MANDEL CENTER FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

MAND 401: Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector (3 credits)

An examination of the social history of nonprofit organizations in the United States, to develop an historical perspective and a sense of magnitude, scope, and functions of the nonprofit sector and its relationships with business and government. This course will explore the theoretical bases upon which social scientists have sought to understand the role of the nonprofit sector in our economy and in our political and social systems, and will explore the issues that will shape the future of the sector. Students are expected to register for this course during their first year of studies.

MAND 405: Ethics and Professionalism for Nonprofit Leaders (3 credits)

This course is an application of ethical frameworks and analysis to nonprofit organizations. Using cases and essays, the course will help nonprofit managers become better equipped to address ethical problems and dilemmas in their work in the following areas: ethics of boards, ethics and leadership, ethics and organizational culture, professional ethics, and ethics and fundraising.

MAND 409A: Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: Practicum I (3 credits)

This is the first of a two-course, integrated, practicum series designed to provide "hands-on" experiences in planning for, designing, and conducting strategic planning in nonprofit organizations. Students will learn to assess organizational readiness, facilitate the design of strategic planning processes, create a variety of approaches involving key stakeholders, and finalize a planning design suited to organizational culture. MAND 409A and MAND 409B are capstone courses to be taken during the student's final semesters.

MAND 409B: Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations: Practicum II (3 credits)

This is the second of a two-course, integrated practicum series designed to provide "hands-on" experience in planning for, designing, and conducting strategic planning in nonprofit organizations. Student teams will continue to consult with their nonprofit organizations to implement the committee deliberation phase of the planning process designed during the first practicum. (Prerequisite: MAND 409A)

MAND 410: Quantitative Analysis for Nonprofit Leaders (3 credits)

This course is designed to give students a basic understanding and working knowledge of data analysis, statistical concepts, use of computers, research designs for program planning and evaluation, and quantitative techniques for problem solving. The intent is to ensure that executives and leaders are able to effectively utilize and interpret statistical data, technical reports, research findings, and evaluation studies, and employ basic quantitative methods in their own analysis of problems and policies. Recommended course sequence: MAND 410, MAND 444, and MAND 422.

MAND 411: Nonprofit Leadership Dialogs: Major Issues and Trends (1 credit)

This course is intended to enable students to learn about major nonprofit leadership issues and trends through interaction and dialog with successful nonprofit leaders. It is also designed to provide outside nonprofit leaders with the opportunity to learn about the quality of the Mandel Center's student body.

MAND 420: Nonprofit Organization and Management (3 credits)

This course will focus on theories of organizations and general concepts and principles of management, governance, and leadership. Organizational design, behavior, performance, and effectiveness will be studied, and the special character and management problems of nonprofit organizations will be highlighted and analyzed.

MAND 424: Economics for Nonprofit Managers (3 credits)

This course is designed to familiarize students with basic ideas of microeconomic analysis so that they may apply this reasoning to important resource-related decisions facing contemporary nonprofit organizations. This introductory course will orient the student to the role of nonprofit organizations in a market economy, familiarizing the student with basic concepts of microeconomic analysis and how they apply to resource-related decisions, and provide the student with tools and concepts for analyzing pricing, compensation, outsourcing, investment of funds, and engaging in partnerships.

MAND 425: Financial Accounting and Reporting for Nonprofit Organizations (2 credits)

A working knowledge of accounting principles and practices as they pertain particularly to nonprofit organizations is stressed in this course. Topics include basic concepts of accounting, generation and use of accounting information, understanding and use of standard accounting reports, and the nuances of fund accounting and other subjects especially germane to nonprofit organizations.

MAND 426: Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

This course focuses on techniques and principles of financial management including budgeting, finance and investment decision making. Topics include budget formulation, analysis and planning, present value analysis, cost-effectiveness, cash flow analysis, portfolio management, and venture planning. Special emphasis will be given to the unique problems of nonprofits in capital formation, generating earned income, managing endowments, gifts and grants, and tax planning. (Prerequisite: MAND 425)

MAND 430: Managing Human Resources in Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

Theories and principles of managing people in organizations are addressed in this course, including motivation theory and human resource development strategies. Particular attention is devoted to issues critical to nonprofit organizations, such as the management of volunteers, management of professionals, working with trustees, and staff/board relationships.

MAND 450: Law of Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

This course provides the student with a basic grounding in the laws and regulations governing nonprofit organizations. Content will include the procedures for incorporating, reporting, and maintaining tax-exempt status as a nonprofit organization, will provide a familiarity with legal principles and research methods, and an overview of the legal, regulatory, and policy issues facing contemporary nonprofit organizations.

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MAND 406: Nonprofit Public Policy and Advocacy (3 credits)

This course is an introduction to the institutions and processes that make up the political environment of nonprofit organizations in the United States. The course will examine the role of civil society in a democracy, take a general overview of American political institutions and the cultural beliefs that undergird them, and examine the important elements of the public policy process: the framing of issues, the role of political entrepreneurs and organized interests, elections, the legislative process and strategies for influencing it, and the roles of executive institutions and the courts. Emphasis will be placed on the ways that nonprofit advocates can advance their goals in the public policy process.

MAND 407: Earned Income for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

In this course, students will examine the entrepreneurial behavior of nonprofit-sector organizations in identifying new and varied sources of income to supplement the traditional contribution base. Using cases, students will explore the nontraditional sources of income that drive the tax-exempt sector, analyze data, and make management decisions.

