The nonprofit sector (also referred to as the independent, voluntary, civic, or charitable sector) is the third sector in American society, after the business (for-profit) and government sectors. Nonprofits are a vital part of American society, employing millions of people and having an economic impact of about $1.25 trillion annually.
In this class, I want to expose you to the variety of nonprofits that exist. You might think of nonprofits as just social benefit organizations (e.g., Food for Lane County, HIV Alliance, Birth to Three), but there are many other types of nonprofits that touch our lives. In exposing you to nonprofits, I will also compare and contrast the nonprofit sector to the government and business sectors.
This is an introductory class, so I’ll take the Petri dish approach – I want to cover the breadth of the nonprofit sector, but I can’t provide enough depth to give you a thorough understanding of the sector.
There are no prerequisites for this class, and it satisfies the social science group requirements. The class also satisfies the introductory requirement for the Minor in Nonprofit Administration within the PPPM Department. If you’re still interested after this class (and I hope you still are), you’ll have opportunities to explore the sector in more detail in other PPPM classes.
Course Structure
I will try to use a variety of approaches in this class. I’ll spend some time lecturing each week, we’ll have guest speakers on a regular basis, we’ll discuss topics of the lectures and readings, and you may have a chance to do research on your own about nonprofits that interest you. I want you to engage with the material, and my goal is to try to facilitate that process. The more effort you make, the more you’ll learn, and not surprisingly, the better your final grade will be.
Reading Materials
The required text for this class is Nonprofit Nation: A New Look at the Third America by Michael O’Neill. It is available at the UO Bookstore. We will supplement this book with additional readings that will be available via Blackboard at http://blackboard.uoregon.edu.
Grading
This class is offered on either a graded or pass/no pass basis. Your grade will be determined by your performance on the following:
- Attendance and participation (in class and online): 20%
- Blog Posts (7): 35%
- Assignments (2): 20%
- Final paper: 25%
TOTAL: 100%
Attendance and Participation
You registered for this class because you were interested in learning more about the nonprofit sector, so the best way to accomplish that goal is to attend class. I’ll expect you to be in attendance each time we meet, and we’ll generally take attendance to confirm this. You can have two unexcused absences before it affects your grade in this class.
You’ll also be expected to participate in class discussions. Those will occur as a class, in smaller groups, and in reading and commenting on your classmates’ blogs.
Student Blogs
You are expected to prepare for each class session by completing the assigned reading for that week’s class. In the past, I have asked students to write reaction papers that correspond to weekly readings, class discussion, and guest speakers. This term we will take these written assignments one step further by having you create and post reactions to your own blog.
In recent years, the “blogosphere” has become a very influential component of public discourse, and its importance is growing exponentially. As a website chronicling an author’s thoughts, reactions, and disseminating information, a blog takes on a character that is both personal and public. As a social media tool, a blog can create and connect communities of people interested in the same subject.
Blogging is an appropriate tool for this class for a number of reasons:
- The “personal and public” character of blogging is well-suited for you to chronicle your explorations of the nonprofit sector.
- You will be able to read and comment on your classmates’ posts, identifying similarities and differences in your reactions to course content.
- Gaining experience with blogs is particularly important for students interested in working in the nonprofit sector. Blogging platforms such as WordPress are inexpensive, user-friendly ways for nonprofits to manage web content, enhancing their capacity to communicate their mission and work to the public.
- Blogging is an eco-friendly alternative to asking 60 students to turn in weekly three-page papers. We’ll collectively save thousands of sheets of paper.
Step 1: Set up a blog specifically for you to use with this course. I suggest using WordPress or Blogger. Both of these sites offer free hosting and good resources to help orient you to blogging tools. Take some care in playing with the appearance and layout, and also be thoughtful in the title you give to your blog. This is your personal (and public) exploration of the nonprofit sector. Name and design accordingly.
For students who need a little guidance with the technology, we will set up a special session of office hours during the first week of class to help you get started.
Step 2: Write your introductory post. Remember, the potential audience for your blog is far broader than just this class. In your inaugural post, please make sure you include the following information:
- The purpose of your blog, what you will be blogging about, and how it connects to PPPM 280: Introduction to Nonprofit Sector.
- Your background. Why are you taking this course? Do you have any experience with nonprofit organizations? What are you hoping to learn this term?
