Welcome to Nonprofit Management!

nonprofit Management

Syllabus

Course Description

Welcome to Nonprofit Management! This course is a required course taken by undergraduate business administration majors in accounting, business, and international business as well as nonprofit management minors. The course is designed to blend academic study with community service. In this course the students form consulting teams to serve non-profit organizations by applying business concepts and skills to mutually agreed-upon projects. In this approach, all parties to the arrangement are seen as learners and teachers as well as those who serve.

In addition to the consulting experience, the students explore Robert Greenleaf's concept of Servant Leadership. The servant leadership model puts serving others -- including employees, customers, and community -- as the number one priority. Servant Leadership emphasizes increased service to others, a holistic approach to work, a sense of community, and shared decision-making power. The course is designed with the intention that the students will have an opportunity to apply the servant leadership theory in their working relationship with their team and as a consultant to a non-profit organization. Outside of their consulting role, they also write several papers, maintain a reflective journal, and facilitate the class discussion as part of the learning community that is the Service Leadership Project.

At the end of the course, there will be start-up capital opportunities for your nonprofit organization, should you decide to move forward with the next steps to creating a nonprofit organization.

** Note: This liquid syllabus may be subject to change over the course of the semester. Any updates will be posted in the weekly announcements.

Course Purpose:

The purpose of this course in Nonprofit Management is to prepare learners with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools to lead and support mission-driven organizations. The course emphasizes strategic planning, fundraising, financial stewardship, program evaluation, and inclusive leadership. Learners will explore how nonprofit organizations operate within diverse communities and develop competencies to advance equity, sustainability, and measurable impact.

Some Career Pathways & Job Examples:

Upon completing the course and developing the outlined competencies, learners may pursue roles such as:

Program Coordinator/Manager – designing, implementing, and assessing nonprofit programs.
Development Associate/Fundraising Manager – supporting donor relations, grants management, and resource development.
Volunteer Coordinator – recruiting, training, and managing volunteers to strengthen organizational capacity.
Nonprofit Operations Manager – overseeing day-to-day operations, compliance, and staff support.
Community Engagement Specialist – building partnerships, conducting outreach, and advancing the organization’s mission in the community.

This foundation also prepares learners for advanced leadership positions such as Executive Director or Program Director, as they gain experience and deepen their expertise.

Nonprofits create meaningful impact in the world!

Welcome to Nonprofit Management!

I am thrilled to have you in this course and look forward to exploring the dynamic world of nonprofit organizations together. Throughout the semester, we will examine key principles of nonprofit leadership, governance, fundraising, program evaluation, and strategic planning, These concepts will not only equip you with the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful impact in the sector, but also support informed decision-making processes that drive appropriate organizational change. I encourage you to engage deeply with the material, ask questions, and apply these principles to real-world challenges.

This course is designed to be interactive and application driven. You will engage with real-world case studies, collaborate on projects, and develop practical solutions to challenges faced by nonprofit organizations. Your capstone project will allow you to apply what you’ve learned by crafting a strategic plan for a nonprofit of your choice.

I encourage you to bring your ideas, questions, and experiences to our discussions. My goal is to create an engaging and supportive learning environment where we can all grow together. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions—I am here to support your learning journey.

Looking forward to learning and growing together in service!

Contact Details: email@university.edu

Office hours: Mondays & Wednesdays: 3:00 - 5:00 pm PT
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Diversity Statement

This course values diverse perspectives and is committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment. Students of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences are welcome and encouraged to participate fully. Our classroom is a space where diversity of thought, experience, and identity is valued and respected. I am committed to fostering an inclusive learning environment where all students feel supported regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, religion, or socioeconomic status. If you experience barriers to learning, please reach out so we can find appropriate resources and accommodations.

Equity and Accessibility

The University recognizes the diverse needs of all its learners and is committed to equity and access in learning opportunities for all its students. Our dedication is made through accessibility requests, inclusive design, universal design for learning and embracing the student body's uniqueness and cultural diversity.

The Office of Student Accessibility (OSA) seeks to accommodate students with documented disabilities to allow equal standing in educational endeavors. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), along with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, were enacted to provide a clear and comprehensive mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

In compliance with these laws, Student Accessibility is dedicated to maintaining an environment that guarantees students with disabilities full access to its educational programs, activities, and facilities. Accommodations are designed to level the playing field for students with disabilities, while maintaining the integrity and standards of the University's academic programs.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. It defines three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. The University is conformant with WCAG 2.2 level AA. The University has met level AA 2.1. Give the recent changes to WCAG 2.2 in December of 2024, the University is in process of evaluating and updating accessibility standards to align with the latest guidelines

Contact and Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility. Please visit the Office of Accessibility for Accommodation requests or let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers in this online course.

Office of Accessibility
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Student Success Resources

Resources for Student Success

There is a wide range of academic support resources designed to help students enhance their academic, writing, and communication skills and excel in the classroom.

Student success

The Student Success provides a variety of resources to support academic success, including:

Citation resources in APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles, including step-by-step tutorials, sample papers, and formatting guides
Presentation resources for creating engaging and effective academic presentations and utilizing presentation technology
Quantitative and Excel resources such as LinkedIn Learning courses, statistics tutorials, and Excel videos.

GRAMMARLY

All students are provided access to a free Grammarly subscription. Grammarly is an online grammar and spelling checker that improves written communication by helping users find and correct writing mistakes. It also functions as a plagiarism checker, helps students to identify the appropriate tone of their writing, and much more. Students will receive an email with a link to activate their free account.

LIBRARY SERVICES

This course offers InfoGuides or Course packs through the library services are available through the course content, including access to databases and e-journals, interlibrary loan, Harvard Business Review articles, research guides, and synchronous research support with a Librarian.

TURNITIN

This course may require electronic submission of essays, papers, or other written projects through the plagiarism detection service Turnitin. Turnitin is an online plagiarism detection service that conducts textual similarity reviews of submitted papers. When papers are submitted to Turnitin, the service may retain a copy of the submitted work in the Turnitin database for the sole purpose of detecting plagiarism in future submitted works.

Students retain copyright on their original course work. The use of Turnitin is subject to the Terms of Use agreement posted on the Turnitin.com website. You may request, in writing, to not have your papers submitted through Turnitin. If you choose to opt-out of the Turnitin submission process, you will need to provide additional research documentation and attach additional materials (to be clarified by the instructor) to help the instructor assess the originality of your work.

Assignments that use TURNITIN:

Individual Case 1
Team project Case 2

COVID-19 Statement

The University is committed to providing a safe and accommodating learning experience for all of our students during this time. Additional points of clarity have been added to the syllabus to support the adjustments in modality. Links to technology support, recommended internet and computer capabilities, and other resources are also included. Throughout this period, all live, synchronous sessions will take place during the regularly scheduled class time through web conferencing.

Students are required to submit assignments online through the learning management system, Courses (LMS). In some cases, an instructor may request students submit assignments through email. Thank you for your resilience, flexibility, and patience as we collectively adapt to the changes necessitated by COVID-19. We look forward to returning to our normal operations soon.

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