Course Title:
NONPROFIT SECTOR AND MANAGEMENT FUNDAMENTALS/EDLD 501
Syllabus for Fall 09 August 18, 2009
Faculty: Pat Libby Main office number (off-campus): (619) 282-8875 E-mail: plibby@sandiego.edu Campus office location: Hill Hall, room 265A Campus telephone: (619) 260-7782 Office hours: At mutual convenience. Please call or e-mail for an appointment. Mary McDonald
Main office number: (619) 260- 2747 Campus office location: Hill Hall, room 275D E-mail: marymc@sandiego.edu Office hours: At mutual convenience. Please call or e-mail for an appointment.
Summary Description: This is a survey course that is intended to prepare students for management roles in the nonprofit sector by helping them gain an understanding of America’s “nonprofit nation” and its place relative to nonprofit sectors throughout the world. As such it will explore the development, history and nature of the sector, major issues it is facing, governance structures of nonprofit organizations, basic management and operating strategies. Topics will include: socio-economic and historical perspectives, the legal structure of nonprofits, board responsibilities, regulatory reform and accountability measures, the structure and nature of philanthropy, human resource management, and advocacy. The course is designed as an interactive learning experience that incorporates significant case study and group problemsolving exercises. This course is focused on the integration of theory with practice. All students must affiliate themselves with a nonprofit organization they can refer to and work with throughout the semester; students are required to work in pairs or teams of three (up to four people is permitted for projects involving larger/more complex organizations) for a single client group. Teams of four must have approval from the faculty.
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Course Objectives: • • • • • • • • • • • •
To expose students to theories about the historical development of the nonprofit sector and as a function of social welfare states throughout the world. To increase understanding of the role of nonprofits in the United States and the challenges of nonprofits across different sub-sectors within the sector. To expose students to basic concepts, models and theories of nonprofit management and leadership such that students can articulate those and understand their implications. To convince students of the essential role of sound professional practices in the operation of nonprofit corporations. To build analytic skills for assessing the efficacy of nonprofit operations. To build skills for creative problem solving. To develop the capacity of students to intervene in ways that will strengthen the management of nonprofit operations. To apply the principles and concepts learned in the class through both case analysis and practical application. To better equip students to integrate their personal beliefs and values into the operation of nonprofit corporations. To enhance the capacity of students to write logically organized, clearly written, and grammatically correct course and professional assignments. To enhance the ability of students to think reflectively about the leadership dimensions of their class work and as it applies to their chosen nonprofit “client” organization. To provide students with the skills for producing applied products that reflect best practices and are useful to nonprofit organizations.
Required Reading: All students must purchase a classroom reader. THE READER IS DIVIDED INTO WEEKLY SECTIONS; PLEASE BRING THE DESIGNATED PORTION TO CLASS EACH WEEK as we will refer to it for in-class exercises. To purchase your course materials, please visit University Readers at www.universityreaders.com/students. You will create an account and be prompted to choose your state and institution. Easy-to-follow instructions will lead you through the rest of the purchasing process. Payment can be made by all major credit cards or electronic check. Your order is then processed and shipped out to you swiftly (orders are typically processed within 24 hours and often same day). Shipping time will depend on the selected shipping method. You will also be given instructions on how to download a FREE PDF download or a Full Digital Pack so you can get started on your required readings right away. If you have any difficulties, please email orders@universityreaders.com or call 800.200.3908. In addition, when noted, you will be required to access reading material through the Copley Library electronic reserves. To get there: • Go to http://sally.sandiego.edu • Click on E-Reserves • In the Library Services section, click on ”E-Reserves” 2
• • • • •
Click on “Electronic Reserves and Course Materials” Using the pull down menu, choose the department or the last name of the faculty and click on “go” Click on the course you are looking for Enter the password (nonprofit) and click on “accept” Then, click on any of the titles of the documents and it will open the document.
Strongly Suggested Reading: For an additional and often, provocative perspective on your course assignments/papers, go to www.nonprofitquarterly.org and click on “Cohen Report” to read what Rick Cohen has to say on topics such as nonprofit ethics, lobbying, regulation and philanthropy.
Program Length: 15 interactive classes of approximately 3 hours in length meeting Monday evenings from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.
