Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations BUSA 603

SYLLABUS

Eastern University Campolo College of Graduate and Professional Studies School of Leadership and Development

Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations Syllabus, 2

This course was developed by Matthew A. Hugg, January 2009

Course Description Investigation of how to design, implement, and follow up on various methods of fundraising, including foundation proposals, phonathons/telethons, direct solicitation, membership drives, and profit-making ventures in nonprofit organizations.

Core Competencies The nonprofit program intentionally partners with students to build competency in thirty crucial skills. This Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations course targets competency in eight of those skills. A graduate of Eastern University’s Master of Science in Nonprofit Management: 1. Networks across sectors. 2. Casts organizational vision and inspires commitment to the vision. 3. Aligns organizational culture with organizational mission. 4. Takes initiative with courage. 5. Cultivates openness, joy and enthusiasm in the work environment. 6. Utilizes the best knowledge and current practices for the nonprofit world. 7. Identifies, obtains and effectively uses resources. 8. Operates transparently. All courses in the program, including Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations, build on the following six competencies, so that each student: 1. Presents persuasively and professionally. 2. Breeds equality and compassion into professional interactions. 3. Comprehends and connects the big picture and the details. 4. Applies faith within the work place and life. 5. Connects faith, reason and justice. 6. Integrates ethics in professional and personal practice.

Course Objectives By the end of this course, you should be able to: 1) Define each fundraising method in terms of its cost in money, amount of staff and volunteer time, comfort of staff and volunteers and risks and ethical issues.

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2) Assess the utility and appropriateness of each fundraising method for use in their organization’s context. 3) Evaluate fundraising infrastructure system to support fundraising methods. 4) Integrate fundraising methods and infrastructure techniques to formulate a plan for raising funds for a local nonprofit.

Biblical Framework and Integration Fundraising is not a foreign Biblical concept. In 1 Corinthians 16: 1-4 Paul outline his expectations very clearly “for the collection for the saints.” In 2 Corinthians 8: 16-24 Paul discusses the importance of the administration of collected funds. He further talks about the spirit in which gifts should be made in 2 Corinthians 9: 3-5, then drives the point home in verses 6 through 8. Giving is universally taken as a Christian concept. Paul calls us to be generous givers. But we conveniently forget to follow Paul’s example to be the fundraiser, too. It is clear throughout the Bible that the Lord calls us to do what is comfortable, and what is not comfortable. Fundraising may be one of those uncomfortable tasks, but no less important.

Course Methodology Using a “blended” model of instruction, this course is organized in 3 “parts,” featuring both classroom components and distance components. The classroom component is 20 hours of “seat time” at the residency consisting of presentations, analysis of some assigned readings, discussions, participative exercises, case analyses, and reflections about the course material. The distance component consists of assignments is designed to prepare the student for the residency and a block of 8 weeks following the residency in which participants will complete additional assignments. Participants will interact with the instructor and with each other in online discussions and reflections using Blackboard. The participants will submit the required assignments to the instructor via email or Blackboard’s Digital Dropbox for feedback and grading.

Required Textbooks: The following is a list of the required textbooks for this course. •

The Spirituality of Fundraising Henri Nouwen ISBN: 0-8358-9823-7 Available at www.henrinouwen.org

•

The Ultimate Quick Reference Planned Giving Pocket Guide

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Abrams, et. al. Available at www.plannedgiving.com •

The Nonprofit Handbook, 3rd Edition, Fundraising James M. Greenfield. ISBN: 9780471403043 Note: Available free of charge on NetLibrary, which can be accessed through Eastern University’s library web page.

Part One Requirements: Pre-Residency Complete the following assignments before the residency: Assignment A: Readings The Spirituality of Fundraising, by Henri Nouwen From Greenfield: •

Passive Solicitation, p. 648

•

Direct Mail and E-Mail, p. 456, 518, 537

•

Phone, p. 563

•

Special Events and Sponsorships , p. 480, 500

•

Proposals, p. 638, 666

•

Individual Giving and Moves Management, p. 604, 733

•

Planned Giving, p. 788, 833

•

Research – Database and Individual Prospect Analysis, p. 713

•

Donor Recognition, p. 347

•

Communication and Visibility, p.30, 824

•

Fundraising Management, p. 2, 14, 52, 117

•

Volunteers role in development, p. 242, 303, 313

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Assignment B: Written Assignments •

Reflect on Nouwen’s “The Spirituality of Fundraising.” What concept is the most important to you as brought to light by Nouwen.

