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 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.

Whether through a speech to key donors, a published op-ed column, an annual report or media interview, leaders of nonprofit organizations must be compelling storytellers. Although other courses in the Nonprofit Management M.S. program helpfully concentrate on the strategy and tactics of communications outreach and social media engagement, the intensive focus of this elective will be on developing students’ capacity for literate writing and speaking across a range of public forums and institutional challenges that face nonprofit organizations. Through a combination of readings, discussion and, most importantly, a diverse range of writing assignments and creative exercises, students will emerge with a new level of editorial proficiency in creating the kind of written and spoken communications that support a nonprofit’s development, promote its public service mission, and manage difficult political, legal and institutional issues that distract organizations from achieving their mission-driven goals. Students will learn best practices for crafting persuasive communications in an increasingly complex and time-sensitive media environment.

Apart from its justice and equity imperative, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) has become a business 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. 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 DEIA has undeniably become integral to the success and sustainability of organizations. Corporations reap the benefits of DEIA as evidenced by motivated employees and robust bottom lines. 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. 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. 

Knowledge and experience in the practice of DEIA has become a key requirement for managers and leaders. This course prepares students to manage and lead the practice of DEIA in core business functions, as directors of DEIA offices/initiatives or as DEIA 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 DEIA, practicing DEIA, and amplifying the work of equity and inclusion beyond the workplace. 

This is an elective course open to all Columbia School of Professional Studies M.S. and M.P.S. students with a minimum of five years of work experience and who have completed at least four courses in their program. The class is designed for a maximum of 20 participants, who will be chosen at random. Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and will work on diverse teams to develop a DEIA 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.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an increasingly salient practice in the charitable sector. Done well, DEI practice – such as more diverse recruitment policies, more inclusive organizational culture, and greater attention to the equitable distribution of programmatic outcomes – helps nonprofit and foundation managers and leaders attract and retain talent, improve programmatic outcomes, and lend greater credibility to the work of the charitable sector.

The need for such practice is evident: most nonprofits and foundations 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.

Despite the growing need for effective DEI practice, much of the knowledge of it is diffuse and disconnected. At times, practitioners can’t even agree on the basic terms. Yet in this disagreement lies a clue: pursued deeply, a DEI analysis leads one to conclude that mainstream institutions, and the broader society of which they are a part, are ultimately designed to make DEI difficult to understand, much less enact. This means that DEI practice eventually names and pushes back on the very power relations and institutional dynamics that surround us in the charitable sector and make our work possible. To reckon fully with DEI means to question the very assumptions and relationships on which our sector is based.

This course aims to equip students with critical faculties and practical tools to be informed and ethical practitioners of DEI in the charitable sector while remaining alive to the tensions between DEI and current sector practice.

Institutions of Higher Education and Medicine account for more than 25 percent of all charitable giving in the United States. This course examines the contributions of educational (Eds) and medical (Meds) institutions to the nonprofit world and the fundraising models specific to these types of institutions, both their similarities and distinctions. Through assigned readings, case studies, and course discussions, students will increase their awareness and understanding of best practices in fundraising, financial and political structures, and the role of these Eds and Meds within their communities. The successful student will complete the course with an extensive understanding of fundraising strategy, revenue streams, governance, organizational structure, leadership models, public policy, industry trends, development careers, and fundraising best practices as they relate to medical and educational organizations.

This dual course is part of a partnership between Sciences Po and Columbia University.  It brings together students from both institutions into a virtual environment to learn together from multiple perspectives in an English language course. In an era of unprecedented wealth, technological advancement, and global interdependence, we find ourselves confronted with global problems in which the different sectors (government, nonprofit and for profit) cannot adequately address broad societal issues on their own.  What is needed is a cross-sectoral approach that recognizes the importance of a shared sense of the common good. Students will analyze how the pursuit of the common good requires addressing public attitudes, policy frameworks and institutional forms that shape the outcomes of critical societal issues.  

The sessions will be divided into two main blocks. The first part (five sessions) will provide the students with a solid theoretical and conceptual background to a cross-sectoral and transnational notion of the common good, its actors and their role in the social change landscape. A special focus will be placed on those organizations at the intersection of the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, including hybrid organizations, B Corporations, corporate social responsibility efforts as well as nonprofit organizations and philanthropists.  The second part of the course focuses on in-depth analysis of the difficulty of addressing truly global challenges because of different cross-cultural understanding and interests among various institutional actors. This part of the course focuses topically on 1) racial and social justice and 2) climate change and the environment.  Each will include a definition of the problem, a simulation, and a discussion of practical steps to advance better outcomes. 

Key to this dual course will be the use of cross geographical and cross-cultural examples. Interactive working group activities, simulations and group research work will be programmed through the sessions integrating Sciences Po and Columbia members in teams. Given the nature of the dual course it will be 100% virtual.  This course will especially appeal to students interested in social change, global movements, and experience working with teams situated on different continents.  This is an elective course with no prerequisites.