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. For a brief, easy-tounderstand reference guide on how to use APA, go to the C.W. Post Campus B. Davis Schwarz Memorial Library Web Site. http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citapa.htm Grades will be awarded using the following point system: A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D F
94-100 90-93 87-89 84-86 80-83 77-79 74-76 70-73 67-69 65-66 0-64
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The grading rubric is as follows: Criteria Unacceptable Introductory D range C range
Displays one or more of the characteristics described below: Presentation No to little Weak summary description of of Ideas work submitted the theories and models from the readings; weak demonstration of comprehension of the theories/models; weak response to question at hand
Competency B range
Displays some but not all of the characteristics described below: Clear summary description of the theories and models from the readings; an indication that the author understands said models/theories; there is a careful and thorough response to the question at hand
Mastery A range
100 Points Possible
Displays all of the characteristics described below: Clear summary description of the theories and models from the readings and an indication that the author understands said models/theories; there is a careful and thorough response to the question at hand
35 Support of No to little work ideas submitted
Weak support for points presented; little evidence of critical thinking or reflection
Evidence of critical thinking with clear support for points made including relevant references (may include references not provided by the professors). The reflection brings the reader to consider the topic in a new way.
Evidence of critical thinking with clear support for points made including relevant references (may include references not provided by the professors). The reflection brings the reader to consider the topic in a new way.
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Organization No to little work of Writing submitted
No or little flow of ideas or logic. Paper lacks components such as citation page, APA format or does not meet the required page length
Ideas are presented but do not flow logically in the construction of the paragraphs and/or the entire paper. Lacks citation page or does not meet the required page length.
Ideas flow throughout paragraphs and the paper in a logical manner. The paper has a citation page, uses APA format and meets the page length requirement.
20 Grammar No to little work and Mechanics submitted
Significant spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors. Little evidence of coherence and following appropriate writing standards
Minor spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and/or capitalization errors were noted.
Essay is without typos and spelling errors and is grammatically correct.
15 All papers will be graded using the rubric. Late papers will be graded using the rubric and then will be downgraded for each week they are late (e.g., if one week late, the grade will be a “B” assuming that it would have been an “A” paper had it been handed in on time). A paper is considered to be one week late if it is handed in after Monday night’s class. •
Weekly Homework Assignments.
50%
Several short written exercises will be assigned throughout the semester (due weeks 2, 4, 5, 6 & 9). The reason these assignments are brief is to surface your best strategic thinking. These assignment requests are for 4 pages; you may write more if you choose but do not exceed 5 pages in total or points will be taken off. It is extremely important that each assignment be submitted on Task Stream on the due date as we will often debrief that assignment in the class that follows. Late assignments will be marked off one letter grade for each week they are late. •
Applied Project Assignment
40% 5
The major assignment for this course – A Performance Audit (a.k.a. Ethics and Accountability Audit) or Governance Project (choose one or the other) – is to be done in pairs or three person teams on behalf of a “client” nonprofit organization. Please refer to the guidelines for working with consultants in the introductory portion of your reader to familiarize yourself with the role you will be taking on with regard to this project. To assure accountability, after the project is submitted students will be asked to fill out a confidential form that distributes 100 points between or among team members. This sheet indicates 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 who do not participate fully in the work of their team will be marked down accordingly.
CHOOSE ONE ASSIGNMENT: 1.
Performance Audit/Ethics and Accountability Audit
Read through the various sets of ethics and accountability guidelines contained in your reader. Choose one (or select another from the list that has been provided, or, find one on your own), for purposes of conducting an audit of a local nonprofit corporation that has a budget of at least $250,000. Note: an additional resource to help you with your analysis and recommendations to the client organization is: The Principles Workbook: Steering your board toward good governance and ethical practice. You can download this booklet online at no cost on the Independent Sector web site. Keep in mind that in order for this project to be successful, your client organization must be willing to be completely transparent with information. Your task is to write a report that answers the following questions: a) Why you have selected that particular assessment tool versus the others that are available to you? b) What strategies have you used to ascertain whether or not your client organization is in compliance with the audit standards outlined in that tool? c) How do you rate each area with regard to compliance (e.g., is it in full compliance, partial compliance, not in compliance)? If you determined that it is in partial or not in compliance, what was your rationale? What best practice materials can you share with your client to help the organization address that particular subject area? Note: it is important to be specific – if a client lacks a particular policy, it is up to you to provide sample policy documents or references that tell the client how to fulfill the requirement that is lacking or inadequate. d) Do you believe this set of assessment measures is valid for ascertaining the ethics and accountability of a nonprofit corporation? Your findings should be presented in a document that has been signed off by a chief executive of your client organization. 6
In addition, each student must submit a reflection paper of 3-4 pages describing the leadership dimensions of the process you undertook to create this product.. What were the dynamics you encountered as part of your working group and how did those dynamics you encountered as part of your working group detract from or contribute to the process and product (e.g., did your team cohere easily, and if so, how; did much negotiation take place; was there a need for conflict resolution, etc.)? What portion of the product were you specifically involved in creating or, what was your major role in developing that product? What organizational dynamics within your client organization impeded or contributed to the effectiveness of the work (for example, how did individual clients or the culture of your client organization shape your work?). What theories/models did you learn in the course that you applied in the process of creating this document (again, please be sure to write a sentence or two defining those for the benefit of the reader)? Please think about how you may have addressed or solved a problem creatively through this process and product. The assignment is due December 21st. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. 2.
