Curriculum & Courses

This course presents the role that the nonprofit sector plays in civil society for addressing human and societal needs and for advancing the public good. The distinctions, similarities and relationship of the nonprofit, government and private sectors will be explored. Additionally, the meaning and place of ethics in the sector and its application for charity, philanthropy and nonprofit organizations along with the provision for beneficiaries, clients and nonprofit support will be considered. Finally, the course will examine the parameters and nature of the United States’ nonprofit sector and its place within the global civil society sector.

The Leadership & Management of Nonprofits course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how the various functional areas of a nonprofit interconnect to achieve its mission and vision, as well as the skills and knowledge necessary to lead and work effectively with governing boards and other stakeholders.

Throughout the course, students will explore management techniques and strategies applicable in nonprofit settings, including strategic planning, strategic management, building a strong and inclusive organizational culture, and managing organizational change. Additionally, the course will cover various aspects of governance, such as legal, ethical, and fiduciary oversight, strategic thinking and planning, and ensuring resources.

The course will also examine the shared responsibility of governance and the importance of innovation in the nonprofit sector. Topics covered include board composition and structure, shared leadership with other staff and management, executive leadership and interaction with the board and the whole organization, board culture and development, board dynamics, meetings, and engagement, planning, systems, metrics, finance, and fulfilling the mission.

Lectures, class discussions, case studies, and group presentations will provide students with a platform for exploring key issues raised during the course. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with a deep understanding of nonprofit management, governance, and leadership, enabling them to make progress towards achieving their organization's mission and vision in the rapidly changing environment of the nonprofit sector.

This course provides a comprehensive set of financial management tools for nonprofit professionals, including managers and staff, whether they oversee financial statements and reporting or need to translate financial statements and reporting across stakeholders. This course emphasizes the requirements for nonprofits in recording and budgeting the financials to support the organization’s mission. Additionally, the course will provide students with the ability to analyze financial statements and answer financial questions typically asked by stakeholders such as the governing board, donors, the public, beneficiaries, media, and regulators. Finally, the course will identify the risks and opportunities found in an organization's financial information to increase the public's confidence in and understanding of the organization's mission and operations.

Capstone projects afford a group of students the opportunity to undertake complex, real-world, client-based projects for nonprofit organizations, supervised by a Nonprofit Management program faculty member. Through the semester-long capstone project, students will experience the process of organizational assimilation and integration as they tackle a discrete management project of long or short-term benefit to the client organization. The larger theoretical issues that affect nonprofit managers and their relationships with other stakeholders, both internal and external, will also be discussed within the context of this project-based course.

Nonprofit organizations compete for scarce philanthropic and government funding and are expected to account for how these resources are utilized for the greater good. However, understanding how well nonprofit programs and services produce their desired outcomes can be a challenge. This course is designed to provide a broad – yet rigorous – overview of the knowledge and tools available to evaluate the effects of nonprofit and social impact programs and policies.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the design, implementation and management of the components of a philanthropic program and its relationship to the financial sustainability of the nonprofit organization. It introduces the philosophical, ethical and historical underpinnings of fundraising practice, also providing the nomenclature, characteristics, and methods of gift generation and their sources, and the management and stewardship of those sources. Additionally, it examines the relationship of the organization’s mission to its strategic vision and the planning, management and impact of fundraising to the organization’s advancement and sustainability.

This introductory elective course examines the central role of marketing and communications in fulfilling the mission of nonprofit institutions and issue-based campaigns of all types and at all stages of development. The programmatic objective of this course is to present key concepts, examples of marketing strategies from different contexts and offer the opportunity to apply those on a marketing plan.

Dramatic changes across civil society in recent years, including the evolving role of nonprofits in democratic discourse and the rise of new forms of communications technologies, means that nonprofit leaders today must have a fundamental understanding of the principles of marketing and communications in order to ensure organizational success both internally and externally. While outreach technologies and trends change rapidly in our era, true excellence in the field is based upon a core group of basic skills that are hardly novel: strong writing and analysis, strategic planning, creative thinking, and the ability to connect disparate individuals across a wide range of disciplines and diverse backgrounds to build an inclusive community around shared goals.

