided) or handed out.

Texts for Purchase:

Fleishman, J. (2007). The Foundation, A Great American Secret: How Private Wealth is Changing the World (Paperback Ed.). New York: Public Affairs

Frumkin, P. (2006). Strategic Philanthropy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press:

Discussion expectations:

In pursuit of critical thinking, students are strongly encouraged to adhere to the following principles:

• Recognize the difference between reason and emotion, thinking and feeling;
• Build arguments with evidence, not feelings.
• Realize that reason and critical thought are necessary inside and outside of the classroom.

Given these principles, the goal for this class is to emphasize civil discourse, establish fact-based viewpoints, and engage in focused discussions, rather than win arguments or engage in verbal altercations.

Assignments

1) Class Participation (20 points)

Because students must work together in this class to accomplish a collective goal, class participation in this class is a more significant portion of your final grade than in other courses I teach. Participation is essential for creating an effective grants program.

Reading assigned material and participating in class discussion is central to success in this course. Readings are to be completed in preparation for class on the date listed. These are to be read by ALL students. The readings will serve as the starting point for lecture, discussion, the application of concepts, and the practice of essential skills. Readings and assignments have been selected to introduce students to issues in philanthropy that will make it possible for students to act as effective grantmakers. Students are expected to come to class having read the assigned readings and prepared to discuss those readings. Students may be called upon to lead discussions or explain sections of the readings without prior warning.

Class participation will be evaluated based on the contribution you make to class sessions and the work of the Philanthropy Incubator. I will assign participation grades at four points during the semester (after weeks 4, 8, 10 and at the end of the semester).

2) Team Work (30 points total—15 team, 15 individual)

Students will work in teams across classes. The teams will be responsible for the major elements of the Philanthropy Incubator project: choosing a focus, designing an RFP, establishing criteria for evaluating proposals, conducting and reporting on site visits and analyzing proposals. Team members will receive both individual and team grades. Each team member will be responsible for one component of the team project; however, the full team will have responsibility for providing input and feedback to that team as he/she develops that element.

At each point in the semester when one of the components is due and the class must make a decision about its grantmaking process, three teams will present their recommendations (I expect there will be six to seven total teams). Teams that do not present will be asked to respond to the team presentations, adding any ideas that are substantially different from those presented. Each team will be responsible for two formal presentations over the course of the semester.

At the end of the semester students will assess the contribution of their team members to the work of the group and determine the distribution of five points of the other team members’ grade.

Team work will involve the following components:

• Each member of the team will be responsible for making recommendations for one elements of the Philanthropy Incubator. (15 points):
  • Focus Area Recommendation. Develop a recommendation for the area on which the Philanthropy Incubator should focus. Use data about community needs to make your recommendation. (Due February 9th)
  • Request for Proposal. Design an RFP for the Philanthropy Incubator; provide a rationale to accompany it that explains your choices. (Due February 23rd)
  • Evaluation Tools. Develop a rubric for evaluating proposals. Provide a rationale to accompany that explains your choices. (Due March 23rd)
  • Site Visit Report. Provide an analytic report about what you learned on your visit(s) to grant applicants. (Due April 20).
• Analyses of Final Proposals. (10 points). Each group will be assigned a set of final proposals to review and analyze. (Due April 20th)
• Team Participation (5 points)

3. Course Reflection Papers (50 points)

Every week, students will be responsible for a one-to-two page, single-spaced reflection on the reading for the week. Questions for the reflection will be posted the week before. Reflection papers will be due at the beginning of each class session.

To generate a dialogue about course issues, I have set up a course blog. The address for the blog is: http://buphilanthropyincubator.blogspot.com. Students will be responsible for posting all or parts of their reflections on the course blog, This blog is private and only available to students in PAFF 552, SW525, CCPA faculty and administrators and selected stakeholders (such as project funders). I will enter your names as blog authors to allow you to post.

Students may post on the blog at ANY time; however, you must post to the blog at least three times during the semester. In addition, ALL students must comment on the blog at least once a week. I will provide you with a posting schedule at the second week of class. If you are scheduled to post on the blog, you must make your post by the Saturday before class to provide other students with the opportunity to respond to your post.

I intend the reflection papers to provide you with an opportunity to engage with the course reading material and reflect on how those concepts relate to the issues we discuss in class. Your primary sources for your reflection papers are course readings, discussions, presentations from outside speakers, and if appropriate other scholarly writing or current events related to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. I will evaluate reflection papers based on how well they address the reflection question, their engagement with the course reading, the use of evidence (based on experience, data or other reading) to support arguments and how well they demonstrate the ability to apply theoretical concepts to the practical work of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy.

Class Schedule, Reading and Assignments

Date Topic Reading P.I. Milestone or Class Assignment Possible Speaker

Jan 26 Nonprofit Sector Overview

Philanthropy Incubator Overview

Public Administration/ Social Work Values and Ethics Students4Giving Materials
Review Students4Giving Application, available under course materials on BlackBoard.

Review Fidelity charitable gift fund website: www.charitablegift.org

“The Nonprofit Sector in Brief.” Use hyperlink or available at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411664_facts_and_figures.pdf

Read: The Looking Glass World of Nonprofit Money: Managing in For-Profits Shadow Universe, Clara Miller, http://www.nonprofitfinancefund.org/docs/The%20Looking%20Glass%20World%20of%20Nonprofit%20Money.pdf

Fleishman, Chapter 2: The Third Great Force: America’s Civic Sector

Recommended (for students who have not had PAFF 551):

Salamon, Nonprofit Sector Overview (on e-reserve). List of Eligible Grantees

Feb 2 What is philanthropy?

Landscape of American Philanthropy

Selecting a Focus Area Frumkin, Introduction

Fleishman, Introduction and Preface

Video: The Grantmakers Role: http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageID=608

Shared Reading/Discussion: Scanning the Landscape: Finding Out What’s Going on. Available at: http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?pageId=627. (Free registration required.)

Feb 9 Role of Philanthropy

Selecting a Focus Area
Frumkin, Chapter 1

Fleishman, Chapters 1, 3
Focus Area Selected

Feb 16 Institutional Philanthropy

Foundations
United Way Complete foundation tutorial “Foundations today” available (with free registration) at the Foundation Center (www.foundationcenter.org):

After registration, access tutorial at: http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/tutorials/ft_tutorial/

Boris, E. (1998). Foundations. In J. Shafritz (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Public Policy and Administration (pp. 928-935). Boulder, CO: Westview.

