PPPA 6031 Governing and Managing Nonprofit Organizations

The George Washington University

Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration

PPPA 6031 - GOVERNING AND MANAGING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

(Fall, 2020)

(Rev. 8/5/20)

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

PPPA 6031.10 (CRN 52343)

Governing and Managing Nonprofit Organizations

PROFESSOR INFORMATION

Michael J. Worth

Professor of Nonprofit Management

Office: 805 21st Street, NW, #601-S, Washington, DC 20052 E-mail: [email protected]

Office hours: Fall, 2020: Times for virtual office hours will be announced by the professor. Students are encouraged to make an appointment, even during scheduled office hours. The professor also is available for phone or tele-conference meetings by appointment. Email is the best way to contact the professor for a prompt reply.

COURSE FORMAT (REMOTE LEARNING)

This course requires work to be conducted by students asynchronously (i.e., on their own), including reading, viewing online videos, and reviewing narrated PowerPoints posted on Blackboard by the professor. It also includes synchronous class sessions, which will be conducted through Blackboard Collaborate Ultra. This syllabus provides instructions to students for preparing for each class session and an agenda for each session. The professor will provide additional directions and may modify assignments in this syllabus as the course unfolds. The professor will communicate with the class via email on a regular basis with regard to any changes.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides a comprehensive overview of principles related to the governance and management of nonprofit organizations. Topics considered include the historical, legal, and social foundations of the nonprofit sector; developing organizational strategy and capacity; managing staff, boards, and volunteers; financial management; fundraising, marketing, communications, and advocacy; collaboration, partnerships, and mergers; accountability and performance management; earned income activities; social entrepreneurship and innovation; and policy issues affecting the nonprofit sector. The emphasis is on nonprofit organizations in the United States. There is no course prerequisite.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

This course is appropriate for students planning or considering careers in the nonprofit sector as well as individuals employed in nonprofit organizations who seek to expand their knowledge in order to advance to more senior management roles. It is a required course for MPA and MPP students concentrating in nonprofit management and for students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management program. It is also appropriate as an elective for other students who desire an understanding of the field.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students completing the course will be able to: 1) Describe the unique characteristics and values of the nonprofit sector; 2) Identify organizational opportunities and problems and propose strategic approaches;

3) Recognize the major challenges in governing and managing nonprofit organizations and identify models and tools that may be applicable in various situations; 4) Explain various approaches to measuring the performance of nonprofit organizations; 5) Explain basic principles of financial management; 6) Identify alternative strategies for revenue generation; and 7) Analyze the key policy issues affecting the nonprofit sector.

METHODS OF EVALUATION

20% of course grade: class participation

Students are expected to attend virtual class sessions and participate in discussions. Attendance will be taken in each class session. Attendance policies follow those of the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration. Students who may have difficulty attending a virtual session should contact the professor to discuss alternatives.

40% of course grade: brief papers

Twice during the semester, the professor will assign questions related to a case. The written assignment will require students to compare, contrast, and analyze concepts and issues related to the case, drawing on readings and class discussion. Answers are to be written at home. The paper may not exceed five (5) pages, double-spaced. Each brief paper counts for 20% of the course grade. The paper must be submitted via email no later than the beginning of the next class session. The cases must be purchased from the Harvard Business School site for $4.25 each (see detailed instruction under Required Reading, below).

40% of course grade: course paper or project

Students will complete a course paper or a project, on a topic of their choosing that is related to the course. The paper or project may take several forms, as explained in Attachment I to this syllabus.

Students are strongly encouraged to identify the topic of their paper or project as early in the semester as possible, not later than week 8. Formal approval of the topic is not required, but students are encouraged to discuss their ideas with the professor to make sure that it is appropriate.

Students should be prepared to give a brief (5 minutes) summary of their work in class, as called upon, beginning in the next-to-final session. The completed paper/project must be submitted via email no later than the day of the final class meeting.