This course is designed to help students gain these skills through engaging with the strategic frameworks and tactical applications needed to create and leverage a range of communications and marketing activities. The course will introduce students to multiple communications and marketing practices designed to engage key stakeholders, including donors, the media, volunteers and advocates, and additional internal and external influencers and sector leaders. Throughout the semester, the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all forms of outreach (written and oral; digital and print) will be foregrounded.

This Business of Nonprofits course is designed to prepare students to identify, understand, consider, and manage common business and related legal issues arising in the operation of a nonprofit organization. Operational legal issues are pervasive in every aspect of nonprofit management and governance, including: (1) decisions on organizational structures, (2) the design of collaborative relationships, (3) entering into contracts, (4) human resource issues, (5) the creation and use of intellectual property, and (6) the assessment and management of risks. Because of the increasingly complex legal environment nonprofits face, managers knowledgeable about the topics covered in this course will be better equipped to contribute to the structuring of external business arrangements and relationships, as well as to manage internal operational matters. This elective course is intended to provide a solid foundation of practical business and business law basics to managers, board members, and consultants working for nonprofit organizations.

Foundations of all types—family, private, community and corporate- have a long and storied history in the United States, reflecting philanthropic support of both many of the largest undertakings in the public sphere as well as myriad community-based and mission-specific causes. Philanthropic dollars flowing through foundations have given rise to both praise for innovative solutions that can be taken to scale as well as criticisms as mere tax dodges by a perceived “money class” wielding outsized influence on social justice and other major legal and cultural movements. This course will engage students using historic and contemporary policy and practical contexts to expand their understandings of foundations of various types and scopes, how they distinctively approach their missions, grant making, and metrics, and how they influence (or don’t influence) policy.

Apart from its justice and equity imperative, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has become an operational imperative as organizations become increasingly diverse. In the U.S., the percentage of Asian, Latino, and mixed-race Americans has been steadily rising and by 2045, there will be no majority racial/ethnic group.1 Moreover, social unrest has intensified the call for greater representation and inclusion in all institutions. In Europe, its single market facilitates the flow of millions of workers across national boundaries. In Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East, globalization and migration have contributed to diversity within organizations.

Today’s workforce is more diverse, with employees coming from different demographic, social, and cultural backgrounds. Leaders are expected to attract and retain talent, manage diversity, and promote inclusion. The practice of DEI has undeniably become integral to the success and sustainability of organizations. Nonprofit organizations gain the trust and support of the public by representing constituents and community stakeholders among their leadership and ranks. Government agencies fulfill their mandates through public servants who represent key constituents. More and more investors are betting on companies driven by environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns and customers purchase products and services with social impact.

Nonetheless, the need for the practice of DEI in the charitable sector is evident: most of these organizations are not representative of the communities they serve; the accumulation of wealth that enables large private foundations to exist exacerbates the very issues they may seek to combat; and in seeking to help those affected by inequality, nonprofits and foundations may reproduce the same patterns of inequality within their own organizations. 

This course aims to equip students with critical faculties and practical tools to be informed and ethical practitioners of DEI in the charitable sector. This course prepares students to manage and lead the practice of DEI in core operational functions, as directors of DEI offices/initiatives or as DEI champions within their organizations. It will equip students with an understanding of the advantages and challenges of leading diverse teams and will provide the knowledge, critical analysis, and practical tools required to lead inclusive organizations. It provides a framework and strategic foundation for driving an organization through the stages of gaining awareness about DEI, practicing DEI, and amplifying the work of equity and inclusion beyond the workplace.

The prerequisite for this class is having taken, or concurrently taking, the core course “The Nonprofit Sector: Scope and Impact.” Students outside of the Nonprofit Management program need to seek Program Director approval to take this course. The class is designed for a maximum of 20 participants. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and will work on diverse teams to develop a DEI organizational strategy.