Frumkin, Chapters 2-3

Ostrower, F. Limited Life Foundations: Motivations, Experiences and Strategies. Available at the Urban Institute website: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411836_limitedlifefoundations.pdf

Feb 23 Strategy and Effectiveness in Philanthropy
Fleishman, Chapters 4-6
Frumkin, Chapters 4-5

Center for Effective Philanthropy Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy, at http://strategy.effectivephilanthropy.org

Using Competitions & RFPs, available at: http://www.grantcraft.org/index.cfm?pageId=631 (registration required).

Draft RFP

March 2 Emerging Forms of Philanthropy and Approaches to Strategy

Donor Advised Funds, Giving Circles Frumkin, Chapters 6-8

Review “Giving Circles Network” website (www.givingcircles.org), particularly “About Us,” “Knowledge Center” and “Giving Circle Central.”

“Donors Turn to Giving Circles as Economy Drops,” available at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104151828

Review Fidelity charitable gift fund website: www.charitablegift.org

Kramer, M. (2009). Catalytic Philanthropy. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 7(4), 30-35
RFP Finalized and Distributed

March 9 Accountability
Fleishman, Chapter 9

BBB/Wise Giving Alliance Standards
Review the assessment for two to three nonprofit organizations. Select at least one that does not meet the standards

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits Standards of Excellence

Recommended:
Benjamin, L. (2008). How accountability requirements shape nonprofit practice. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 37(2), 201-223.

March 16 Organizational Data Analysis and Grant Making

Review Charity Navigator website. (www.charitynavigator.org) and article “Six Questions to ask Charities Before Donating,” available at: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=28

Charity Navigator: Methodology (all navigation bar elements) Available at: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=33

Tuckman, H. & Chang, C. (1991). A methodology for measuring the financial vulnerability of charitable nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 20, 445-460.

Greenlee, J. & Trussel, J. (2000). Predicting the financial vulnerability of charitable organizations. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 11(2), 199-210

Lammers, J. (2003). Know your ratios? Everyone ELSE does. Nonprofit Quarterly, 10 (1), 34-39.

“Five Questions for Tom Pollak” available at: http://www.urban.org/toolkit/fivequestions/TPollak.cfm

March 23 Performance Measurement and Effectiveness in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations
Frumkin, Chapter 10

Fleishman, Chapter 15

Herman, R. & Renz, D. (2008). Advancing nonprofit organizational effectiveness research and theory: Nine theses. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 18(4), 399-415.

Easterling, D. (2000). Using outcome evaluation to guide grant making: Theory, reality and possibilities. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29, 482-486.

Carson, E. (2000). On foundations and outcome evaluation. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 29, 479-481.

Campbell, D. “Provider Perceptions of Feedback Practices in Nonprofit Human Service Organizations.” (On Blackboard). Proposals Due

Criteria for Evaluation Presented and Discussed

March 30 No Class: Spring Break

April 6 Making Site Visits

Collaborative Decision Making “Developing a Site Visit Program,” available at https://www.cof.org/templates/311.cfm?itemNumber=16027

“Why We’re Sold on Site Visits,” available at: http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/Family_Foundations/Site%20Visit%20Companion/Why_We’re_Sold_on_Site_Visits.pdf

“The Truth About Site Visits,” MN Council on Foundations, available at: http://www.mcf.org/Mcf/forum/1999/sitevisit.htm

Site Visit Worksheet: available at: http://www.cof.org/files/Documents/WebNotebook/July2003/Grants/Sample_Site_Visit_Worksheet.pdf

Sample Site Visit Evaluation: http://www.cof.org/templates/311.cfm?ItemNumber=16518

Sample Site Visit Checklist:
Available at: http://www.cof.org/templates/311.cfm?ItemNumber=16517
Initial Evaluation of Proposals

Proposed sample site visit evaluation forms.

Site Visits Assigned

April 13 Social Enterprise and Innovation in the Nonprofit Sector Eikenberry, A. (2009). Refusing the Market: A Democratic Discourse for Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 38(4), 564-581.

Phills, J., Deiglmeier, K., & Miller, D. (2008). Rediscovering Social Innovation. Stanford Social Innovation Review, available at: http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/rediscovering_social_innovation

Review the Rockefeller Foundation’s Initiative: Advancing Innovation Processes to Solve Social Problems. Available at: http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/what-we-do/current-work/advancing-innovation-processes-solve

Select and listen to two Social Innovation Podcasts

“Scaling a Social Enterprise through Crowdsourcing” available at: http://sic.conversationsnetwork.org/series/socialEntrepreneurship.html

“Patient Capital and the Solution to Poverty” available at: http://sic.conversationsnetwork.org/series/philanthropy.html

April 20 Site Visit Reports and Analyses

Collaborative Decision Making Award Decisions Completed

April 27 Debates and Discourse in Philanthropy
White House Social Innovation Fund. Review draft “Notice of Funding Availability,” on reserve.

Philanthropy Blog Analysis. Select two of the blogs listed earlier in the syllabus and read through the posts from January 1 through this class day. Come prepared to discuss: a) What are the primary concerns of this blogger over the recent four months and how have readers responded; b) How does that content related to the issues we’ve discussed in this class; c) How do you evaluate the arguments made by the blogger and his/her respondents?

May 4 Dinner and Reflection Awards Ceremony

The serious philanthropist must think and work strategically —building a deep understanding of the specific social issues of interest and community context and dynamics, identifying the highest potential leverage points and relevant resources, building relationships with a range of stakeholders, negotiating the intersections between donor interests and community need, balancing innovation and experience, understanding legal issues, creating a robust investment strategy with clear goals and aligned actions, considering long-term exit strategies, designing and implementing impact evaluations, assessing potential partner organizations and plans, and monitoring and supporting grantee organizations.

This course will engage students in the conceptual frameworks and research regarding philanthropy, social change, and organizational dynamics; as well as concrete practice in designing and implementing a philanthropic strategy. Students will work in teams to investigate a particular community concern, design an investment strategy, recommend the investment of grant dollars, and set up the means to evaluate the outcomes of that investment.