GRADING STANDARDS – See Attachment II COURSE POLICIES – See Attachment II TIME COMMITMENT – See Attachment II

REQUIRED READING

Books (Purchase):

Crutchfield, Leslie R. and Heather McLeod Grant, Forces for Good (Revised and Updated). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2012. [ISBN 978-1-118-11880-1]

Worth, Michael J., Nonprofit Management: Principles and Practice (fifth edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage/CG Press, 2019. [ISBN 978-1-5063-9686-6]

Blackboard and Web:

Additional required and recommended readings are available on Blackboard or the Web.

Cases (brief paper assignments):

Two case studies to be read in connection with the brief paper assignments must be obtained from the Harvard Business School. Students will need to register at the Harvard website and pay Harvard directly for the download fee of $4.25 for each case (total $8.50). The URL for the Harvard site is https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/732355. This will bring you to a site for this course, where you can register and purchase access to the two cases. If you have any difficulty downloading the cases, please contact Harvard Business Publishing Tech Help line at (800) 810-8858, which is open 24/7.

Recommended reading:

WEB: Morino, Leap of Reason; Hunter, Working Hard-and Working Well

(Both books are available for free download at https://leapofreason.org/get-the-books/leap-of-reason/); BLACKBOARD: (1) Kim, et al., 2019, Challenges in the use of performance data in management: Results of a national survey of human service nonprofit organizations. (2) Mook et al., 2015, Turning SROI On Its Head

FIRST BRIEF PAPER ASSIGNED: HULL HOUSE

Case available from https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/732355. This will bring you to a site for this course, where you can register and purchase access to the case. If you have any difficulty downloading the case, please contact Harvard Business Publishing Tech Help line at (800) 810-8858, which is open 24/7.

Students will need to register and pay a $4.25 fee to access the case. The professor will assign questions in this class session, to which students will respond with written answers, due in the next class session.

NOTE: Hull House also is discussed in Case 12.1 in the textbook. Students may read thetextbook case but also should read the longer HBS case, on which the questions for the paper will be based.

SESSION 6

OCTOBER 12, 2020

GUEST SPEAKER – Art Taylor, CEO, Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance Topic: Ethics in the Nonprofit Sector

FIRST BRIEF PAPER DUE

SESSION 7

OCTOBER 19, 2020

BUILDING HIGH-PERFORMANCE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Required reading: BOOKS: (1) Crutchfield and Grant, chapters 1-12 (13 optional); (2) Worth, chapters 7, 8 (including case of N Street Village and Miriam’s House)

Recommended reading/viewing: BLACKBOARD: Brest, P. 2012, A Decade of Outcome Oriented Philanthropy; YOUTUBE: Interview with Schroder Stribling, CEO, N Street Village (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m41KWivkGVg)

SESSION 8

OCTOBER 26, 2020

MANAGING STAFF AND SERVICE VOLUNTEERS

Required reading/viewing: BOOK: Worth, Chapter 9; BLACKBOARD: (1) Lang, 2018, You Can’t Mistreat Us; (2) McClelland needs instrument; YOUTUBE: Leah George, “How generation stereotypes hold us back at work” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKNu5ZnWhb4) WEB: Kapila et al., 2016, Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Matter (https://independentsector.org/resource/why-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-matter/)

Recommended reading: BLACKBOARD: Nesbit et al., 2017, The Limits and Possibilities of Volunteering

SECOND BRIEF PAPER ASSIGNED: KaBOOM! CASE

Case available from https://hbsp.harvard.edu/import/732355. This will bring you to a site for this course, where you can register and purchase access to the two cases. If you have any difficulty downloading the cases, please contact Harvard Business Publishing Tech Help line at (800) 810- 8858, which is open 24/7. Students will need to register and pay a $4.25 fee to access the case. The professor will assign questions in this class session, to which students will respond with written answers, due in the next class session.

