Course Title: UNDERSTANDING BI-NATIONAL NONPROFITS IN THE USMEXICAN BORDER REGION/EDLD 579 a Available on the web: http://www.taskstream.com/ts/kiy/UNDERSTANDINGBINATIONALNONPROFI TSINTHEUSMEXICANBORDERREGIONEDLD579.html Faculty: Richard Kiy, President & CEO, International Community Foundation ______________ E-mail: rkiy@sandiego.edu/rkiy@icfdn.org Campus office location: SOLES Building, Room 137 of Hill Hall Off Campus location: 2505 N Avenue, National Ciy, Ca. Off Campus telephone: (619) 336-2256 Office hours: By appointment Teaching Assistant: Michelle Jaramillo: michelle@borderpartnership.org Course Dates: March 26; April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, May 7, 14. NOTE: Two all day trips to Tijuana are planned on April 23 and May 7th. Summary Description: Just as private sector organizations are increasingly operating in an international environment, so too are nonprofit organizations. This is the case whether a nonprofit functions as an NGO (non-governmental organization) operating across international borders with an international perspective, as a nonprofit or voluntary organization operating within a particular national boundary, or, as bi-national or multinational organization with operations in one country and fundraising in another. This course contributes to students’ understanding of how nonprofits operate in an international setting and across borders. The proximity to the Mexican border provides a unique opportunity to expose and prepare students for how to work more effectively in an increasingly international environment. Students will work in groups of two to three, and associate with an assigned bi-national nonprofit to analyze the particular nature of that organization and the challenges it faces. Students must have enrolled in or completed courses in Organizational Theory (EDLD 505) and Nonprofit Finance (EDLD 503) or their equivalents before enrolling in this course. In addition, each student must have a valid passport prior to enrolling in this course and be willing to travel to Mexico. Course Objectives: 1. Develop an understanding of how a national economic, political, and social history supports the creation of nonprofits and their structure and mission and how that might differ from country to country. 2. Develop an understanding of cross-border issues affecting nonprofit organizations. 3. Develop a systematic framework for analyzing nonprofit operations in another country.
4. Develop an understanding of laws and regulations governing nonprofit organizations in both the U.S. and Mexico including tax and immigration related regulations of both countries. 5. Develop an understanding of the key cultural differences between the United States and Mexico and the impact of cultural mis-understandings in cross-border nonprofit operations. 6. Develop a broader appreciation of the rapidly changing cross-border philanthropic landscape both the United States and Mexico with an emphasis on the U.S.-Mexico border region, Mexican migrant sending communities and U.S. expatriate communities in Mexico. 4. Discuss opportunities for collaborative efforts between Mexican and US nonprofits, establishing effective networks, coalitions, partnerships, etc. 5. Undertake a team project aimed at assisting border area nonprofits in the areas of organizational management, marketing, fundraising, or crossborder outreach and communications. Course Texts/Readings: Required: New patterns for Mexico: Observations on remittances, philanthropic giving, and equitable development. (2005) (B. Merz, Ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Global Equity Initiative, Harvard University. Randall, Laura, Changing Structure Of Mexico: Political, Social, And Economic Prospects (2006), Armonk NY: M.E. Sharpe Publishing. Additional materials will be distributed in class. Optional reading: Salamon, L. M. &. A., Helmut K. (1997). Toward a common definition. In L. M. &. A. Salamon, Helmut K. (Ed.), Defining the nonprofit sector: A cross-national analysis (pp. 29-50). Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Program Length: This course will be offered as a 2 unit course. The course will consist of 36 hours of interactive classes. This will include 6 classes of 3 hours each, and two full days of classes in Mexico of 9 hours each (including travel). Required Assignments/ Grading Criteria: Please submit all papers double-spaced and refer to APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines when citing authors or other references in your papers. • Homework Assignments 35%
1. Form teams of two or three students. 2. Teams will be assigned to a bi-national nonprofit organization 1 . 3. Each team will examine the IRS 990 of the assigned bi-national organization for a five-year period, and other available records relative to it. (For example, supplemental information available on Guidestar and information provided by the client organization). 4. Teams will prepare interview questions and interview United States staff and board members of the assigned bi-national organization to obtain an understanding of the organization’s operations in the United States. Interview questions may include, for example, questions about mission, fund raising, board operations, relationship with Mexican staff and board members, and other such related items. 5. Each team will submit a report of no more than five APA style pages (not including cover and references) summarizing their findings. Each report will also contain a minimum of five specific questions that will be explored in meetings with the staff or board of the Mexican affiliates of the assigned bi-national organization. 