Course Goals

• Engage in the sociological, social, cultural/moral, organizational, political, strategic, and other dynamics of social change and philanthropy.
• Build students’ understanding of how to engage with a local community, including cultural context and diversity, community-defined needs, relationships, and capacity.
• Deepen students’ understanding of a particular content area and its expression in the community (e.g., education, health care, poverty, etc.).
• Develop skills in designing, implementing, and articulating strategies and initiatives and measuring the impact of those strategies; and practice the basic tools and processes of philanthropy.
• Further students’ ability to synthesize theory and practice, and integrate academic knowledge and community experience.

Course Requirements/ Criteria for Success

• Class attendance, participation, and leadership
• Full engagement in and contribution to one of two issue teams
• Full participation in community visits as scheduled
• Integration of content from readings into class discussion and assignments
• Rigorous completion of assignments listed below

Assignments and grading

Your course grade will be determined through the following items, with relative weighting as shown.

Individual work

• Class presentation and participation (15%). At least once during the semester, you will be asked to open the class with a 10 min. analysis of the reading assignment and its relevance to the work of the class.
• Individual paper on impact of $10,000 in funding (10%).
• Final individual reflective essay (10%): three page paper showing evidence of learning from the course, taking one of the following forms:
  • Reflection on the assumptions you brought into the class—how did your thinking change as a result of the readings, discussion, and grant work?
  • Reflection back on the RFP that was developed—what worked, what you would do differently
  • Examine what you have learned about philanthropy from the standpoint of nonprofit community-based agencies. What new insights have you gained from the class? What pros and cons can you identify to seeking money from foundations?

Team work

• Best practices presentation (5%)
• Team paper (20%): synthesizing the research base on the social issue the team is investigating and its context in Providence—how is the issue being addressed and by whom, and what are the gaps in terms of programs, policies, etc. You might think of this as a briefing paper on the issue, which would frame the strategy your team will take (approx. 10 pages).
• • Team-based grant strategy (40%):
  • logic model—description of goals to be addressed, research base informing the strategy components, specific types of actions to be funded, intermediate outcomes, and long-term outcomes;
  • “request for proposals,” with structure and content modeled on best practices identified by the team;
  • list of organizations to be invited to apply, or plan to communicate funding opportunity;
  • evaluation plan to measure impact of grants to be made;
  • “board” presentations at mid-semester and end of semester;
  • “diarist” role reflecting on the work of your team.

Required Texts

• Fleishman, Joel L. The Foundation: A Great American Secret. New York: Public Affairs, 2007.
• Frumkin, Peter. Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.
• Healy, Kieran. Last Best Gifts: Altruism and the Market for Human Blood and Organs. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.
• King, Samantha. Pink Ribbons, Inc.: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2006
• Other readings as assigned.

Note: Specific class schedule may subject to change based on guest speaker availability.

Overview of philanthropy, strategy, and local context

Thurs., Sept. 10 – First class meeting

Lecture/discussion: Course overview and expectations; History and landscape of philanthropy

Tues., Sept. 15
Lecture/discussion: Philanthropic strategy development and logic models

Readings:
• The Foundation, chapters 1-6
• Strategic Giving, chapter 6 (Logic Models)
• Bernholz, Lucy. “Flying Over Philanthropy,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, January 8, 2008. http://www.ssireview.org/opinion/entry/802/ (LINK/OCRA)
• Foundation Center. “Foundation Giving Trends,” http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/nationaltrends.html (LINK/OCRA)

Assignment: Group best practices assignment: look at foundation guidelines, RFPs, principles, and compare across the range of philanthropic types – private, family, community, large corporate, government, social entrepreneur/”new philanthropy.” Each group will present their findings at the next meeting (5-7 mins. each).

Thurs., Sept. 17
Lecture/discussion: Discussion of foundation best practices

Readings:

• The Foundation, chapters 10-11
• Porter, Michael E. and Mark R. Kramer, “Philanthropy’s New Agenda: Creating Value,” Harvard Business Review, November-December 1999 (OCRA)
• Singer, Peter. “What Is a Human Life Worth,” New York Times Magazine, December 17, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/magazine/17charity.t.html (LINK/OCRA)

Tues., Sept. 22
Community visit: Making Connections Providence

Assignments — to be discussed:

• Team Research Paper, due October 1
• Individual Paper on ‘What can $10,000 do?’ due September 29

Thurs. Sept. 24
Lecture/discussion: Demographics, issues and dynamics in Providence

Readings:

• Mayor’s Poverty, Work, and Opportunity Task Force report (OCRA)
• Providence Plan website, www.provplan.org (LINK)
• RI Kids Count 2009 Factbook (OCRA)

Tues., Sept. 29
Individual Paper Due

Lecture/discussion: Nonprofit capacity building and impact

Readings:

• McKinsey & Company. Effective Capacity Building in Nonprofit Organizations. Reston, VA: Venture Philanthropy Partners, 2001 (familiarize yourself with their capacity framework and capacity assessment grid). http://www.vppartners.org/learning/reports/capacity/full_rpt.pdf (LINK/OCRA)
• “Organizational Development,” Chapter 3 in R.J. Chaskin, P. Brown, S. Venkatesh and A. Vidal (eds.), Building Community Capacity. Aldine de Gruyter, 2001, pp. 61-91 (GOOGLE BOOKS/OCRA)
• Huang, Judy, Phil Buchanan, and Ellie Buteau. In Search of Impact. Cambridge: Center for Effective Philanthropy, 2006 http://www.effectivephilanthropy.org/images/pdfs/CEP_In_Search_of_Impact.pdf (LINK/OCRA)

Assignment: Logic model/RFP, due October 6.

Thurs., Oct. 1
First Draft of Team Paper Due

Lecture/discussion: Measurement and Evaluation

Readings:

• Urban Institute Outcome Indicators Project, http://www.urban.org/center/cnp/Projects/outcomeindicators.cfm (LINK/OCRA)
• Kramer, Mark R. Measuring Innovation: Evaluation in the Field of Social Entrepreneurship. Boston: FSG, 2005, http://www.fsg-impact.org/app/content/ideas/item/353 (LINK/OCRA)
• Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. Random Assignment in Program Evaluation and Intervention Research: Questions and Answers. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, 2003. (OCRA)

Tues., Oct. 6
Lecture/Discussion: Class presentation of logic models and RFPs
Revise for Thursday class presentations.

Thurs., Oct. 8
Board Presentation of Logic Models and RFPs

Fri., Oct. 9
Grantmaking Note: RFPs issued – proposals due back to teams Nov. 6.