SESSION 9

NOVEMBER 2, 2020

GUEST SPEAKER – Nicole Lynn Lewis, Founder and CEO, Generation Hope

SECOND BRIEF PAPER DUE

SESSION 10

NOVEMBER 9, 2020 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Required reading: BOOK: Worth, Chapter 12; BLACKBOARD: Newseum case

Recommended reading: WEB: Peruse the most recent Form 990 of Food and Friends available on the website (https://foodandfriends.org/transparency/) (Students do not need to read line-by-line. Just become familiar with the major sections and format.)

SESSION 11

NOVEMBER 16, 2020

EXTERNAL RELATIONS (MARKETING, FUNDRAISING, ADVOCACY, LOBBYING)

Required reading: BOOK: Worth, Chapters 10, 11, 13, 15; Worth, Appendix: Girls Scouts case

Recommended reading: WEB: Lobbying Guidelines for Public Charities (Independent Sector) https://independentsector.org/resource/lobbying-guidelines-for-public-c…

SESSION 12

NOVEMBER 23, 2020

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, AND SOCIAL INNOVATION

Required reading/viewing: BOOK: Worth, Chapters 14, 16; Worth, Appendix-No Kid Hungry case BLACKBOARD: Ganz et al., 2018, Social Enterprise Is Not Social Change; YOUTUBE: “The Dark Side of Social Enterprise” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2PTNBnb_aw)

SESSION 13

NOVEMBER 30, 2020

DISCUSSION OF STUDENT FINAL PAPERS/PROJECTS

Students should be prepared to give a brief overview of their paper/project (5-minute summary).

SESSION 14

DECEMBER 7, 2020

CONTINUED DISCUSSION OF STUDENT FINAL PAPERS/PROJECTS

FINAL PAPER/PROJECT DUE

ATTACHMENT I

OPTIONS AND IDEAS FOR COURSE PAPER OR PROJECT

Below are some suggestions of approaches to the course paper/project. These are suggestions, but the professor is open to various approaches that students may propose.

A case study of a nonprofit organization. Writing a case study requires identifying strategic issues faced by the organization and analyzing its efforts to address those issues, not merely providing a summary of the organization’s programs. In some instances, a case study may be written entirely from published materials. Others require conducting interviews with the organization’s leaders. There is no prescribed length for a case study, but most are about 16-20 pages, including references but not including attachments.

A critical survey of the literature on a subject related to the course. The paper should reflect the student’s critical thinking rather than just summarize the material, for example, identifying themes and issues in the literature and analyzing various approaches. Assigned readings may stimulate thinking about paper topics. Reading the Chronicle of Philanthropy is also a good way to identify topics that are of current interest in the nonprofit sector. The professor will discuss possible paper topics in class, but students should select topics of particular interest to them. A paper of this type is usually about 16-20 pages in length, including references.

An analysis of an ethical or policy issue related to the course. The paper should analyze both sides of the issue and take a position, supported with reasoned arguments and data. For example, there are significant issues related to tax policy, standards for nonprofit accountability, proposals for legislation increasing the regulation of nonprofits, and many others. This type of paper is usually about 16-20 pages in length, including references.

Other projects related to the course. The professor is open to creative projects that are of sufficient magnitude and relevance to the course, for example, developing a strategic or fundraising plan, conducting a capacity assessment, or evaluating a program. The project needs to be substantive, not just a volunteer experience (e.g., tutoring students in an after-school program). The project should involve applying knowledge gained through readings and discussions in this course. Students should discuss project ideas with the professor in advance of beginning work.

Students who are employed at a nonprofit may do a case study or project related to that organization, but only if it represents work outside of their normal job responsibilities and is over and above what they are required to do in their jobs. In other words, you cannot submit a work product from your employment to meet the requirements of this course.

Students may voluntarily choose to work together with up to two other students as a team to complete a significant project or case study. This requires the professor’s prior approval, which will be given only for projects that represent a very substantialbody of work, worthy of the efforts of multiple individuals.