6. This assignment will prepare the teams for meeting with the Mexican component of the bi-national organization. Assignment Due Date: Class session 3 to allow time for instructor’s feedback before the trip to Tijuana. • Applied Project Assignment 50% 1. The major assignment for this course will be accomplished in the same teams of two or three established for the initial homework assignment. Teams will be assigned, and every attempt will be made to place a Spanish speaking member on each team. 2. Each team will already have been assigned a bi-national nonprofit for study. Each team will utilize information from the previous assignment and combine it with the interview results to write a report that describes the following: a. The organizational structure b. Programs and services c. Cultural implications of cross-border work d. Division of labor. e. Challenges facing the organization. f. Other key findings. 3. Working together with assigned bi-national nonprofit and faculty each student team will undertake a project aimed at assisting the border area charity to solve a crossborder issue or challenge in the areas of organizational management, program development, cross-border marketing and communications or fundraising.
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Bi-national nonprofits are defined as that group of nonprofits that operate with a single (or intertwined) mission and two governance structures – one in the United States and the other in Mexico.
Each team will be expected to submit a paper of no less than 15 pages (not including references and APA cover page) as well as the development of a targeted project that will contribute to the mission of the student’s assigned nonprofit. In addition, each team’s findings and project will be presented to the class in a 15 minute presentation. Representatives from the bi-national organizations studied will be invited to listen (particularly to the presentation regarding their organization), and will have the opportunity to react to the presentations. Half of the grade will be based on the written paper, and half on the quality of the presentation. Assignment Due Date: Class session 7.
• Class Participation 15% Each student is expected to attend all classes, to participate in discussions, and to contribute positively in a manner that contributes to the learning of all class members • Team Participation After the project is submitted, students will be asked to complete a confidential form that rates, on a scale of 100 points, the degree to which each team member participated in carrying out the assigned work (for example, if you and another student put in an equal amount of work, you would rate your respective contributions 50/50). These ranking sheets play a role in determining your grade; students would be graded according to their participation in their teams. Academic Integrity: (statement language courtesy of Dr. Athena Perrakis) The code of academic integrity is not just rhetoric; forms of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, or facilitating academic dishonesty, will not be tolerated in this class and may result in suspension or expulsion from the university. To summarize, anything you hand in to me must be written in your own words, exemplifying your own thoughts and ideas, and you must source any references you used in completing your work using the format of the APA 5th Edition Style Manual. Although you are encouraged to work and learn collaboratively, both within and outside of class, the work you submit to me should reflect your own thoughts and ideas, and it must be expressed in your own words unless you cite whose words you are using. If you are unsure of what this means, please check with me before completing an assignment. A Note for students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in the class are encouraged to contact Disability Services in Serra 300 (tel. 260-4655) as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Travel to Mexico: A key objective of this course is to provide students with a broader understanding of the San Diego-Baja California border region and the nonprofit institutions active in the region. Accordingly, two one day trips to Tijuana are currently planned. These trips will include additional direct costs to cover bus transportation and food. Students should be advised that worsening public safety concerns in Tijuana has prompted the U.S. Department of State to issue a travel advisory for Tijuana. See http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html In the event that the security situation worsens, provisions will be made to facilitate interaction with Tijuana area nonprofits on the U.S. side of the border. Curriculum Session 1 (March 26): Overview of the political, economic, and social history of Mexico Read: Chapters 1, 2, and 5 of New Patterns for Mexico Chapter 1, 2, 3 and 7 of Changing Structure of Mexico This session will begin with a discussion of a definition of nonprofits that can be applied to understand the sector from an international perspective, and, in particular, to Mexican nonprofits known as asociación cíviles. This session will also cover the influence of political, economic, and social history on the development of nonprofits in Mexico. Teams for the homework and the applied project assignment will be established, and a binational organization assigned to each team. The following are confirmed nonprofit project partners for the course: • • • • • • • •
Fundación Internaciónal de la Comunidad/International Community Foundation (community foundation) Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (Health & Human Services/Human Trafficking) U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (Binational Philanthropic Association) Los Ninos International (Health & Human Services) San Diego Natural History Museum—PROBEA (Environment/Education) Project Mercy (Housing) Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud/Planned Parenthood of San Diego-Riverside (Health) Mainly Mozart (Arts & Culture)
Teams will be expected to contact the assigned bi-national, and to set an appointment before the 3rd session with key staff and/or board members. Access to the Guidestar website will be provided for teams to obtain financial and other information about their assigned bi-national.