National context, trends, and approaches

Tues., Oct. 13
Discussion: National trends and highlights; media coverage and disclosure

Readings:

• Ten Questions for Philanthropy, SSIR Blog, http://www.ssireview.org/opinion/entry/ten_questions_for_philanthropy/ (LINK)
• Reich, Rob, “A Failure of Philanthropy,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2005 (OCRA)

Thurs., Oct. 15
Lecture/discussion: Philanthropic impact through policy

Readings:

• Greene, Jay P., Comments from American Enterprise Institute conference, “With the Best of Intentions: Lessons Learned in K-12 Education Philanthropy,” April 25, 2005. (TBD)
• Young, Dennis R. “Complementary, Supplementary, or Adversarial? Nonprofit-Government Relations.” Pp. 37-79 in E.T. Boris and C.E. Steuerle (eds.), Nonprofits & Government Collaboration & Conflict. The Urban Institute Press, 2006. (GOOGLE BOOKS/OCRA)

Tues., Oct. 20
Final version of Team Paper due

Community visit to Making Connections Providence

Thurs., Oct.22
Lecture/discussion: Philanthropy and Activism

Readings:

• •King, Samantha. Pink Ribbons, Inc.: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2006 (BOOK)

Tues., Oct. 27
Lecture/discussion: Community foundations: community voice, transparency, and impact

Readings:

• The Foundation, chapters 9 and 13
• The Panel on the Nonprofit Sector’s “Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations” – reference edition. http://www.nonprofitpanel.org/ (LINK/OCRA)
• Strom, Stephanie. “Charity’s Share From Shopping Raises Concern,” New York Times, December 13, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/us/13giving.html (LINK)
• Packel, Amanda & Rhode, Deborah. Ethics and Nonprofits. Stanford: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2009 (OCRA)

Thurs., Oct. 29
Lecture/discussion: Social construction of need

Readings:

• Healy, Kieran. Last Best Gifts: Altruism and the Market for Human Blood and Organs. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.

Tues., Nov. 3
Lecture/Discussion: Technology and the next generation of philanthropy

Reading:

• Packel, Amanda & Rhode, Deborah. Ethics and Nonprofits. Stanford: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2009 (OCRA)
• Haven, Cynthis. “Small Change, Big Payoff”. Stanford: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2007. http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/2007/novdec/features/kiva.html#topofpage (LINK/OCRA)
• Braiker, Brian. “Facebook-ing Philanthropy”, Newsweek, 2007. http://www.newsweek.com/id/62168 (LINK/OCRA)
• “Contribute’s Tech 10: Reshaping Altruism”, MSNBC 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22652656/ (LINK/OCRA)
• http://www.globalgiving.com/
• Flannery, H et al. “Online giving Trends 2008”. Target Analytics, 2008. (OCRA)
• Kramer, Mark. “Catalytic Philanthropy”. Stanford: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2009. (OCRA)
• Kramer, Mark and Sarah Cooch. “The Power of Strategic Mission Investing,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2007. (For full report including extensive data, see: Cooch, Sarah and Mark Kramer. Compounding Impact: Mission Investing by US Foundations. Boston: FSG Social Impact Advisors, 2007. http://www.fsg-impact.org/app/content/ideas/item/485) (OCRA)
• Sirull, Beth. “Private Equity, Public Good,” Stanford Social Investment Review, Fall 2007. (TBD)

Thurs., Nov. 5
Lecture/discussion: Perspectives on Philanthropy

Readings:

• Strategic Giving, chapters 5 and 8
• Bailey, Jeff. “Daddy Givebucks”. FastCompany, 2009. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/138/daddy-givebucks.html (LINK/OCRA)

Fri., Nov. 6
Grantmaking note: Organization proposals due back to teams

Tues., Nov. 10
Lecture/discussion: Class discussion of proposals

Teams prepare follow up questions for organizations.

Thurs., Nov. 12
Lecture/discussion: Social Entrepreneurship

Readings:

• Drayton, Bill. “15 minutes with Bill Drayton”. Stanford: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2004. (OCRA)
• Light, Paul. “Social Entrepreneurship Revisited”. Stanford: Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2009. (OCRA)
• http://www.ashoka.org
• http://www.echoinggreen.org/
• http://www.genv.net/

Tues., Nov. 17
Lecture/Discussion: Philanthropy, Policy and Government

Readings: TBD

Assignment: Final Individual Paper, due 12/10

Thurs., Nov. 19
Lecture/Discussion: Corporate Citizenship
Guests: Kathleen Finn, New England Program Manager, IBM Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs; Cheryl Kiser, Managing Director, Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship

• IBM corporate citizenship report, http://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/ibm_crr_downloads/pdf/2008_IBMCRR_FullReport.pdf
• GE Corporate Citizenship Report, http://www.ge.com/files_citizenship/pdf/reports/ge_2008_citizenship_report.pdf
• Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship site, http://www.bcccc.net
• Davis, Gerald F., Marina V.N. Whitman, and Mayer N. Zald. “The Responsibility Paradox,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Winter 2008. http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_responsibility_paradox/
• Foundation Center. “Key Facts on Corporate Foundations,” http://foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/pdf/keyfacts_corp_2007.pdf
• Epstein, Gene. “Charity Has Its Rewards for Generous Companies,” Wall Street Journal Sunday/Providence Journal, Jan. 7, 2007.
• http://independentsector.org/mission_market/index.html

Global context, Proposal review process

Fri., Nov. 20
Grantmaking Note: Organizational responses due back to teams, prep for board

Tues., Nov. 24
Team presentations on site visits

Tues., Dec. 1
Grantmaking/discussion: class discussion of board materials

Assignment: Prepare board presentation and materials

Thurs., Dec. 3
Board materials due in hard copy and electronic form, ready for circulation to board

Lecture/Discussion: Global Public/Private Partnerships

Readings:

• Center for Strategic and International Studies – Seven Revolutions: http://7revs.csis.org/sevenrevs_content.htm
• http://www.worldchanging.com/about/
• NGOs and the Millennium Development Goals, chapter 6 –The Politics of Global Partnership (TBD)

Tues. Dec. 8
Team presentations to Board, class debrief, follow up with all applicants

Thurs. Dec. 10
Final Class Session
Individual reflective essay due
Resources on RI and Providence issues:

• General Providence data: www.provplan.org, www.mcprovidence.org (research, maps, and resources link)
• Global issues: http://7revs.csis.org/sevenrevs_content.html
• Arts & culture: www.providenceri.com/ArtCultureTourism/
• Children/youth: www.rikidscount.org, http://www.dcyf.state.ri.us/
• Community development/resident leadership: www.mcprovidence.org
• Economy/jobs: www.riedc.com/riedc/ri_databank, www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi/data.htm
• Government/public sector: www.providenceri.com, www.ri.gov
• Housing/homelessness: www.housingworksri.org
• Poverty/policy: www.povertyinstitute.org
• Public Health: http://www.health.ri.gov/data/index.php
• Public Schools: www.ride.ri.gov/RIDE/Data.aspx, www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2007/default.asp, www.providenceschools.org
• General advocacy and policy resources, particularly related to adult education but including other issues: www.brown.edu/lrri/advocate.html.

