Course Description
This course will focus on deepening students' understanding of the role of management and leadership in today's nonprofit sector. Topics covered include: the responsibilities and challenges facing today's non-profit managers, the role of the board of directors, planning, funding and staffing programs, financial accountability, and ethical decision making. (3 credits)
Prerequisites
- ENG 101: English Composition 1
- ENG 102: English Composition 2
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Understand the history of the nonprofit sector.
- Compare and contrast the nonprofit and for profit sectors and government.
- Explain the role and responsibilities of the board of directors.
- Understand the unique challenges of managing nonprofit organizations.
- Analyze the environment in which nonprofit organizations operate.
- Understand the basic responsibilities and interconnectivity of the various functions in nonprofit organizations.
- Create and use tools necessary for managing a nonprofit organization.
- Develop management skills necessary to become a successful nonprofit leader.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Points | Weight |
|---|
Discussions (50 Pts/Week, Weeks 1-8) | 400 | 40% |
Assignments (60 Pts/Each, Weeks 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) | 300 | 30% |
Final Exam (Week 8) | 300 | 30% |
Total | 1000 | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle
- Renz, David. The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership & Management. 4th ed. Jossey-Bass, Inc., 2016. ISBN-13: 9781118852965
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 1, 2 | - Chapter 1: Historical Perspectives on Nonprofit Organizations in the United States
- On-Line resource: Scope of the Nonprofit Sector
- On-Line resource: The Sector's Economic Impact
| - Respond to Orientation Survey
- Read assigned chapter
- Read on-line resources noted
- Review the Lecture material
- Participate in the Discussions
|
2 | 1, 2 | - Chapter 2: The Legal Framework of the Nonprofit Sector in the United States
- Chapter 3: The Changing Context of Nonprofit Management in the United States
- On-Line resource: Report to Congress and the Nonprofit Sector on Governance, Transparency, and Accountability (pages 4-8 and 85-91)
| - Read assigned chapters
- Read on-line resource noted
- Review the Lecture material
- Participate in the Discussions
- Submit Assignment #1: Form 990 research and report
|
3 | 3, 4 | - Chapter 5: Leadership, Governance, and the Work of the Board
- On-Line resource: Good Governance Practices for 501(c)(3) Organizations
- On-Line resource: Board Recruitment in the Nonprofit Market
- Chapter 6: Executive Leadership
- On-Line resource: Up Next: Generation Change and the Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations
- On-Line resource: Nonprofit Executive Leadership and Transition Survey
| - Read assigned chapters
- Read on-line resource noted
- Review the Lecture material
- Participate in the Discussions
- Submit Assignment #2: Leadership Style Self Assessment
|
4 | 5, 8 | - Chapter 8. Strategic Management
- Chapter 9: Strategic Planning and the Strategic Cycle
- Chapter 15: Value Creation through Collaboration
- On-Line resource: Basics of Monitoring, Evaluating and Deviating from the Strategic Plan
| - Read assigned chapters
- Read on-line resources noted
- Participate in the Discussions
- Review the Lecture material
- Submit Assignment #3: Strategic Plan Assessment
|
5 | 6, 8 | - Chapter 7: Ethical Nonprofit Management
- On-Line resource: The Checklist for Accountability
- Chapter 13: Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
- On-Line resource: Statement of Values and Code of Ethics for Nonprofit and Philanthropic Organizations
| - Read assigned chapters
- Read on-line resources note
- Participate in the Discussions
- Review the Lecture material
- Submit Assignment #4: Test Your Accountability IQ
|
6 | 6, 7, 8 | - Chapter 16: Outcome Assessment and Program Evaluation
- Complete Logic Model Exercise
| - Read assigned chapters
- Read on-line resource noted
- Participate in the Discussions
- Review the Lecture material
- Submit Assignment #5: Create Logic Model
|
7 | 6, 8 | - Chapter 18: Philanthropy and Fundraising: The Comprehensive Development Program
- Donor Bill of Rights
- Chapter 21: Tools and Techniques of Nonprofits Financial Management
- On-Line resource: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Implications for Nonprofit Organizations
| - Read assigned chapters
- Read on-line resources noted
- Participate in the Discussions
- Review the Lecture material
- Optional Extra Credit Assignment due
|
8 | 6, 8 | - Chapter 22: Effective Human Resource Management: Nonprofit Staffing for the Future
- Chapter 24: Designing and Managing Volunteer Programs
- Conclusion: The Future of Nonprofit Leadership and Management
| - Read assigned chapters
- Read on-line resource noted
- Participate in the Discussions
- Review the Lecture material
|
Final Exam
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11,15,16,19, 22, 23, 24, 26
SLOs 1-8 |
COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.