- Your reaction to the first week’s reading (Chapters 1 &2), lecture, and class discussion.
Writing a reaction post on your blog for the week’s readings will help synthesize your thoughts and review what you learned the past week. Reaction posts are not a recitation of the key points in the reading. They are a record of your reaction to what you read, the class lectures and discussions, and the guest speakers. If you’re stuck, try answering questions like these:
- What surprised you?
- What did you agree/disagree with?
- What made you think in a different way?
- Can you connect the material in the readings to a “real life” example in your community?
- Can you share any resources from the web–articles, websites, etc.–that connect or expand upon course content?
Your posts should be 500-750 words in length. That is the equivalent of 2-3 pages double spaced. They are due at the beginning of class and are worth five points each. Late posts, or posts that have spelling or grammatical errors (those red and green lines that appear on screen are there for a reason!) will receive lower grades.
Step 3: Let the blogging begin. Send the web address for your blog to Sarah (scollins@uoregon.edu) so you can be added to the course blog’s list of links. Please make sure you adjust your settings so that visitors can post comments.
See the Schedule on page 5 to determine when your blog postings are due.
Assignments
You will have two assignments to conduct research on nonprofit organizations of your choosing. These will be based on your visit to the Knight Library during week 2. I’ll provide more details on these assignments as that visit gets closer.
Final Paper
In place of a final examination, you will have a final paper that will be due during the time assigned for a final examination. We’ll talk about this assignment in more detail as we proceed through the term.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a serious matter that will not be tolerated in this class. Plagiarism is defined (from the link below) as “… the inclusion of someone else’s product, words, ideas, or data as one’s own work. When a student submits work for credit that includes the product, words, ideas, or data of others, the source must be acknowledged by the use of complete, accurate, and specific references, such as footnotes.”
If you have any questions about this, please review the Plagiarism Guide for Students at http://libweb.uoregon.edu/guides/plagiarism/students or talk to your instructor.
Disability Services
Students who encounter barriers to full access or participation in the physical, curricular or informational environments related to this class are encouraged to talk your instructor, or visit Disabilities Services in Oregon Hall. Their website is http://ds.uoregon.edu/DS_home.html and can be reached by phone at 541.346.1155.
Schedule
The following schedule may be adjusted as we move through the term, depending on student’s interests and the length of time we discuss particular issues.
Assigned readings should be completed prior to class on the date indicated on the schedule.
| Week | Date | Topic | Readings | Assignment Due |
| 1 | 3/29 | Introduction to the Class | ||
| 3/31 | Intro to the Nonprofit Sector | O’Neill: Chapters 1 & 2 | ||
| 2 | 4/5 | Intro to the Nonprofit Sector 2 | ||
| 4/7 | Class meets in Knight Library,
Edmiston Classroom Room 144 |
Nonprofit Websites (TBA) | Post 1 | |
| 3 | 4/12 | Social Services and Housing | O’Neill: Chapters 3 & 4 | Post 2 |
| 4/14 | Speaker: TBA | |||
| 4 | 4/19 | Health Care | O’Neill: Chapter 5 | Assignment 1 |
| 4/21 | Speaker: TBA | |||
| 5 | 4/26 | Education and Training | O’Neill: Chapter 6 | Post 3 |
| 4/28 | Speaker: TBA | |||
| 6 | 5/3 | Advocacy and Arts & Culture | O’Neill: Chapters 7 & 8 | Post 4 |
| 5/5 | Speaker : TBA | |||
| 7 | 5/10 | Environmental Nonprofits | Readings TBA | Post 5 |
| 5/12 | Speaker: TBA | |||
| 8 | 5/17 | International Nonprofits | O’Neill: Chapter 9 | Post 6 |
| 5/19 | Speaker: TBA | |||
| 9 | 5/24 | Funders, Speaker: TBA | O’Neill: Chapters 10 & 11 | |
| 5/26 | Social Venture | Assignment 2 | ||
| 10 | 5/31 | NO CLASS (Memorial Day) | Readings TBA | |
| 6/2 | Speaker: TBA | Post 7 | ||
| Finals | 6/7 | Final Paper due in Bob Choquette’s box in Hendricks Hall: Monday June 7 by 5pm | ||