Websites relevant to Nonprofits, NGOs and Philanthropy (courtesy of Prof. Stanley Katz, Princeton Univ.):

General sites:

• Idealist.org: www.idealist.org (clearing house for nonprofit ideas and news)
• NonprofitHub.com: www.nonprofithub.com (very large list of links, broken down by category; some broken, some frivolous)
• Urban Institute: www.urban.org (general social and economic policy research institute, withsection devoted to nonprofits and philanthropy)
• Guidestar: www.guidestar.org (basic data about nonprofits organization- including organization’s tax Form 990 images; free registration required)
• Independent Sector: www.independentsector.org (broad-based coalition dedicated to improving America’s third sector)
• Harvest Today: http://www.harvesttoday.org (nonprofit and philanthropy news and information service)
• Annotated Bibiliography and Resource List on “Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Fundraising Publications”: http://www.fundraisingschool.it/foto/doc/TFRSbibliography.pdf.

On philanthropy:

• EPhilanthropyFoundation.org: www.ephilanthropy.org (organization dedicated to promoting online philanthropy; includes ezine)
• Ashoka: www.ashoka.org (organization supporting social entrepreneurship, with sectiondedicated to nonprofits and philanthropy)
• Philanthropy News Digest: http://fdncenter.org/pnd (Foundation Center’s online newspaper)
• American Association of Fundraising Counsel: http://www.aafrc.org (Organization dedicatedto professionalizing and ensuring ethical behavior amongst philanthropies)
• The Philanthropic Initiative: http://www.tpi.org (TPI offers strategic services tophilanthropists)
• American Institute of Philanthropy: http://www.charitywatch.org (general purposephilanthropy website, including ratings of organizations)
• Nonprofit Management Education Center: http://www.uwex.edu/li/learner/sites.htm (large listof links to a variety of third sector related sites)

On foundations:

• Foundation Center: www.fdncenter.org (database on foundations, for both students and practitioners of philanthropy)
• Foundation Center’s international philanthropy page:http://fdncenter.org/research/npr_links/npr08_int.html
• Council on Foundations: www.cof.org (membership organization of foundations providing information, expertise and advice to foundations and general public)
• Minnesota Council on Foundations: http://www.mcf.org (includes a variety of non-Minnesota links, especially under “Links of Interest”)

On NGOs, US and international:

• Duke University Non-governmental Organizations Research Guide: http://docs.lib.duke.edu/igo/guides/ngo (includes very comprehensive list of NGOs, including international ones, with weblinks)
• Boardsource: http://www.boardsource.org (dedicated to NGO development, especially ofboards and their members)
• Global Policy Forum: http://www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/index.htm (GPF monitors UN policymaking; this page relates to the UN and NGOs)

“Philanthropy can be both a potent vehicle through which public needs are met and an instrument for the expression of private beliefs and commitments” - Peter Frumkin, Strategic Giving, 2006

The roots and impact of philanthropy runs deep in American history and culture and the role of philanthropists and philanthropic organizations is pervasive in contemporary American society. The interplay and interrelationships between donors and nonprofit organizations will be the focus of this course. It will examine trends and issues impacting philanthropy. This will include a critical look at the growth and role of nonprofit institutions, their relevance and whether they are organized appropriately and have the flexibility and temperament to take on significant issues and problems. It will look at the changing relationships corporate, foundation and individual donors seek with nonprofits and the influence and impatience of the charitable donor who is asking for more accountability and documented results.

Increasingly, donors want to be engaged in their funding of nonprofits, have a role in how their contributions are used and see that their contributions have an impact on community need. Discussion will focus on what motivates donors, how results can be measured and what information matters to donors. Key questions to be addressed will be: Does the highly engaged donor have a more positive impact on the institution funded than the more passive giver? Donor rules and regulations: more or less, what works best? Why are donors impatient? Given all that has been invested in services to date, why have community conditions been slow to change? What changes do nonprofits have to make (to program, staff, boards) to meet the changing demands of donors?

Course Objectives

The course has been designed to support students’ acquisition of a range of knowledge and specific skills related to philanthropy and philanthropic practice.

Knowledge

• To understand the role of philanthropy in contemporary American society and how the history of philanthropy has helped shape current practice.
• To understand the trends and issues which are impacting philanthropy and nonprofit organizations.
• To understand the growth and impact of nonprofit institutions.
• To understand how the expectations of corporations, foundations and individual donors for concrete measurable results are impacting the management and governance of nonprofits.
• To understand those principles, standards and practices which can significantly enhance the value, role and impact of nonprofit organizations.
• To understand the value of strategic partnerships among philanthropic and nonprofits organizations.
• To understand the fundamental values and motivations which characterize different donors and philanthropic organizations.

Skills

• To acquire basic skills in building productive relationships with donors, in asking for funds and in managing fundraising appeals.
• To acquire skills in critically examining the contemporary role of nonprofits and to identify those new or modified principles, practices and strategies which could significantly improve the impact of these institutions and increase their competitive advantage in raising funds.
• To acquire basic skills in managing and distributing donated funds. This will include:
  • Setting goals, priorities, policies, procedures, forms and process for decision-making and distribution of funds received.
  • Development of a “request for proposals” and marketing this with potential nonprofit applicants.
  • Development of procedures for assessing and evaluating proposals.
  • Notifying recipients of grants.
  • Tracking and measuring impact of grants made.
  • Protocols for investing funds.