•

What is your view of Fundraising and those that do it?

•

Can everybody do all of the types of fundraising well? Why/why not?

•

What is your favorite (or least un-favorite) method of fundraising… o To run. (1/2 pp) o To give to. (1/2 pp)

No later than 48 hours before the start of class, discuss each of the above in a single page, double space paper turned in to your instructor. Be prepared to discuss this in class.

Part Two Requirements: Residency Assignment C: Residency Participation You are required to participate in the residency lectures and discussion sessions. The discussions and exercises performed during the residency are of utmost importance to successful completion of the course, which are graded deliverables for the Part Two period. Overview of Units Here is a brief overview of what will be covered in each unit of the residency. Unit One: Fundraising Methods Learning Objectives - Students will: •

Compare and contrast the various methods of fundraising presented

•

Assess which fundraising method is useful and appropriate for the needs of their organization

•

Explain how comfort level, time, cost, risks and ethics impact what fundraising method an organization will use

Topics Covered: Passive Solicitation – Low Tech and High Tech (Internet “pull”) Greenfield p. 648 Earned Income Fundraising (Sales)

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Direct Mail and E-Mail (Internet “push”)

Greenfield p. 456, 518, 537

Phone – Inbound and Outbound

Greenfield p. 563

Special Events and Sponsorships

Greenfield p. 480, 500

Proposals

Greenfield p. 638, 666

Individual Giving and Moves Management

Greenfield p. 604, 733

Planned Giving

Greenfield p. 788, 833

Unit Two: Fundraising Infrastructure Learning Objectives – Students will: •

Evaluate how fundraising infrastructure impacts the number and amount of gifts that an organization raises.

•

Determine why infrastructure is essential to effective fundraising processes

•

Illustrate why infrastructure directly impacts donors.

Topics Covered: Gifts Processing & Constituent Databases Research – Database Analysis Individual Prospect Analysis

Greenfield p. 713

Donor Recognition

Greenfield p. 347

Communication, Visibility, Message and Non-Fundraising Staff role in development

Greenfield p.30, 824

Fundraising Management

Greenfield p. 2, 14, 52, 117

Volunteers role in development

Greenfield p. 242, 303, 313

Part Three Requirements: Post-Residency Each unit of Part Three of this course has an online discussion component. Your participation in this electronic discussion will assist all students, and yourself, in gleaning insights into the content that you are studying. Your professor will post discussion questions related to the course content for each of the sessions. You are

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required to post one comment of your own and respond to two other student’s comments. While these responses may be conversational, please make every effort to demonstrate that you have done the corresponding readings and that you are able to integrate course content into your thoughts and comments. Therefore, responses such as “I totally agree” or “Good comment, [student name]” are wholly unacceptable. Including technical terms, quotes and page numbers from session readings are recommended. However, remember that you don’t need to write more than a paragraph or two in response to the discussion question. To respond to a question, go to the “Communication” folder and the “Discussion Boards” section within that folder. Then, select the discussion question for a particular session. At this point, click on “Add New Thread” to post your own reply. Click on the “Reply” button within a thread when responding to a classmate. You may also reply to a posted question and add to the dialog with the professor. Instructions on Accessing Your Course in Blackboard The following is the step-by-step, sequential process you will use to access your Eastern University on-line course.  Get on the Internet and open your Internet Browser  Go to the Eastern University home page and pull down the menu from the “ENET” tab. Select the “Distance Learning” option. This will take you to Eastern’s Blackboard page and a screen will appear with a “Login” button  Click the “Login” Button. It will redirect you to a new screen with two lines for your specific information. Type your username and password in the appropriate boxes. Your username and password areas are case sensitive; type them exactly as they were provided to you by the university.  Click “Enter.”  You are now in the eastern.blackboard.com site where you will see a page with an Eastern University logo in the top left hand corner, a “Welcome….” banner, several boxes of information, and buttons down the left side of the screen.  Scroll down the page and click on your course, for example, “Strategic Thinking.” This will take you to the location of your course information. If you have problems within Blackboard, information and online help is also available right on the Blackboard web site located at: the following site – http://support.blackboard.com Click Documentation and then select the Level Two information in either .html or .pdf formats. Part 3 Learning Objectives - Students will: • Demonstrate knowledge of each of the methods covered in class. Weekly Exercises and Questions: In each of the first seven weeks of the Post-Residency period you will complete