This course analyzes the ways in which philanthropists and nonprofit organizations plan for and respond to disasters. Disasters create immense need quickly. People have responded generously to many natural and human-created disasters that have led to thousands of victims either domestically or globally. The nonprofit sector has often played a leading role, functioning both on the front-lines with first responders and creating a second response that bridges the period of relief and rebuilding. New technologies have often been deployed to improve fundraising as well as disaster relief. Disasters create both a sense of community born of the common experience of suffering and exacerbate differences within communities as those of lowest means struggle the most to recover. Disaster relief and recovery is ripe with questions about who to help and how to best help, presenting ethical dilemmas for the best intentioned of nonprofit leaders. The course will focus on the United States but both readings and assignments include some international comparisons.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the grants process, with specific reference to the research, writing, and managing of a range of grant types. The grants process is considered within the context of an institution’s total fundraising strategy as well as its overall mission-based goals. The course covers the range of possible grant-giving institutions, including government, corporate, and foundation, as well as the various types of grants, such as challenge, and their respective considerations for the fundraiser and nonprofit institution. Emphasis is placed on developing competitive proposals, accurate budgets, and appropriate systems of administration.

This course examines how international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) can and often do contribute to social change, confronting and addressing various problems such as poverty, human rights violations, conflict, and climate change, among others. Students will leave with a deep appreciation of what it means to work in or with an advocacy-based NGOs. The course will help prepare them for future careers as an NGO leader, staff person, consultant, analyst, donor, or manager. Students will understand how NGOs are structured and the definition and differences between key concepts such as strategy, theory of change, governance, leadership, management, and program design. 

The course will bring a scholar-practitioner perspective focusing on debates about strategy development, measuring impact, donor strategies, theories of change, institutional representation, diversity and equity, ethics, research methodologies, partnerships, networks, venues of engagement, campaigning, capacity-building, fundraising, resilience, sustainability, and external and internal communications. 

The course will explore distinctions, similarities, and relationships among nongovernmental (national and international), government, and private actors as they seek to solve problems and have impact and create a better world. Throughout this exploration, we will identify major ethical issues raised by the very notions of charity, philanthropy and nonprofits. As a focus, the course will especially draw on examples from the international human rights movement, and often critically employ a “donor perspective” to draw out the hard strategic choices that INGOs (and their donors) are compelled to make. The course will also use documentary film about INGOs and their work, and various media produced about and by INGOs to help provide additional understanding. 

The course will be discussion intensive and require students to utilize and reflect critical and analytical thinking; students will write individual papers, participate in group presentations, write occasional reflection papers, actively participate in discussion both in class and through postings on Canvas and present material to classroom colleagues. 

This is an elective course in the M.S. Nonprofit Management Program and will be open, space permitting to cross-registrants. The course will draw on material from the management course offered as part of the core curriculum. It is not a prerequisite for taking the course but the syllabus assumes a basic knowledge of nonprofit management principles. For those who have not taken Leadership and Management in Nonprofit Organizations, there is an added critical reading from that course in some weeks. The course will require students to utilize critical and analytical thinking; students will write individual papers, actively participate in discussion in class, and conduct group exercises. 

The Internship in Industry course offers students the preparation to excel in the marketplace with hands-on experience within an organization. The ideal internship will provide students an opportunity to gain tangible and practical knowledge in their chosen field by taking on a position that is closely aligned with their coursework and professional interests.

This course is structured around the internship experience. In the first assignment, students will author learning objectives to complete in their internship and review these learning objectives with their site supervisor. Students should also expect that after completing this course they will be able to:

• Discuss the application of program content and theory in a professional context (LO1)
• Define a plan for assessing and building their professional competencies (LO2)
• Describe an organization’s culture and assess their cultural “fit” (LO3)
• Make recommendations for the types of behaviors, structure, and culture they would want to see in a future workplace setting (LO4)

Before registering for this course, students must secure an appropriate graduate-level internship, complete the Internship Application Form and receive approval from the academic program. It is highly recommended that domestic students complete at least 12 points (credits) prior to completing an internship. International students must have completed at least two terms before completing an internship and apply for & receive CPT approval through the ISSO Office unless they completed their undergraduate degree in the U.S. and enrolled in graduate school immediately after obtaining their undergraduate degree.

To receive approval, the internship must:

• Provide an appropriate opportunity for students to apply course concepts
• Fit into the planned future program-related career path of the student
• Provide a minimum of 210 hours over the semester
• Internship dates must coincide with the start and end of the term you are enrolling in the course. You may not complete this course for a previous internship or for an internship you plan to take in the future. The internship and course must be done at the same time. 