This class will include a discussion on border security/public safety issues by Professor David Shirk, Director , Trans- Border Institute, University of San Diego (tentatively confirmed). Session 2 (April 2-_Special Session: 4pm to 9pm—dinner with be served): Cross-cultural Communications in the U.S.-Mexico Context
Reading: Readings will be distributed in class. Optional Reading : Crouch, Ned, Mexicans and Americans: Cracking the Cultural Code, Boston, MA: Intercultural Press, 2004 Condon, John C. Good Neighbors: Communicating with Mexicans (Second Edition): Intercultural Press, 1997
This session will highlight the cross-cultural differences that exist between Americans and Mexicans and explore the importance of improved cross-cultural understanding among nonprofit professionals working in a binational context. This session will feature a special presentation by Mary Ellen Colon, an expert on cross-cultural communications issues. NOTE : This session will be preceeded by a panel discussion of border area nonprofit Executive Directors that will serve as clients for the course During this session, students will listen to key organizational needs and potential areas where student team projects may positively contribute to their mission. Class Schedule: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Presentation of Border Area Nonprofit Needs for Student Team Projects 5:00 pm-5:30 pm. Special Presentation by Mary Ellen Colon (NOTE dinner will be served at the start of the session)
Session 3 (April 9) Social and Education Services in Mexico: How the History of Social, Educational & Health Care Services Influences Third Sector Development Read: Chapter 4 of New Patterns for Mexico
Una Mejor Colaboración: Fortaleciendo la contribución de las empresas mexcanas a la sociedad civil (An Improved Collaboration: Strengthening the contribution of Mexican business to a civil society). An English translation will be distributed in class. Chapter 28 of Changing Structure of Mexico
This session will cover the philosophy and goals of social, educational & health care services in Mexico as compared with those in the United States as the basis for understanding the complexity of working in the border region. The clients of social , educational and health care services move easily back and forth across the border, and face issues of language (including created language, i.e. Spanglish), cultural misunderstanding, and philosophy of service delivery. In addition, there are discussions in Mexico about the changing role of business and nonprofits that will be discussed in this session. The teams will discuss preparation for interviewing the United States affiliate of their binational organization they will be expected to complete before the next session.