Governance Project:
Students will be asked to identify a local nonprofit in need of a new or revised version of one of the following documents: • By-laws • Board manual • Set of policy documents that include: conflict of interest, whistleblower policy, compensation determination policy, gift acceptance policy, document retention and destruction, investment policy • Alternatively, students may propose to work on an alternative type of governance document; however, the project must be approved in advance by one of your professors. Each team will work with the designated nonprofit in the role of consultant, to accomplish the stated goal (i.e., the creation or revision of said governance document), and outline a set of procedures for how the document is to be used (for example, if it is part of an orientation process, what does that process look like?). The written presentation of this project should have four components: 1) Demonstrated best practice research – a comparison of other similar documents and reference materials you have used in the process of creating your document 2) If a previous document exists, an annotated explanation of the changes you are suggesting. If a previous document does not exist, an explanation as to why the agency chose to adopt the policies it did. Please note: the best way to do this is on the table of contents. You need to tell us and your client, what materials were existing, which you created or revised, and what references you used to create the new or revised materials. In some cases you may want to recommend several versions of a policy document for your client (for example, a few different conflict of interest policies). 3) A narrative explaining the process you used to develop this project 7
4) A 3-4 page narrative/reflection piece (done separately by each participating student) describing the leadership dimensions of the process you undertook to create this product. What were the dynamics you encountered as part of your working group and how did those dynamics you encountered as part of your working group detract from or contribute to the process and product (e.g., did your team cohere easily, and if so, how; did much negotiation take place; was there a need for conflict resolution, etc.)? What portion of the product were you specifically involved in creating or, what was your major role in developing that product? What organizational dynamics within your client organization impeded or contributed to the effectiveness of the work (for example, how did individual clients or the culture of your client organization shape your work?). What theories/models did you learn in the course that you applied in the process of creating this document (again, please be sure to write a sentence or two defining those for the benefit of the reader)? Please think about how you may have addressed or solved a problem creatively through this process and product. The project is due December 21st. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. •
Class participation
10%
Being prompt, attending class, and actively participating in class discussion is a course requirement. For example, if you attend every class and do not speak up, you will receive a grade of “C” for your participation. If you must miss a class, please contact one of your cohorts and ask him/her to tape record the class and/or provide you with notes on the material. If you miss class when an assignment is due, you must still turn in the assignment on time. Missing more than 3 classes for any reason will result in a grade of “F” for the course. In addition, each team will be asked to do a 15 minute (time-limited) presentation your applied project. These presentations will take place during the last two weeks of class.