Part Three Unit 1:

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• •

Fundraising Methods Paper: Passive Solicitation Post your views on a question posed by your instructor. Respond to two other classmate’s postings.

Part Three, Unit 2: • Fundraising Methods Paper: Earned Income • Post your views on a question posed by your instructor. Respond to two other classmate’s postings.

Part Three, Unit 3: • Fundraising Methods Paper: Direct Mail • Post your views on a question posed by your instructor. Respond to two other classmate’s postings. Part Three, Unit 4: • Fundraising Methods Paper: Phone • Post your views on a question posed by your instructor. Respond to two other classmate’s postings. Part Three, Unit 5: • Fundraising Methods Paper: Special Events • Post your views on a question posed by your instructor. Respond to two other classmate’s postings. Part Three, Unit 6: • Fundraising Methods Paper: Proposals • Post your views on a question posed by your instructor. Respond to two other classmate’s postings. Part Three, Unit 7: • Fundraising Methods Paper: Individual Giving • Post your views on a question posed by your instructor. Respond to two other classmate’s postings. Part 3, Unit 8: • Fundraising Methods Paper: Planned Giving • TAKE HOME TEST: Fundraising Infrastructure. Complete the test that was made available in Blackboard after the residency.

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Additional Course Information Here are some comments about how grades are assigned, and other issues for this course: Classroom Presence and Participation: It is expected that students will arrive at the residency prepared to participate in the classroom discussion. This grade will reflect the student’s perceived level of effort, degree of participation and preparedness. Academic Policies: Student Disability Policy: Students with documented disabilities are encouraged to work with the Center for Counseling and Academic Support (610-341-5837) to submit a written request for accommodations specific to this course. To receive accommodations, the professor/instructor must receive a written request from CCAS in the beginning of each course, or as soon as the disability is diagnosed. A student must update accommodations requests with CCAS prior to each academic session. Please refer to the Eastern University graduate catalog for information related to school policies governing academic matters. Written Assignments: The papers are expected to be completed using standard word-processing and academic format; please consult your student handbook. Smarthinking Tutorial Assistance: The instructor for this course must assume that all students are appropriately prepared for the level of instruction appropriate for the course number and placement in the academic program. Students requiring or desiring additional academic support or preparation may utilize the Smarthinking system. This system of online tutorials, including writing assistance, can be accessed directly from your Blackboard course site (use “Tools” feature). (Notes: Please turn off your “pop-up blockers” to use this tool and plan ahead to allow the Smartthinking staff time to provide you with important feedback). How to Submit Assignments: All written assignments during the Pre-Residency (Part One) and Post-Residency (Part Three) will be submitted by uploading them using SafeAssign. How to submit your assignments using the SafeAssign: All written assignments must be completed using word processing and then uploaded to the Blackboard web site using the SafeAssign. This can be found by going to the “Assignments” folder in the left panel of your course website. Select the paper your submitting and Click on “View/Complete.” Important Note: DO NOT upload your written assignments to the Discussion Board.

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Copies of Course Assignments: Students are responsible for retaining a copy(ies) of all materials submitted for grading. If a paper or project is misplaced or lost in transition, the student must provide a substitute copy upon request. Integrated Writing Rubric The following assessment form will identify strengths and areas for additional work. Assumptions: all papers will use APA formatting High Point Range Paper is clear, focused, and interesting and includes relevant material or effective research. The writer demonstrates an understanding of the subject matter and the ability to link theories to practical experience.

Middle Point Range The paper is clear and focused, though the writing in not particularly captivating. Efforts are made to use relevant material and research to support findings. However, understanding is limited, and the paper lacks substance, logic or originality.