This seminar will provide students with an accessible overview of the United States regulatory framework and enforcement issues specific to nonprofit organizations, section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public organizations, and other tax-exempt entities, with the goal of training nonprofit managers to spot and understand how to respond to key legal issues that arise in the course of a nonprofit’s day-to-day work and operations.

The class will cover regulatory, legal, and policy underpinnings of the philanthropic sector, focusing on both the independent and interlocking nature of the federal and state regulatory and enforcement community that oversees the sector. The class will also address key legal issues of which nonprofit managers should be aware, such as the regulatory and enforcement parameters of charitable solicitation (including via social media), compliance with legal rules regarding “lobbying” and prohibited “political activity”, navigating legal requirements for working internationally, setting compensation for executives and other key personnel, and working with organizations that are not tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3). Some class discussions will be supplemented by invited guest speakers who have had an impact on the direction of charity law and regulation. 

Legal Landscape is a one-semester elective course that is delivered virtually or in person and is open, space permitting and with permission of the professors, to cross-registrants from other fields and programs at Columbia University. While there are no prerequisites for the course, it is helpful to have taken Leadership & Management of Nonprofits, or have some understanding of basic nonprofit governance and management.  

This course provides a rigorous analysis for the design and management of the major and leadership giving program in the majority of nonprofit organizations. This class will examine the strategic skills to incorporate these initiatives into a balanced philanthropic program. From donor acquisition in an Annual Giving Campaign to The Ask for a Leadership Gift in a Capital Campaign, there will be an emphasis on understanding the donor and developing relationships. Students will learn how to identify major gift prospects from a strong annual giving program, build a major gift program, organize fundraising campaigns, establish a timeline, introduce explicit leadership expectations, and develop strategies to maximize the collective resources of volunteer leaders, donors and colleagues. Students will also explore how to position special gift opportunities within the context of a long-range strategic planning process.

** Courses offered outside the Master of Science in Nonprofit Management program may be taken with the Academic Director's approval. 

In an era defined by unprecedented global challenges and opportunities, nonprofit advocacy serves as a powerful force for systemic reform and public innovation. This course immerses students in the intersection of theory and practice through an advocacy practicum approach—designed to equip future nonprofit leaders with the skills to influence policy, mobilize communities, and drive systemic change.

In the context of the ever evolving policy landscape of New York City and providing a global lens, this course offers an in-depth exploration of advocacy fundamentals within the nonprofit sector. Through real-world case studies, hands-on projects, and interactive fieldwork, students have the opportunity to examine how advocacy efforts in New York City—a hub of civic engagement—can expand broader policy frameworks and cross into international contexts.

Over the term, students will explore the theoretical foundations of advocacy, including social movement theory, policy influence, and public opinion formation. They will engage in stakeholder analysis, coalition-building, and the creation of advocacy strategies tailored to shifting political, economic, and social dynamics. Central to this course will be discussions on how traditional advocacy approaches are being redefined in response to growing inequalities and systemic challenges, emphasizing the need for adaptable, intersectional strategies to confront global disparities.

The framework emphasizes practical application: students will have the opportunity to develop and implement real advocacy plans, leveraging digital tools, media, and virtual organizing strategies to enhance their impact. Fieldwork, simulations, and collaborative projects will allow students to apply theoretical knowledge to tangible issues, empowering them to lead efforts that address pressing social challenges, whether locally in New York City or globally in areas such as international development and human rights.

Key topics include:

• Crafting advocacy strategies that influence public policy in divided political environments;
• Building and managing coalitions across diverse stakeholders;
• Engaging marginalized communities to ensure inclusive and equitable advocacy efforts;
• Navigating the digital advocacy landscape to design impactful campaigns.

By the end of the course, students should be prepared to plan critically and act decisively in the fast-changing world of advocacy, with the tools, strategies, and experiences necessary to lead initiatives that promote justice, equity, and systemic change on both domestic and international fronts. Through the immersive, action-oriented structure, students will emerge with the knowledge and practical skills to transform theoretical understanding into meaningful, lasting social impact.