Values

• To help students define their own values, goals and roles as current and future donors and philanthropists and relate this to their own philosophies of service and to their responsibilities, not only “as productive citizens serving in their own society and the greater world community,” but also as members of the one human family “that proceeds from its one Creator.” (Quotations from the Mission Statement of Providence College)

Note on Course Content

This course will be build around a seminar format with maximum emphasis placed on developing a learning community among course participants – instructor and students. Philanthropy 470 was first offered in the spring semester 2008. Last year’s experience has shaped and refined the course for 2009. In addition, the Fidelity/Campus Compact grant (see below) adds a new practical dimension to the course. Because of this Philanthropy 470 is still a work in progress. It is anticipated during the course that syllabus changes will be made based on class discussion, student interests and the decisions made on implementing the grants program and related fund raising. In addition, adjustments will be made in the Course Outline to accommodate schedules of visiting speakers and visits to the United Way of Rhode Island and The Rhode Island Foundation.

The course will balance readings and discussions on philanthropy with practical service-learning skill-development experiences. Because of the grant from Fidelity/Campus Compact, up to $15,000 is available for student-directed grants to community-based nonprofit organizations. In turn, students will be expected to design and begin to implement fund raising plans to sustain this fund. Students will lead planning and decision-making in each of these tasks and will in fact serve as a board of directors of the Making a Difference Fund (MAD).

Required Texts

Wagner, David. What’s Love Got to Do with It? A Critical Look at American Charity. New York. W.W. Norton & Company. 2000

Clinton, Bill. Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. New York. Alfred A. Knopf. 2007

A Readings Packet has been prepared and will be distributed to the class. In addition other articles and handouts will be handed out in class or the links to other articles and resources posted on the class website on Angel.

Course Requirements

(1.) Postings on Discussion Forms (15% of grade)

• Periodically throughout the semester students will be asked to post in discussion forms on ANGEL reflections on specific class discussions and readings and answers to specific questions which will later be discussed in class. Students may also be asked to comment on others student postings.

(2.) Essays (30% of grade)

Three essays will be required. Each should be no shorter than four full pages and no longer than six full pages (double- or 1.5-spaced, 12 point, MSWORD).

• Essay #1: Will require that each student research a particular foundation and detail its approach to distributing funds. Details to be announced.
• Essay #2: Will require that each student research a particular nonprofit organization or NGO (nongovernmental organization) and detail its approach to funds development. Details to be announced.
• Essay #3: This will be the final requirement of the course due when final exam would have taken place. Topic and details to be announced.

(3.) Class project (40% of the grade)

• There will be two-part project focuses on planning and implementing a fund distribution program and developing and beginning to implement a fund raising program for the Making a Difference Fund (MAD) in which the whole class will participate. This requirement is focused on supporting students’ acquisition of knowledge and specific skills related to philanthropy and philanthropic practice. The class will be divided into groups to accomplish these tasks.

Fund Distribution:

• Meet with community organizations and residents in the Smith Hill neighborhood.
• Determine priorities for funding, write a request for proposal, and use the network of contacts developed to promote availability of funds.
• Refine criteria and process for judging proposals.
• Determine finalists for grants. Visit these organizations.
• Announce final decisions and work with the college, Campus Compact and Fidelity to promote these decisions.

Fundraising:

• Refine fund raising plans to sustain the MAD donor advised fund.
• Review these plans with the Institute, and PC’s development office and administration and seek their advice and support.
• Meet with Feinstein/Department Alumni Group to seek their support.
• Design and launch an initial fund raising appeal.

Details on this assignment will be presented in class and shaped by class participation and decision-making.

(4.) Seminar Participation (15% of grade)

• The seminar format requires maximum participation of all involved will be required. Discussions will be informed by reading, student research, speakers and exercises in philanthropic practice. To be a true learning community, each participant has a responsibility and obligation to attend and participate fully in the course. Each should come to class every day and should be prepared to discuss the readings assigned for that date. Just showing up to class certainly is important, but active engagement of everyone is expected in discussions, presentations, and exercises, and by asking questions or providing insights.

The following factors are important:

• Attending class regularly.
• Demonstrating familiarity with, understanding of, and thoughtfulness about readings and experiences in discussion.
• Actively participating in and facilitating class discussions.
• Completing special assignments.
• Actively participating in Angel forums.
• Completing all written assignments on time.
• Cooperating fully as a group member in all group assignments.

Course Outline

Date Topic Readings & In class
(Always check Angel for updates) Out of class assignments

Week One
Jan. 20 Course Overview, & Background Syllabus
Jan. 22 - Report (to be distributed) and Presentation
- Workshop on Making a Difference Fund

• Appointment of Groups
• Design of Grants Process
• Tools & Resources
• Schedule for Grant Review and Grant Making

Week Two
Jan. 27 Perspectives on Charity and Philanthropy
Angel/Lessons/Web Links Readings
- Slate: How to Give Away a Million Dollars
Giving: Chapters 1 & 2 pp 3-31
Reading Packet:
- The Four Traditions of Philanthropy
- Big Gifts: Tax Breaks and a Debate on Charity
- Wealth and Philanthropy: Who Gives and Why Post by 8AM on Jan. 27 on Discussion Forum the answer to these questions: If you had a million dollars to give, who would get it? Why?
Jan. 29 What’s Love Got To Do With It? pp: 1-14 (Intro), 46-115 (Chapters 2, 3 & 4) Post by Jan. 28 at 8AM a reflection on Discussion Forum on this reading.

Week Three
Feb. 3 What’s Love Got To Do With It? pp. 117-180 (Chapters 5, 6 & 7) Post by Feb. 2at 8AM a reflection on Discussion Forum on this reading
Feb. 5 Grantmaking: The proposal process and the logic model Angel/Lessons/Web Links Readings:
- Kellogg Foundation Guide to the Logic Model Read Introduction pp 1-14
- The Foundation Center: Proposal Writing Short Course

Week Four
Feb. 10 Foundations

Angel/Lessons/Web Links Readings/The Foundation Center Readings:
- What is a Foundation?
- Highlights of Foundation Giving Trends

Feb. 12 The Nonprofit Sector Reading Packet:
- The Resilient Sector, The State of Nonprofit America.