MAND 408: Philanthropic Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

This course will provide current and future nonprofit leaders with a detailed survey of the practices, principles, and process of fundraising, enabling them to effectively create, participate in, and manage fund development programs and staff. Successful fundraising is shown to be communication-based and built upon solid relationships with defined constituencies of donors and potential donors.

MAND 412: Leadership for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

This course examines leadership from nonprofit political, managerial, and sociological perspectives. Concepts of leadership will be applied to nonprofit organizations through case discussion, student experience, and class exercises. The course integrates theory-based and practice-based approaches and prepares students to participate in leader-follower dynamics in the nonprofit setting.

MAND 422: Organizational Assessment & Program Evaluation in Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

The course is designed to introduce students to the approaches to organizational assessment and evaluation of organizational issues and problems. The class will explore a variety of ways of viewing organizations, assessing their stage of development, look at factors that influence or interfere with their forward progress, review the dimensions essential to nonprofit organizations and explore some processes useful to enable change. In addition, the course will focus on the process of creating and measuring program outcomes. Recommended course sequence: MAND 410, MAND 444, and MAND 422.

MAND 423: Government Funding for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

This course provides students with practical, hands-on understanding of, and experience with, government support of nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations. Students learn about and utilize trends, tools, and techniques leading to successfully navigating the maze of government funding. The course will emphasize familiarity with sources of information, the development of effective proposal writing skills, government grant and contract management, government political processes, and an understanding of the culture of government grant review and grant making. Students will experience the advice, counsel, and wisdom of professionals involved with government grant writing review and funding.

MAND 427: International Non-Governmental Organizations (3 credits)

The non-governmental sector is growing throughout the world. Increasingly, these organizations are playing key roles in the economic and social contexts of their respective countries. Currently under development, this course will explore the different organizational and operational structures of non-governmental organizations throughout the world. The course will address the role that organizations play in their countries and how socio-cultural imperatives determine their missions. Finally, the course will engage in comparative analysis between the nonprofit sector in the United States and the non-governmental sector in selected other countries.

MAND 432: Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

This course provides students with a comprehensive overview of the principles and techniques of nonprofit marketing and with an understanding of the multiple contexts in which they are applicable - marketing of products and services, marketing to potential funders, marketing of ideas and behaviors (social marketing and advocacy). The focus of the course is on managerial decision-making to achieve organizational objectives and enhance organizational viability.

MAND 440: Management Information Systems for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

An examination of how the management of organizations in contemporary society can be understood as the managing of systems and operations that require the processing and analysis of information. Basic concepts and models of systems analysis, management information and decision systems, and operations management will be explained and applied to the analysis and control of organizational processes and the relationship of the organization to its environment. Computer-based models may be used to analyze problems, policies, and practices of organizations in a variety of nonprofit industries.

MAND 444: Program Design in Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

Program design and development are of critical importance in nonprofit organizations. Through this course students will have the opportunity to design a program using a specific analytic framework. Students will learn: (1) to address the demands of multiple constituencies and competing values in program development process, (2) skills for developing and implementing programs in the nonprofit sector, and (3) to examine issues of diversity as they affect organizations and community efforts and explore personal values and ethics as these influence programs and interventions. Recommended course sequence: MAND 410, MAND 444, and MAND 422.

MAND 467: Community Organization and Development Strategies (3 credits)

This course demonstrates the application of social science theory to the issues of economic and neighborhood development. It illustrates how social workers and nonprofit managers can refine their roles, skills, and understanding of techniques in community organization, and presents strategies for economic and housing development.

MAND 469: Management of Community-Based Development (3 credits)

This course examines the fundamentals of building and managing an effective community development organization. Students will develop an understanding of community development with a focus on housing, economic development, and community building. Community building integrates family development, education and health, housing, and economic development. The use of technology as a tool in community development is covered. (Prerequisite: MAND 467)

MAND 486: Leading and Managing Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Organizations (3 credits)

This course addresses major issues affecting the leadership and management of arts organizations, the values and assumptions which have influenced arts organizations in the past, and current trends in society which may call those assumptions into question. Emphasis is given to issues of cultural sensitivity for leaders, managers and audiences as well as broadening the perspectives of future leaders so they may productively and creatively manage their institutions and careers.

MAND 489: Trusteeship: The Governance of Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)

This elective course deals with the definition, history and concept of trusteeship, the areas of responsibilities of Boards of Trustees, the authority of Boards and the limits on its exercise, the organization of Boards and their committees, and the Board's relationships with the Executive Director, the staff and the organization's constituencies.

MAND 495A: Decision Making for Nonprofit Leaders (3 credits)

This course introduces students to decision-making strategies and techniques appropriate for use by leaders and managers of nonprofit organizations. Students working in teams will consult with local organizations, analyzing their current situation, diagnosing problems and opportunities, creatively envisioning possibilities, evaluating potential improvements, and recommending appropriate decisions.

MAND 501: Special Problems and Topics (1 - 6 credits)

An elective which provides the opportunity for an individualized, structured course of study in an area of special interest to the student. It is arranged by mutual agreement between the student and a faculty sponsor. (Prerequisite: Permission of instructor)
Independent Study Agreement Form (PDF)

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