As the environment for nonprofits continues to change, the demand for measured and innovative nonprofit management and governance is at a premium. Unique issues facing nonprofit managers and leaders include tensions between the nonprofit mission and the ever-changing funding markets, participation in policymaking, professionalism of the sector, accountability demands, and the challenges of part-time volunteers as board members providing governance, oversight, and leadership.
The course begins by reviewing the purposes of various nonprofit organizations including program design and evaluation. As the course progresses, students learn more about the sector, the theoretical underpinnings for its existence, its scope and impact on society. From there, we examine governance and accountability of nonprofit boards, funding challenges, strategic management theory and practice, the role of nonprofits in policymaking, and the unique aspects of nonprofit finance. Throughout, we will examine real world examples and review the theories and practice that apply to them.
Making generalizations about nonprofits will be difficult because of the size and diversity of the sector and, therefore, the types of organizations in it. We will endeavor to be sensitive to that challenge by drawing upon examples from the many subsectors including health, religious institutions, performing arts, human services, and advocacy organizations.