Time Schedule:
Cory Sbarbaro
PB AF 551
Seattle Campus
Explores the means through which nonprofit organizations establish strategies to expand their impact, sustain their organizations, and shape the future, and the steps through which they develop effective new programs to implement those strategies.
Class description
This three-credit course is intended to help students explore the multiple means through which successful nonprofit managers develop their programs and thus better serve their clients/constituents. The course will trace the program development process through several stages, including, but not limited to:
* The inception of the program development idea. * Evaluation of the appropriateness of the project given the history and mission of the organization, and the external authorizing environment. * Use of strategic planning processes to help guide program design and expansion. * Assessment of the fiscal, human, and other resources and other capacity of the organization to carry out programs. * Analysis of the potential market for the program or service. * Review of multiple alternatives in program design and the means of selecting among alternatives. * Development of partnerships with other agencies or organizations. * Selection of options and preparation of a plan. * Evaluation of program impact. * Pursuit of funding resources to cover program costs.
Student learning goals
Students will utilize the course to develop a more sophisticated understanding of how sustainable nonprofit organizational growth materializes in some instances and fails to materialize in others. Through a term-long project with a selected nonprofit organization, students will learn specific courses of action which are intended to increase programmatic impact and improve client outcomes.
General method of instruction
The class relies heavily on student participation, drawing upon their work throughout the term on a project for a client organization which is selected with the assistance of the instructor. Each of the stages of the strategic planning and program development process (including development of the initial plan, assessing the “fit” of a new program idea, determining fiscal capacity, and completing the actual program design) will be addressed in detail in class. Other methods of instruction include case studies, readings, lectures, and presentations by visiting practitioners.
Recommended preparation
Previous coursework in nonprofit management is strongly preferred but not required.
Class assignments and grading
Class participation: 20% - Case study memos: 20% - Interview with nonprofit professional: 10% - Major project/paper (on program development): 50%