Giving: Chapters 3,4,5,6 pp 32-87

Angel/Lessons/Web Links Readings:
- Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice: A Guide for Charities and Foundations
- Rhode Island’s Nonprofit Sector: More than Charity

In class PowerPoint: Trends and Issues in Nonprofit Sector
Week Five
Feb. 19 Perspectives on Charity and Philanthropy Angel/Lessons/Web Links Readings
Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy, Introduction pp 1-28

Donor Advised Funds
Week Six
Feb. 24 Workshop Workshop on Making a Difference Fund

• Group Reports
• Refine Plans for Grant-Making/Applications Process
• Review and Approve issuing Request for Proposals
• Review and Approve Lists of Invitees Essay #1 due

(Foundation Report) – Post on Discussion Forum

Post Summary Group Reports Feb 23, 8AM
Feb. 26 Corporate Giving Reading Packet:
- Survey on Wealth and Philanthropy – The Economist
- The New Powers In Giving Reading
- What’s Wrong with Profit

In class videos:
- Timberline & City Year
- Bill Gates & Warren Buffet on Charlie Rose Show

Week Seven
March 3 Foundations (continued)
&
Trends in Philanthropy Discussion of student research on foundations

Reading Packet:
The Monitor Group: Looking Out for the Future: An Orientation for Twenty-First century Philanthropists
March 5 Visit to RI Foundation (tentative)
SPRING RECESS
Mar. 7 to Mar. 16
Week Eight
March 17 Presentation by Fund Raising Professional (tentative)
March 19 Visit with United Way of Rhode Island (tentative)

Week Nine
March 24 Fund Raising Basics Angel/Web Link Readings/Joyaux Associates:
- Creating the Most Effective Fund Development Program in your Organization
- Key Roles in Fund Development
- The Donor-Centric Pledge
Angel/Lessons/Web Link/Readings
- The Secrets of Their Success

Workshop: Sustaining the Making a Difference Fund

• Review of Plans to Sustain Making a Difference Fund

March 26 Workshop Grantsmaking Workshop:

• Review of Proposals – Brief summaries presented
• Make initial rankings
• Identify potential questions for applicants
• Plan for visits with finalists Essay #2 due on a nonprofit organization and its development efforts. Post on Discussion Forum

Week Ten
March 31 Current Donor Strategies Giving, Chapters 7,8,9, pp 109-151
Reading Packet:
- Marching with a Mouse
- You, Too, Can Be a Banker to the Poor
- Extra Helping, Kiva.org
April 2 Giving, Chapters 10, 11, 12, pp 152-203
Reading Packet:
- Bracing for Lean Times Ahead
- The Sin in Doing Good Deeds

Week Eleven
April 7 Celebrities as Philanthropists: Does it work? Angel/Lessons/WebLinks/Readings:
- Bono: Commencement Speech at U Penn 5/17/04
- Traub, James. The Statesman, New York Times Magazine, September 18, 2005
- Angelina, Mia and Bono: Celebrities and International Development

Week Twelve
April 14 Grant Decisions: Report and Recommendations on Grants

April 16

Week Thirteen
April 21 Grant Decisions: Reports and Recommendations on Grants
April 23
Week Fourteen
April 28 My Role as a Philanthropist Giving, Chapter 13, pp 204-211
April 30 Learning Circle: “Take Aways”

Lester M. Salamon articulates the key educational and community challenge facing us today, “The central challenge, particularly the central management challenge, confronting efforts to solve our pressing societal problems is to prepare people to design and manage these immensely complex collaborations and networks that we increasingly rely on to address our public problems.” Salamon, L. (1998). “A field whose time has passed?” In M. O’Neill & K. Fletcher (Eds.), Nonprofit Management Education. (Pp. 137-145). Westport: Pager Publishers.

Course Description: This class is an advanced seminar in nonprofit leadership. Seminars are defined as, “a group of supervised students doing research or advanced study” (Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition). Students taking this seminar have a unique opportunity to experience grant-making. We received a grant from Campus Compact and Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund for $15,000 to regrant to nonprofits in Kalamazoo County. We also received $3,000 to execute our plan (mailings, rental of space for event, etc.) Stipulations of our grant are: we must study, determine and prioritize human needs in Kalamazoo County; we must issue requests for proposals to appropriate agencies; we must review proposals, interview and visit agencies; we must decide how next year’s students will determine whether the money was spent effectively; and we must determine who and how much money each agency/program is given and announce publicly our selections. (We do not need to give all the money away this year.) In order to accomplish this we will learn consensus decision-making; study various community indicators, learn how to read 990s and financial statements, listen how local foundations make granting decisions, research best practices in the priority areas, study grant writing best practices, as well as read and discuss ways of measuring impact.

There will be lots of choices in this seminar but the following is nonnegotiable:

1. Attendance counts. The work is sequential. You will not be able to make good decisions if you have missed crucial classes and that is not fair to other students and not fair to the people anxious for our grants. If you are not present in a seminar you not only deprive yourself of valuable information and a voice in the decision-making process but you will deprive others of your experience and expertise. More than two absences will affect your grade. There are no excused absences.
2. Respect counts. Respect means you come on time, turn off your cell phones, do not use lap tops unless it is part of the learning or discussion, do not begin to pack up before the end of class, do not leave the room during class, do not have side conversations during class, do not sleep, do not work on other projects during class. Any of these behaviors will result in your being asked to leave the class and having that class count as an absence.
3. Consensus counts. All decisions will be made by modified consensus decision-making.

Required Texts
Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers by Thomas A. McLaughlin

The Insider’s Guide to Grantmaking by Joel J. Orosz

Kids Count in Michigan Data Book 2007 by Michigan League of Human Services

Various articles that will be place in e-reserve in WMU Library.

Course Objectives
By the end of the semester, the student will:

1. understand and use consensus decision-making.
2. become a problem solver. Problem-solving involves the following key steps: defining the problem and key issues; researching the problem, issues and potential solutions; identifying the assumptions and values underlying the problem and its possible solutions; breaking the problem apart; imagining unique solutions; developing a consensus on possible solutions; creating an experiment to check out the solutions, generalizing and finally explaining the potential solution to all involved.
3. learn how to read statistical reports and tie the information to your decisions.
4. learn about the demographics in Kalamazoo County and be able to research information in other geographic locations.
5. build local and regional partnerships with the nonprofit community.
6. learn how to research best practices.
7. learn the processes that organizations use to collaborate.
8. understand the importance of financial planning, policies and monitoring and be able to read and interpret financial statements.
9. learn best practices for grant writing and how to effectively critique grants.
10. articulate theories for measuring impact.

Course Grading
10% Issue Essay-Submit a 2-3 page essay identifying the issue or organization that you would fund if the decision was yours alone. Why is this issue or organization important to you or to society? What is the data that supports your argument about the need? How will addressing this issue make a difference in the world? How would $15,000 make a difference? Be sure your essay has a thesis and support for your thesis. Essays will be read by entire class so be prepared to be called upon to share your rationale with the class. This assignment is similar to writing the problem or need statement in a grant proposal. You will be graded on whether you convince me that this is a problem I should fund.

