Time Schedule:
Steven S Atamian
B BUS 490
Bothell Campus
Topics of current interest to faculty and students. Offered when allowed by faculty availability and sufficient student interest. Prerequisite: minimum grade of 1.7 in B BUS 300; B BSKL 300; minimum grade of 1.7 in B BUS 310.
Class description
The course will examine the successes, challenges and organizational structures of market-based nonprofits and social enterprises. It will focus on leadership strategies and case studies of sustainable non-profit organizations while receiving guest lecturers from local nonprofit leaders in Seattle. Additionally, students will develop their own mini-business plan for an international nonprofit or social enterprise.
Student learning goals
Provide an introduction to the differences between forming non-profit or for-profit entities and how they compete/coexist
Develop an understanding of the unique challenges of nonprofit leaders, including organization culture, board development, volunteer management, program creation, and fundraising
Diagnose and create effective nonprofit business models to motivate social entrepreneurship
General method of instruction
Heavy on experiential learning.
Recommended preparation
Because of the short summer term, it will be helpful to get started on the required readings to lessen the load during the term. Please begin reading:
- Brafman, Ori, and Rod A. Beckstrom. The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 2006. - Saul, Jason. The End of Fundraising. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2011. - Elkington, John, and Pamela Hartigan. The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2008.
Class assignments and grading
Practical assignments throughout the course, including a mini-business plan for a fictitious non-profit or social enterprise that will be developed in small teams.