Low Point Range The paper lacks a central idea or purpose, or forces the reader to make inferences based on very sketchy details. Information is limited or missing, and the writer fails to demonstrate a basic understanding of the subject matter.

Content and Completeness Analysis

Major components of analysis are identified and addressed with explanation and evidence of interrelationship to other components. Impact of the component is explained and supported with concepts covered in materials and / or class. Analysis of material in charts, tables and/or exhibits is incorporated into the analysis.

Major components of analysis are identified. Explanation is sketchy or incomplete, interrelationship to other components not explained adequately for understanding. Material is presented in charts and/or exhibits.

Components are missing which should be included to demonstrate a thorough analysis; support to explain relationships is incomplete.

Content and Critical Thinking

Thought and critical thinking is clear and easy to follow. Major points are identified clearly and linked to theoretical concepts and supported with specific details, examples. There is clear organization of thought. Conclusions and recommendations are identified and explained and supported by the analysis. The conclusions /

Major points are identified, however the explanation is not easy to follow and/or they are not linked to theoretical concepts from the course. There is not a clear link between the conclusion and/or recommendation and the analysis. Some part is missing (conclusion, recommendation, link to the analysis).

Major points are missing and explanation is sketchy. Not a clear link between conclusion / recommendation and analysis or parts are missing.

Content & Grasp of Issues

Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations Syllabus, 11 recommendations directly address the initial problem/issue. Organization

Word Choice, Voice, Grammar

The paper’s organization emphasizes the central theme or purpose that demonstrates an accurate audience analysis. Sequencing and transitioning of ideas are logical and in appropriate section. The introduction and conclusion lead the reader toward understanding. The words used convey the intended message in an interesting, precise and natural way. The writing is full and rich, yet concise, and the writer is writing for the reader, using action verbs, concrete nouns, and appropriate vocabulary. Sentences are well-built , with consistently strong, varied structure that makes reading easy. The writer demonstrates a strong grasp of standard writing conventions, including spelling, punctuation, word usage, and uses this ability to enhance the paper’s readability.

The reader can readily follow what is being said, but the paper’s overall organization is at times, too obvious or lacks consistent pace. Lack of appropriate support leads to reader confusion and the sequence of ideas is not as smooth as it could be.

The paper’s organization is haphazard and disjointed. Writing lacks direction and continuity among ideas, details, and support material. The lack of organization distorts or obscures the paper’s main point and leaves the read confused as to the paper’s purpose.

Although the language used does convey the message, it is quite ordinary and often contains overused or “generic” words and phrases. The writing lacks detail and precision, and although understandable, the language rarely captures the reader’s attention. Sentences are more mechanical than fluid, and occasional awkward construction forces the reader to slow down and reread sentences. The writer shows good control over simple sentences, but struggles with complex syntax. Some problems with word usage and grammar are present.

The writer struggles with a limited vocabulary and is unable to convey meaning. Words seem imprecise, inadequate, or just plain wrong. Often the language is so vague, abstract, or redundant that only the broadest, most general messages are conveyed. Numerous errors in usage, sentence structure, spelling or punctuation repeated distract the reader. Irregular sentence patterns make the text difficult to follow. Many sentences seem disjointed, or awkward. Spelling and basic punctuation is often incorrect.

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Summary of Course Assignments ASSIGNMENTS Part One - Pre-Residency Assignments:

Points

Assignment B: Written Assignments (2.5 pts each)

10

Due 48 hours before the Residency

5

Evaluation conducted during all four Units

Fundraising Methods Papers

40

Submitted in each week of the follow-up

Responses to Posts

20

Submitted in each week of the follow-up

Fundraising Infrastructure Test TOTAL

25 100

Submitted in week 7 of the follow-up

Part Two – the Residency: Assignment C: Participate in classroom discussion and group problem solving.

Due Date

Part Three - the Post-Residency

All work must be completed by [ASK INSTRUCTOR FOR DATE] for the proper recording of your grade. Otherwise a grade of “F” will be assigned, unless arrangements have been made for an “I” (incomplete). For all assignments: when naming computer files, please include your last name and a description of the assignment in the file name. For example: • •

[student name]-[assignment name].doc, or smith-direct mail.doc

This reduces the chance of file misplacement.