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.

The philanthropic model of the twentieth century resulted in remarkable social accomplishments, but now, its inadequacies, restricted vision, and organizational inefficiencies are proving insufficient to allow the nonprofit sector to respond fully to the magnitude of capital needs for large-scale social problems. Significant innovation currently is underway that is expanding the frontiers of traditional philanthropy with approaches that tap social investing and private investment capital to address social problems such as poverty alleviation, homelessness, and the lack of access to healthcare, as well as global environmental challenges, such as climate change and natural resource degradation. This class will focus on this “new frontier” in philanthropy and social investment, and will provide a comprehensive analysis of new actors, new organizational models, and new mechanisms that are helping to expand the traditional philanthropic toolbox. The class also will examine the challenges faced by these actors and what is needed to apply and maximize the impact of these tools. The class will complement the core nonprofit management curriculum and will reflect the up-to-minute dynamism within the nonprofit fundraising sector. It is designed for second-year nonprofit management students with a firm knowledge of traditional fundraising tenets and approaches. A basic knowledge of for-profit financial instruments is recommended but not required.

An effective international nonprofit delivers its global mission with leaders and directors strategically managing the organization in its local and global context.   This course is designed to equip students with a practical framework for international nonprofit management. Students will consider various cultural and ethical perspectives; analyze local, national and global stakeholders in the public and private sector; distinguish among various nonprofit models used for legal and geographic purposes; determine how to leverage sophisticated funding sources, such as multi-lateral organizations; and model financial and programmatic management for on-the-ground mission delivery.

This course helps students understand the role of planned giving within an organization’s overall fundraising efforts. Introduces students to the various instruments of planned giving as they learn about the financial and personal considerations driving donor decisions. Through an examination of the legal, financial, and individual personal factors, the course exposes students to the full range of constraints and opportunities involved in planned giving. Students learn to design proposals sensitive to both donor and institutional needs.

This seminar will provide students with an overview of the regulatory and enforcement context for charities and foundations in the U.S. from both a theoretical and a practical direction. The course will cover the policy, legal and regulatory underpinnings of the nonprofit sector, focusing on the simultaneously independent and interlocking nature of federal and state oversight. The discussion will review lifecycle issues for a charity, including formation and operation of the entity and the major constraints and opportunities inherent in a charitable legal structure. In particular, the class will address the interaction between the regulatory structure and issues such as fundraising/charitable solicitation (including via social media), related and unrelated business activity, social mission/hybrid organizations, political/lobbying constraints and transparency requirements.

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. 

Now more than ever, philanthropic leaders must navigate a shifting landscape: more demand for programs and services, more attentive governing bodies focused on return on investments, a more competitive national and international marketplace among philanthropic organizations, and more social media outlets to unite or divide diverse stakeholders aiming to influence elected leaders. In the current political environment, there exists ever more scrutiny among policymakers and the general public about the value of the philanthropic sector as a whole and the extent to which public policy should support the sector. Learn the “rules of the road” used by high-performing foundations and nonprofit organizations committed to generating public will and influencing public policy in support of communities worldwide.

With this course offered in the fall of a presidential campaign and dozens of statehouse races, national experts in public policy, coalition building, and strategic communications will share cutting-edge practices proven to yield favorable policy results: How do you define and measure success in advocacy? How do you engage authentically with affected community leaders and other stakeholders with shared interests? How do you develop strategic plans, audience segmentation, messaging, and tactics that break through in a crowded marketplace of ideas? How do you develop a business plan to secure and align your financial and human capital to optimize and sustain impact?

Students will be exposed to cutting-edge policy debates as examples of advocacy campaigns, compare local, state and federal issue campaigns and learn of the network of stakeholders that play roles in public policy and advocacy in the nonprofit sector.

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.

Philanthropy has been part of human culture for thousands of years. In the first two decades of the 21st century, a distinct philanthropic practice has emerged in the quest to help resolve complex societal problems: “strategic philanthropy.” Born of business-based practices and contrasting with the previous centuries of philanthropic giving—where the “charity” mindset was more pronounced—the basic elements of strategic (or “outcome-oriented”) philanthropy include choosing discrete goals, selecting and articulating strategies for deploying specific resources, working with partners and networks, measuring performance and then recalibrating strategies in light of those metrics. Using case studies and dialogue with guest speakers, participants will examine how the elements of strategic philanthropy have been applied to current and past global and local challenges such as pandemics, racial equity, climate change, educational attainment, human rights advancement, and others. The course will analyze how a new generation of donors have cascaded into philanthropy and created new strategies, and perhaps philosophies. Participants will analyze the strategic philanthropic sector broadly, delve deeply into specific examples, and then apply what they learn to create their own strategic solutions and philanthropic action plans.