Nonprofit Management
Courses
NPM 501 Foundations in Fundraising and Ethics 3.0 Credits
This is another graduate-level introductory course providing a broad understanding of the different elements of nonprofit organizations from the fundraising perspective and it will provide the basis from which students will then learn, in greater detail, about stewardship, donor cultivation, capital campaigns. It also provides students with a base knowledge to prepare them for their subsequent experiential learning.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 520 Writing for Nonprofits 3.0 Credits
Writing is crucial to the success of all nonprofit organizations. In this introductory graduate-level course students will create their own nonprofit organization and will craft a number of written materials based on the organization they envision. Students will build upon these materials in subsequent courses.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 550 Stewardship & Donor Cultivation 3.0 Credits
Stewardship is the process of developing a relationship, followed by the continued cultivation of that relationship. In this class, students will focus on the subtleties and strategies of stewarding prospects, transitioning them to donors, and the continued cultivation of donors. Students will also explore the four R’s of donor cultivation: research, romance, request, and recognition.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 600 Nonprofit Workshop I 3.0 Credits
In this workshop-based course, students will work directly with a nonprofit organization to study, solve, or create an action plan for a particular generalized need as identified by the nonprofit. Students will build upon early foundational knowledge while developing hands-on experience in a safe setting guided by the faculty member. Through reflective work, students will learn to assess their own work and ultimately identify their own strengths and weaknesses to target areas for continued growth.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NPM 550 [Min Grade: B] (Can be taken Concurrently) and NPM 501 [Min Grade: B] and NPM 520 [Min Grade: B]
NPM 602 Nonprofit Workshop II 3.0 Credits
In this second workshop-based course, students will work directly with a nonprofit organization to study, solve, or create an action plan for a particular in-depth need as identified by the nonprofit. Students will continue to build upon foundational knowledge while developing hands-on experience in a safe setting guided by the faculty member. Through reflective work, students will learn to assess their own work and ultimately identify their own strengths and weaknesses to identify area for continued growth.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NPM 600 [Min Grade: B]
NPM 603 Regional Volunteer Experience 3.0 Credits
Most nonprofit organizations heavily rely on volunteers. To effectively manage a nonprofit organization, whether small or large, it is essential to understand the goals and intent of the volunteers. In this course, students will volunteer on a weekly basis at a nonprofit (located near their place of residence). Students will complete weekly self-assessment reports to reflect on their experience as a volunteer, while also looking at the function of the nonprofit organization.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 610 Fostering Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace 3.0 Credits
Diversity in the workplace has moved beyond calculating a broad range of employee demographics. Employers, especially nonprofits, are focusing on including and elevating diverse voices and diverse perspectives and building teams that represent the populations they serve and for-profits to create and deliver more innovative services and products and gain a competitive edge. Evidence demonstrates diverse teams are more creative and productive. But, inclusion cannot happen in a vacuum. Leadership must foster and support diversity and inclusion and create an environment where all employees are empowered to be productive and innovative.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 615 Program Evaluation 3.0 Credits
The course is designed to have students apply qualitative and quantitative methods to frame and implement an evaluation capable of being implemented in a broad range of nonprofit (and for-profit) organizational settings, including those found in education, health care, government and private sector organizations. Students will study the purposes and models of program evaluation, roles of the evaluator and stakeholders, and address ethical issues associated with an evaluation. To gain practical experience with “continuous program improvement,” students will conduct an evaluation of an existing program.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 645 Strategic Planning for Nonprofits 3.0 Credits
Strategic planning is essential for the effective leadership, management, and sustainability of the nonprofit organization. In this course, students will explore how nonprofit organizations identify strategies to achieve and develop their mission. Students will examine the key elements of the strategic planning process, especially those unique to nonprofit organizations: goal setting, engagement with board initiatives, mission development and/or realignment, funding limitations, and the roles of key stakeholders, such as board members, executive leadership, staff, and volunteers. Students will develop a practical model they can then apply to any nonprofit organization to conduct successful strategic planning.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 670 Managing Effective Capital Campaigns 3.0 Credits
Capital Campaigns are the structure around which the largest donations are typically received. They differ drastically from annual funds, and thus it is imperative that students develop the necessary skills and knowledge needed to manage a capital campaign from conception through completion.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
NPM 680 Leading Nonprofit Organizations 3.0 Credits
Students will explore the different roles within the senior leadership team of nonprofit organizations to determine how those roles intersect to achieve the mission. Students will delve into leadership skills such as communication, motivating others, managing conflict, building partnerships and financial acumen to understand the necessity of those skills in developing a strategic vision, managing an effective team, and growing the organization to meet the needs of the community. The notion of servant leadership, ethics, and mission will be threaded throughout the course. Students will consider their own leadership skills to determine what skills they need to develop/enhance to be an effective nonprofit leader. This course is ideal for students already working in a nonprofit seeking a more senior role.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NPM 501 [Min Grade: B]
NPM 700 Capstone I 1.5 Credit
Students can pursue one of two paths for their capstone experience: first, they can choose to work with the nonprofit they partnered with during the Nonprofit Workshop II course and implement the plan, etc. as identified in that class; or second, students can choose and study a specific topic, trend, or issue confronting the nonprofit sector. During the Capstone I course, students will do the following: Option 1: Further develop the implementation plan, establish how s/he will be evaluated for the implementation, develop a reading list to assist in the implementation, and begin the implementation. Option 2: Choose a topic, conduct research, develop a bibliography, and create an outline for a final paper (to be completed in the Capstone II course).
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NPM 501 [Min Grade: B] and NPM 520 [Min Grade: B] and NPM 550 [Min Grade: B] and NPM 645 [Min Grade: B] and NPM 600 [Min Grade: B] and NPM 602 [Min Grade: B] and NPM 603 [Min Grade: B]
NPM 701 Capstone II 4.5 Credits
This is the second in of a two-part capstone experience in which students demonstrate, in one of two ways, what they have learned in the program. They can choose to apply their skills in an experiential setting or conduct research and report on a specific relevant topic within the nonprofit sector. Both demonstrate the breadth of the student’s knowledge.
Repeat Status: Not repeatable for credit
Prerequisites: NPM 700 [Min Grade: B]