Academic Integrity 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 us 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 APA format. Although you are encouraged to work and learn collaboratively, both within and outside of class, the work you submit to us 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 one of us 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 8
better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Curriculum Note: Unless otherwise noted, the homework assignment that appears at the end of each week is what you are asked to do in preparation for the following week. Prior to the first week of class (2 assignments) 1. Read the materials in the introductory AND week 1 sections of your reader. 2. Go to http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=901186 and read the Acs/Turner report: “Making work pay enough”. Week 1/Sept. 14th: A Hot Date with a Welfare State or, A World View of How and Why the Sector Came To Be When it comes to third sector, there’s no big bang theory – it’s all about its evolution over time. Today we’ll look at the greater societal forces in play – social forces, economic forces and political forces -- that caused the creation and development of nonprofits here and throughout the world. We’ll also ask ourselves: Is relative poverty a determinant of the shape of a nonprofit sector “regime”? Should it be? Homework for week 2: three assignments 1. Write a four page paper on one of following topics: a) If the definition of poverty were changed in the U.S. what effect, if any, would that have on the nonprofit sector and on society as a whole? b) What do you think of Reich’s proposal about redistributing tax breaks so that greater benefit is given to donors who contribute to poverty-fighting nonprofits? If you agree with Reich, how would you go about convincing people to back this concept? 2. Go to E-res and read. Kraut, K. (2005, Summer). High Stakes. In The Nonprofit Quarterly 3. Read through the materials in week 2 of your reader with particular attention on the Hasenfeld/Garrow paper (which you should come prepared to discuss). Also, read through the CLPI materials to get an idea of the rules of the lobbying (remember: there’s no need to memorize this stuff, just become familiar with it and be prepared to ask questions on those items that are confusing to you). For additional information, you can also go to the website for Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest: CLPI.org Come prepared to talk about the following: d) Should the nonprofit sector lobby to change the way in which the federal poverty level is calculated? If so, why? If not, why not? 9
e) As the share of rich and poor shift in the U.S. should the nonprofit sector lobby for an expanded welfare state in this country? If you’d like some added insight into these issues, please check out the Cohen Report. Week 2/Sept. 21st: Public Policy Advocacy & Lobbying Most nonprofits participate in “advocacy” campaigns but few lobby. What distinguishes advocacy from lobbying? What are the legal restrictions? How does the legislative process work? Our discussion will be informed by our guest speaker, Deputy Attorney General and former State Assemblyman, Howard Wayne, who will talk about the state budget process. Once we learn the rules, we’ll talk about the Kraut article which, in essence asks: “Are we morally obliged to advocate for the greater good or is it enough to “stick to the knitting?” What’s a nonprofit to do? Please come prepared to discuss the Hasenfeld/Garrow paper and questions “d” and “e” referred to in the homework instructions. Homework for week 3: (2 assignments) 1) Go to: www.sandiego/edu/npresearch, and read the Spotlight on San Diego’s Third Sector Report. 2) Read the materials contained in the week three section of your reader. Come prepared to share your observations on all of this material. Week 3/Sept28: About Nonprofits in America As Shakespeare said, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." Whether you call it the nonprofit sector, nongovernmental sector, third sector, or civil society there are ways to define the unique elements of nonprofitness. Today we’ll look at the scope and size of the sector across the country, at the economics of nonprofits in America, and at characteristics that differentiate nonprofits from other entities. Homework for week four (4 assignments): 1) Go to E-res (electronic reserves) and read the following: • •
Renz, D. (Summer 2005) Funding sources and influence: Assessing the tradeoffs. In The Nonprofit Quarterly McCambridge, R., Salamon, L., (Spring 2003) In but not Of the Market. In The Nonprofit Quarterly
2) Write a 4 page paper explaining the basic premise of the McCambridge/Salamon article and giving us your thoughts on it – do you agree with the paradigm they put forth? How does what they posit dovetail or not with the observations made by Renz in Funding sources and influence 10