This course is for leaders who want to challenge and transform existing ways of working for a greater positive impact on society. You will build the technical skills needed to bring Human-Centered Design (HCD) and innovation to projects and programs through a combination of lectures and assignments. At a higher level, you will also better understand what is needed to launch and manage innovation strategies and projects at NGOs and INGOs. This course builds a foundational understanding of innovation strategies, tools, and ecosystem in the social impact sector. Together, we will also heavily critique the status quo – including power dynamics, innovation methods and consider the importance of ethics, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) – all with the motivation to build an improved practice of innovation. The course will bring together perspectives and guest speakers from across the globe who are diverse ecosystem actors, including innovators and implementers, funders, consultants, and conveners.

This course has three phases. Phase 1 will provide a foundational understanding of innovation strategy, methodology, and tools, including human-centered design, user personas, journey mapping, etc. In Phase 2, you will be able to better contextualize innovation in the social impact sector, particularly from the perspective of NGOs, INGOs, and U.N. agencies. We will also dive into how DEIA, power, and creative capacities intersect with designing for social impact and learn practical skills for structuring an innovation project. Finally, in Phase 3, the instructor will share perspectives and lessons from practicing innovation for over a decade and help you identify areas of opportunity and entry points for your careers. As future leaders and innovators in the social impact sector, you will be encouraged to think beyond how things currently operate and expected to explore where and how the innovation sector itself needs to evolve. You will complete this course with more clarity on your journey in innovation with coaching from the instructor and engaging conversations with guest speakers.

There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm about social purpose approaches to business: entrepreneurs, investors, charities, foundations, advisors, academics, millennials, employees, consumers, policy makers, media, bloggers, etc. Many see opportunities for investment capital from philanthropy and other investors to converge on addressing social problems and meeting social needs that are otherwise in the gap between philanthropy and business. Some enthusiasts are unbridled in their support; others are pessimistic (or even antagonistic) about the theory and the practice; still others are just making it happen. This course will engage students from the perspective of philanthropy and the charitable sector in helping them understand how the convergence opportunity was identified and is still be defined, what tools/forms, perspectives, and barriers that exist to pursuing those opportunities in practice, and the regulatory perspectives that might enhance or undermine those realities.

This course explores the evolving field of philanthropy by examining its historical foundations and the rationale for the continued existence of philanthropic organizations, like foundations, today. From the industrial-era legacies of figures like Rockefeller and Ford to the modern innovations driven by today's billionaires, students will analyze how generational and societal shifts have shaped the strategies and impact of philanthropy over time.

A key focus of the course is on how philanthropic organizations respond to complex societal issues such as racial justice, climate change, healthcare, and human rights. Through centering diverse perspectives and critical engagement with power structures, this course equips students with the tools to navigate, critique, and influence the philanthropic sector in impactful ways. Students will appraise both the catalytic role philanthropy can play in driving social change and instances where such efforts have backfired and reinforced systematic inequities. The course will further explore how foundations’ missions, values, and goals shape their decisions on funding, project duration, grantee expectations, and impact evaluation methods.

The course will examine different approaches to grantmaking, including social entrepreneurship, effective altruism, social justice grantmaking, and strategic philanthropy. Students will learn the differences across these conceptual frameworks and understand how they influence the ways in which foundations operate. By exploring both the conceptual and pragmatic dimensions of across these frameworks, students will understand the tensions and debates within the philanthropic sector and be well prepared to identify those foundations most likely to support their work. 

Students will also analyze the role of foundation program officers as change agents who navigate power, influence, and institutional constraints to drive change. Through case studies, guest speaker sessions, and real-world examples, participants will learn how these professionals influence funding priorities and partnerships in response to societal needs.

Students will develop and pitch a concept for a new funding initiative to a mock foundation board. This exercise will require them to demonstrate an understanding of the foundation’s mission and approach while proposing improvements to its strategic direction. The final assignment will require the student to pull together their funding concept into a Transformative Philanthropy Simulation & Strategy Portfolio. By the end of the course, students will have gained critical skills to evaluate philanthropic practices, advocate for impactful funding decisions, and effectively leverage resources to address complex social challenges and redress systematic inequality. 

This elective course builds on other courses including Corporate, Private and Community Foundations:Theory and Practice (5260) and complements other M.S. Nonprofit Management courses such as Nonprofit Policy and Advocacy (5350) by deeping the understanding of philanthropy and its application against complex societal problems. The course does not require any prerequisites. It will be open, space permitting, to cross registrants from other graduate programs at Columbia University, with approval from the Academic Director.