30% Essay on why the class should or should not fund the agency assigned to you.

This essay must begin with research on your organization. Visit the website of your organization, print the information about your nonprofit from Guidestar (particularly the 990), do the ratios from the book, Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers, determine who “owns” the nonprofit (funder supplying the majority of their revenue), their overhead expenses as opposed to what they spend on program. Check Charity Navigator http://www.charitynavigator.org to see what they say about your nonprofit. Go to http://www.kpl.gov, local information, and type in the name of the organization to find out information from the Kalamazoo Public Library. If you find there are articles from past issues in the Kalamazoo Gazette you will need to go to the central library and use the microfilm to read them.

Research the best practices of programs addressing the issue of your local program, if it’s a program to prevent homelessness what practices have been shown to be successful at preventing homelessness? (Note-research librarians, agency staff, national nonprofit websites, journals, etc. may be helpful.) Use American Psychological Association Style Guide for citations.

Finally summarize your site visit and interviews with staff and participants in your paper.

Outline of paper might look something like:

1. Introduction and Thesis
2. History
3. Financial Analysis
4. Comparison of Service provided by agency to best practices
5. Summary of interviews and site visit
6. Conclusion

Use American Psychological Association (APA) manual for citations.

• 5% Agency Submitted RFP
• 15% Presentation of your agency to class
• 10% Class Preparation and Participation
• 5% Understand and Use Consensus Decision-Making
• 10% Responsible for at least five people’s (beside yourself) attendance at the grant presentation. This means at least five ticket sales.
• 15% Facilitation of one class or event assignment

Present your chapter in an interesting format, some possibilities include guest speaker, experiential exercise, role play, discussion, PowerPoint. Relate your chapter to our grantmaking. Summarize the key points especially those points relevant to our grantmaking.

If you have chosen an event assignment rather than class facilitation you will be graded on execution of your assignment i.e. number of people attending event, beauty of decorations, quality of music and its appropriateness, smoothness of event program, interaction with Senior Services staff, evaluation of participants etc.

1/6 No Class (Most of us will be a AHMI)

Consensus Decision Making
1/8 Introduction to Eachother
Read Syllabus
Sign up for class facilitation
Introduction to Consensus Decision Making (CDM)

1/13 Introduction to CDM
Reading that must be completed by today: Kid’s Count Executive Summary, Introduction, and Selected Healthy People 2010 Focus Areas, Data Notes, and Kalamazoo County (pps.2-27,106-107, 198-200)

Needs in Kalamazoo County
1/15 Basic Statistics Presentation
Reading for today: Maps of Kalamazoo County (found in library electronic reserves) on Physical/Mental Health, Self-Sufficiency, Strengthening Community, Strengthening Families and Youth. Emergency Service Guide, Youth Out-of –School Time Guide, Youth Mentoring Guide all found at (http://www.gryphon.org/)

1/20 Panel on Needs in Kalamazoo County
Bev Riley, Planning and Program Development Director, Kalamazoo County Health & Community Services Jeffrey H. Brown, Executive Director, Poverty Reduction Initiative Denise Hartsough, Community Investment Director @ GKUW, Linda Vail Buzas,
Reading for today: Poverty in Kalamazoo County 2006 and 2008 Update

1/22 Narrow funding focus
Issue Essay Due Today-Bring enough copies for everyone in the class.

1/27 Decide Priorities-Research Agencies fulfilling those priorities
Bring Laptops
For today read classmates issue essays

1/29 Send out Requests for Proposals
Overview of Foundations
Carrie Picket-Erway?
For today read prologue and chapter 1 (pps1-37) in Insider’s Guide

Grant Analysis
2/3 Building Relationships Presentation
For today read Chaps 2 & 3 in Insider’s Guide (pps 38-65)

2/5 Proposal Review Presentation
For today read Chaps 4 – 6 in Insider’s Guide (pps 66-129)

2/10 Site Visit Presentation
For today read Chap 7 in Insider’s Guide (pps 130-142)

2/12 Writing the Funding Document and Managing the Project Presentation
For today read 8, 10, 11 in Insider’s Guide (pps 143-195)

2/17 Beyond the Money (Leveraging and Policy) Presentation
For today read Chap 12 and 13 in Insider’s Guide (pps 196-231)

2/19 Grant-Making Ethics Presentation
For today read Chap 15 and Epilogue in Insider’s Guide (pps 252-280)

2/23 RFPs DUE TODAY at 5 P.M.

Financial Analysis
2/24 Financial Management Presentation
For today read Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers, Chap 3-4

2/26 Financial Management Presentation
For today read Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers, Chap 5

2/27-3/8 Spring Break

3/10 Financial Management Presentation
For today read Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers, Chaps 6-7 Chaps 11-12
Read all RFP’s

Decision-Making
3/12 Agency Programs, Financials, and Management Presentations

3/17 Agency Programs, Financials, Management Presentations

3/19 Interview with Finalists

3/24 Decision Making

3/26 Decision Making

3/31 Financial Management Presentation
Finalize Plans for Program and Food
For today read Financial Basics for Nonprofit Managers, Chap 11-12 and 17

4/2 No class during regularly scheduled time. Meet at Senior Services at 3 p.m. to set up. Plan on staying until 7 p.m.

Evaluation
4/7 Evaluation of Event

4/9 Evaluation for Grantees
E-reserves: Using Logic Models (McLaughlin & Jordan)

4/14 Evaluation for Grantees
Readings to be announced

4/16 Evaluation for Grantees
Readings to be announced

Exam week-Individual appointments to evaluate semester’s work.

Class Deliverables:

1. Issue Essay
2. Agency research, interview, paper and presentation.
3. Recruit at least five people to come to the presentation and sell five tickets.
4. Fulfill individual responsibilities at the workshop.
5. Read and participate in class discussions.
6. Lead 20-30 minutes of class or work on specific area of event.

Event Deliverables:
Food, Set Up and Clean Up
Entertainment (Quiet Music)
Decorations
Speaker (Short) and Short Program
Big Check
Ticket Sales
Evaluation of Event and Class Presentation
Write Request for Proposal (RFP)
Classroom Deliverables:
Classroom set up and break down