and Husock in Nonprofit and for-profit. 3) Read the CBIZ/Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C. article, Setting up non-profit in California in the Week 4 reader section. 4) Please bring a copy of your organization’s mission statement to class next week. Week 4/Oct 5th: How By-laws Can Make or Break Your Organization Ah, by-laws. Those pesky documents we ask lawyers to draft in order to get our tax-exempt status. There they lie like the Titanic at the bottom of a murky ocean, until a crisis arises that forces us to look at what and how we’re actually set up to do business. Ideally by-laws should reflect both best practices and the values of our organization. Today we’ll begin by taking a look at the concept of mission and then poke sticks at different governance models and how they affect the oversight of nonprofit organizations. Homework for week 5 (3 assignments): 1) Read all of the articles in week four of your reader concerning the board battle with the Sierra Club and write a 4 page paper on your opinion of whether the Sierra Club should change its bylaws to avoid this type of conflict in the future. If you believe the group should make changes, what would specific changes would you recommend? If you believe they shouldn’t make changes, why not? 2) In your week five reader, read all of the articles including those that talk about the ACLU (stop after that point). Pay careful attention to the descriptions duties of care, loyalty and obedience by the AG of the State of Minnesota and come prepared to talk about whether the ACLU board, in your opinion, followed said duties. Also, come prepared to discuss the MillerMillesen article. What is she trying to tell us about the nature of nonprofit boards? 3) Go to www.boardsource.org and do a quick read of the Nonprofit Governance Index – 2007 report. Week 5/Oct 12th: Boards: Guardians of Governance Commenting on his book, The Resilient Sector: The State of Nonprofit America, Lester Salamon wrote “American nonprofit organizations have exhibited enormous resilience in the face of an extraordinary array of financial, competitive, accountability, and legitimacy challenges over the past two decades. But the steps they have taken, while allowing them to survive and even to thrive, pose risks to the very qualities that make these organizations so valuable.” As stewards of nonprofits, board members are on the front lines of this constantly changing landscape. All of which leads us to ask – what is the role of the nonprofit board in leading and managing third sector organizations? What is the proper balance between board and staff leadership? Are the accountability pressures – both external and self-imposed – appropriate or excessive? What’s a responsible nonprofit to do? Today we will look at basic and not so basic board governance 11
functions. Homework for week 6 (3 assignments): 1) Read Week 5 reader articles: Perry, S. (2007). Smithsonian takes steps to clean up governance after a scathing review. Also read Jansen & Kilpatrick’s The dynamic nonprofit board and Klausner and Small’s Failing to govern. Then write a 4-5 page paper addressing your thoughts on the paradigms proposed in “Dynamic” and “Failing.” What are your arguments for and against the proposals put forth? Do you believe the problems that befell the Smithsonian could have been avoided if the board had used the oversight model presented in either “Dynamic” or “Failing”? 2) Go to www.sandiego.edu/nprsearch click on the research link and read the report entitled: The Appreciated Sector. Note: there is no need to memorize these data – simply note the key trends in the sector identified through the research. 3) Read through chapter 6 of your reader. Come to class prepared to discuss the issues raised in the readings and the Ostrower report (Note: this is a substantial reading assignment) Week 6/Oct. 19th: Ethics and Accountability Accountability is a little bit like the word “love” – it means different things to different people and in different contexts. Yet in the nonprofit world, the weight associated with being accountable, or being perceived as being accountable, is formidable in light of how the public views and expresses confidence in the sector. Today we’ll take a look at a variety of attempts at self regulation and ask the questions – what is too much and what is not enough? Are certifying organizations providing a service to the sector or are they contributing to the public’s skepticism about nonprofits? Where is the line between ethics and accountability? Homework for week 7 (3 assignments): 1) Go to www.sandiego.edu/npresearch, click on the research link, and read the report entitled: The Grantmaking Report: Foundation and Corporate Giving in the San Diego Region. 2) Read through chapter 7 of your reader (yes, we know it’s a lot of material but there’s no paper to write this week and we’re not asking you to memorize what you’ve read). 3) Go to http://www.sdgrantmakers.org/, click on the “Embracing Diversity: Foundation Giving Benefiting California's Communities of Color (pdf)” and read this report. Week 7/Oct 26th: The Philanthropic Landscape The English novelist Anthony Burgess once said: “We all need money, but there are degrees of desperation.” One defining feature of the Third Sector in America is its structural reliance on philanthropy: unlike the private sector, nonprofits must continually “sing for their supper” 12
regardless of how effective or widespread their impact. Adding to this challenge is an everchanging philanthropic terrain that includes evolving roles for community foundations, venture philanthropy, online giving, and the proliferation of donor advised funds. Today we’ll look at these trends and their impact on fundraising for nonprofits. Homework for week 8 (1 assignment): 1) Read through the articles in week 8 of your reader. As you read through these articles try to map out the world of philanthropy according to the roles of private and community foundations, corporations, individuals of all ages and incomes, contributors to donor advised funds, social venture investors, and the role of endowment income. Come prepared to ask questions about and discuss the various aspects of philanthropy. Week 8/Nov. 2nd: Issues in Philanthropy The two current issues of burning importance in philanthropy are effectiveness and diversity. How do foundations define their role and measure their effectiveness? To what extent does effective philanthropy practice require the inclusion of diverse populations and do standards vary by foundation type or mission? We will be joined by a panel of guest foundation professionals who will discuss these issues and others they consider relevant. Homework for week 9 (2 assignments): 1) Write a 4 page paper that addresses one of the following topics: a) Should foundations: a) be required to spend 5% or more annually on grants over and above administrative expenses? b) limit the amount trustees are paid or be forbidden from paying trustees? c) be required that their money is distributed to diverse communities? b) Is the proliferation of private-label funds a positive development for the nonprofit sector? c) Should foundation and charity endowments be regulated in any way? If so, what do you propose? Do you believe, as Lenkowsky advocates, that social goals for endowment investments are beside the point? What about annual minimum distribution requirements? 