Projects need to result in a tangible product that the professor can evaluate. For example, if a student were to develop a plan or manual or conduct a study or assessment for a nonprofit organization, the professor would expect to see the written plan or report. In addition, the student must submit a memorandum reflecting on the project. This memorandum should describe how the project was conducted – what meetings were held at the nonprofit, what documents and materials were used, etc. It should also summarize what was learned through the experience. If the project has been undertaken by a team, the memorandum should describe the role played by each team member.

ATTACHMENT II - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

(The following policies are an integral part of this course syllabus.)

GRADING STANDARDS

Letter grading is based on a four-point scale as follows:

3.7-4.0 A: Excellent and exceptional work for a graduate student. Work at this level is unusually thorough, well-reasoned, creative, methodologically sophisticated, and well written. Work is of exceptional professional quality.

3.6-3.7 A-: Very Good: Very strong work for a graduate student. Shows signs of creativity and a strong understanding of appropriate analytical approaches, is thorough and well-reasoned, and meets professional standards.

3.3-3.6 B+: Good: Sound work for a graduate student; well-reasoned and thorough, without serious analytical shortcomings. This grade indicates the student has fully accomplished the basic objectives of this graduate course.

3.0-3.3 B: Adequate: Competent work for a graduate student with some evident weaknesses. Demonstrates competency in the key course objectives but the understanding or application of some important issues is less than complete.

2.7-3.0 B-: Borderline: Weak work for a graduate student but meets minimal expectations in the course. Understanding of key issues is incomplete. (A B- average in all courses is not sufficient to sustain graduate status in good standing.)

2.3-2.6 C+: Deficient: Inadequate work for a graduate student; rarely meets minimal expectations for course. Work is poorly developed or flawed by numerous errors and misunderstandings of important issues.

2.0-2.3 C: Deficient - see above 1.7-2.0 C-: Deficient- see above

Less than 1.7 F: Unacceptable: Work fails to meet minimal expectations or course credit for a graduate student. Performance has consistently failed to meet minimum course requirements. Weaknesses and limitations are pervasive.

COURSE POLICIES

This course follows established policies of the University and Columbian College, including the policy on class attendance (http://registrar.gwu.edu/university-policies#attendance), the policy on religious holidays (http://registrar.gwu.edu/university-policies#attendance), and the policy on disabilities (http://registrar.gwu.edu/university-policies#attendance). Students with disabilities are encouraged to seek assistance from Disability Support Services (https://disabilitysupport.gwu.edu/). The University’s Mental Health Services provide assistance and referral to address students’ personal, social, career, and study skills problems (see counselingcenter.gwu.edu). Any case of dishonesty will be referred to the Academic Integrity Council following the processes provided online. The Code states: “Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting one’s own work, taking credit for the work of others without crediting them and without appropriate authorization, and the fabrication of information.” For the remainder of the Code, see http://www.gwu.edu/~ntegrity.code/html.

Written assignments are due on the day indicated in this syllabus. The grade for the paper will be lowered by one-half grade (e.g., A becomes A-) for every day that the paper is late, unless the professor has granted an extension. Extensions may be granted only under certain circumstances, consistent with the above policies. The professor reserves the right not to accept work that is very late and to assign a failing grade to such work.

Civility in the Classroom: Higher education works best when it becomes a vigorous and lively marketplace of ideas in which all points of view are heard. Free expression in the classroom is an integral part of this process. At the same time, higher education demands that all of us approach the enterprise with empathy and respect for others, irrespective of their ideology, political views, or identity.

TIME COMMITMENT

This is a three-credit graduate course. The semester is 15 weeks. Required reading and preparation of papers outside of class is expected to require, on average, 5.5 hours per week. Instruction, including class sessions and asynchronous instruction via Blackboard, will require 2 hours per week. The total student time commitment is estimated to be 112.5 hours (7.5 hours per week for 15 weeks).