Session 4 (April 16): Cross-border Philanthropy: Challenges & Opportunities for US Nonprofits for Collaborative Work with Mexican Asociación Cívils in the Baja California Norte Region Read: Chapter 6 of New Patterns for Mexico Chapter 26 of Changing Structure of Mexico Ablanedo, Ireri, Laura Garcia Olson, Sergio Garcia, and Michael D. Layton. 2007. Defining a Fiscal Agenda for the Development of Civil Society Organizations in Mexico, Incide Social: Mexico, D.F, 2007. http://www.agendafiscalsociedadcivil.org/files/FiscalAgenda.pdf
Recommended: Agustín Carstens, Keynote address, “PODER Philanthropy Forum: Rethinking the Power of Giving,” Miami, Florida, March 12, 2008
International Community Foundation, Blurred Borders , 2004 http://www.icfdn.org/publications/blurredborders/index.htm
A growing business community in Mexico is expressing interest in investing in the local nonprofit community, but has suggested that the community could learn from the United States nonprofit community. In addition, as the Mexican population grows in the border region, United States nonprofits have an opportunity to learn from service providers in Mexico. Thus, the border region is a unique opportunity for two nonprofit communities with differing philosophies, and histories to learn in cooperative and collaborative relationships. This session will explore some of those opportunities as well as examine legal and regulatory requirements for nonprofits undertaking cross-border projects in the United States and Mexico. Session 5 (April 23) Border Health Issues in the San Diego-Tijuana Border Region—An All Day Site Tour
Reading: Chapter 27 of Changing Structure of Mexico Richard Kiy and Robert Bach, “Shared Destiny: Shaping a Binational Agenda for Health Priorities in the San Diego-Baja California Border Region,” San Diego, CA: International Community Foundation, June 2006. http://www.icfdn.org/shared-destiny/index.htm 8:00 am. Meet at International Community Foundation Center, 2505 N Avenue, National City, CA 8:15 am.
Depart for Tijuana
All day site tour to visit cross-border health nonprofits addressing cross-border issues of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, pediatric health and cancer. 5:00 pm. Debrief and dinner discussion at International Community Foundation Center, National City. ] Session 6 (April 30): Project development and planning: Read: Salent, P., & Dillman, D. A. (1994). How to conduct your own survey. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Appendix 8.B, p 170-174 Edie, John & Nober, Jane C, Beyond our Borders: A Guide to Making Grants Outside of the United States, Second Edition (1999) , Washington, D.C: Council of Foundations.
Discussion of homework assignment and follow up discussion on trip to Mexico.
The second half of the class will consist of short presentations by each small group on their findings on both assigned Mexican nonprofit and United States partner organization and discuss potential value added areas which student project teams may be able to assist the organization in question in the areas of organizational management, marketing & communications, program development or fundraising. Students will discuss those findings and share potential questions and issues. Students will discuss effective interviewing techniques using the reading as a guide. They will also discuss how to use observation to learn about an organization’s culture and practices. The second half of the class will be a working session, and students will work in teams and in the total group to share their preparation for their follow up site visit to their assigned Mexican nonprofit. The students will discuss and practice how to conduct an interview, and observation of an organization to identify possible cultural factors. Session 7 : All day session in Mexico: Field Application (May 7): Students will travel together to Tijuana Baja California, Mexico. Upon arrival, they will be met by a representative of the bi-national organization they have been assigned to study and assist. AGENDA Day One 8:00 AM
Meet and travel to Tijuana from the International Community Foundation Center, National City, CA
9:00 AM
Breakfast at Universidad Ibero Americana with border area nonprofit leaders to discuss cross-border nonprofit management issues and challenges.
11:00 AM
Student teams travel to site visits with nonprofit clients.
5:00 PM
Return to National City
Session 8 (May 14): Student Presentations on Projects. Each team will present their findings and conclusions of their projects in both a written and oral form. Teams will provide three (3) copies of their written report, and representatives from the bi-national organizations will be given two (2) copies of the report that relates to them. Representatives from the bi-national organizations will act as a reaction panel to the oral reports. Oral reports may be complemented by PowerPoint presentations and other graphic forms, and by handouts.
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Confirmed Border Nonprofits for Student Study Teams
Fundación Internaciónal de la Comunidad (Community Foundation) http://www.ficbaja.org/ US Partner: International Community Foundation: http://www.icfdn.org/ Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (Health & Human Services/Human Trafficking) http://www.bsccoalition.org/ U.S.-Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership (Binational Philanthropic Association) http://www.borderpartnership.org/index.html Los Ninos International (Health & Human Services) http://www.losninosinternational.org/ San Diego Natural History Museum—PROBEA (Environment/Education) http://www.sdnhm.org/education/binational/ Project Mercy (Housing) http://www.projectmercy.net/ Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud http://www.pro-salud.org/about.html US Partner: Planned Parenthood of San Diego-Riverside (Health) http://www.plannedparenthood.org/san-diego-riverside/ Mainly Mozart (Arts & Culture) http://www.mainlymozart.org/