2) Read through the materials in week 9 of your reader. Come prepared to reflect on what you’ve read responding to the issues raised by the Perry articles and the piece by Maasoka/Peters. Do you agree or disagree with their regulatory reform proposals? What elements aren’t included in the Masaoka/Peters framework that you would like to see added? Week 9/Nov. 9th: The Regulatory Debate So many regulations; so little time! The proliferation of the sector combined with public skepticism about the integrity of nonprofits has led to regulatory reform at both the state and federal level -- most recently reflected in the redesigned form 990. What is required of the 13
sector? Do those requirements ensure integrity? Does “one size fits all” make sense when it comes to regulatory oversight? Who should bear the costs? Do we have the right systems in place? Today we’ll explore the many facets of this on-going debate. Homework (2 assignments): 1) Go to www.sandiego.edu/npresearch and read the report: Executive Transition in the San Diego Nonprofit Sector (it’s a quick read). 2) Read through the week 10 readings. Week 10/Nov. 16th: Personnel: Common Sense and Legal Strategies for Finding Them, Hiring Them and Keeping Them. According to a 2006 study conducted by USD’s Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research, 68% of San Diego’s nonprofit executive directors are considering leaving their jobs within the next 5 years – figures that echo national trends. Finding and keeping good staff is both an art and a science. Today we’ll look at a range of hiring techniques, personnel policy must-haves and could haves and discuss the blurry line between responsible and ethical management practices. We will also discuss what motivates nonprofit professionals and the strategies they use for job search. Heather Carpenter, a doctoral research assistant at the Caster Family Center for Nonprofit Research, will share her research findings. Homework (2 assignments): 1) Read the Linnell and Deal articles on E-Res.; Linnell, D. (2008, Spring). Boards and leadership hires: how to get it right. In The Nonprofit Quarterly; and Deal, J. (2008, Spring). Gap or pap; generational differences at work. In The Nonprofit Quarterly 2) Read through the materials in week 11 of your reader. Come to class with questions in mind for the panel of professional volunteer managers. Week 11/Nov. 23rd: Volunteers One can easily argue that volunteers are the backbone of nonprofits in America. Yet, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service, almost one third of the more than 65 million American adults who volunteered their time with nonprofit organizations in 2005, did not renew their commitment in 2006. How does attracting and retaining volunteers differ from attracting and retaining paid staff? Today we’ll hear a presentation from volunteer management professionals who will discuss the challenges and the changes in volunteering in America: 2009 and beyond. Homework (1 assignment) 1) Please read and come prepared to discuss the chapter “Building Supervisory Relationships” (it can be found in chapter 12 of your reader). Think about these questions: How do good managers 14
integrate values into the operation of their organizations? Week 12/Nov. 30th: Evaluation and Supervision Employee evaluations are often dreaded by both supervisors and staff; too often supervisors struggle to give constructive feedback while staff members stifle the urge to be defensive. It’s important to know the rules, what works and what doesn’t, and to also know something about who you are in the process. Today we’ll begin by taking a look at the elements that make for a good employee evaluation process. We’ll then consider what constitutes a “good” nonprofit supervisor. Homework for week 12: (2 assignments): 1. Read through the materials in week 13 of your reader. 2) Each of you will be asked to present the information contained in these articles – to articulate the management models and philosophies that are described – to your classmates next week. Come prepared to discuss the validity and challenges in each of the management models presented. One of the groups will be asked to do a presentation on Servant-Leadership as defined in the writings of Robert Greenleaf. Week 13/Dec.7th: Managing Mission and People Herb, Leslie and Price propose one paradigm, Greenleaf another, and Minzberg a third. How do their ideas mesh or conflict with the practices at W.L. Gore, and with the ideas of Sirota, Mischkind and Meltzer, and those described by Kiger and Courtney? Can we arrive at a coherent view of management and leadership? Is it really all that different to manage for-profits than nonprofits? We look forward to discussing these articles and your individual and collective thoughts on how the leadership and management models proposed resonate with your observations of yourself and your own workplaces. Week 14 & 15: Dec. 14th and Dec. 21st: Student Presentations on Client Projects.
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