SYLLABUS
for
“Fundraising for Nonprofits”
PLSC 606 #27395 – Starting Thursday, January 9, 2014
John G. Fike, CFRE, Instructor for the Course
Office Hours are Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in PH-602-J
Classroom for this Course is Room 419 in Pray-Harrold
Class day/time is: Thursdays, 6:00 - 8:40 p.m.
Phone: 734-484-2166 Cell: 313-215-3911 Email: jfike2@emich.edu
Course Description:
This course provides students with a practical understanding of new and advanced concepts,
techniques and theories of nonprofit fundraising. Students will develop management and
leadership skills, learning to analyze and evaluate fundraising process and methods. Students will
also develop the ability to think creatively about fundraising problems and will develop skills in
problem-solving for fundraising practice. Additionally, students will develop the ability to
synthesize and integrate current information and emerging ideas into the fundraising mix and to
think critically and analytically about a variety of fundraising perspectives. Students will have the
opportunity to work in teams and groups focused on active, cooperative learning.
The course will include a substantive section on the preparation of an effective grant application,
including budgets, program planning and writing effective outcomes. Generally, we will focus on
fundraising in small to medium-sized nonprofits, and will address ourselves to the special problems
found in new or struggling nonprofits as well.
Course Objectives:
1. Provide students with grounding in current problems in the fundraising field, including donor
motivation, the roles of boards and strategic planning and fundraising infrastructure.
2. Help students discover and understand the development and nurture of productive
relationships that satisfy both donors and nonprofit managers.
3. Explore the realms of advanced budgeting, fundraising ethics and a variety of emerging
new age fundraising techniques so as to gain an ability to analyze, generate and evaluate new
models of fundraising practice.
Required Readings:
Text: “Achieving Excellence in Fundraising” by Tempel, Eugene R., Selier, Timothy L., and
Aldrich, Eva E., eds, Jossey-Bass, 2011
Text: “The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management” by Stanley Weinstein, ACFRE,
EMBA, Third Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009
Text: “Writing Grant Proposals that Win” by Deborah Ward, Fourth Edition, Jones &
Bartlett Learning, LLC, 2012
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PROCEDURAL MATTERS
1. Academic Integrity:
Each student is expected to submit her/his own work. If cheating, plagiarism or the use of nonoriginal work is suspected, it will be investigated according to university policy.
2. Cell phones, Pagers, Text Messages, Laptops:
Students are expected to give every class their full attention.
Students may not under any circumstances use cell phones, pagers or text messaging
devices during class. When students enter the classroom their communication devices must
be turned off. Laptops may be used in class only for class work.
3. Liaison with a Nonprofit Organization:
Students will benefit greatly from forming a liaison with a local nonprofit organization, possibly
even volunteering on a somewhat regular basis or doing an internship. It is not a requirement,
but the student’s learning process will be greatly enhanced and such a relationship will also
provide students a source of concrete, practical information relating to the course content.
4. Attendance:
a. Definition:
Attendance has been built into lectures and discussions. In order to count as a “day in
attendance,” students must not be absent, must not be late to class, nor leave early.
b. Sign-In Sheet:
Each student is expected to sign in on the class attendance sheet, which will be
available on a clipboard during the first 10 minutes of each class . Anyone who has not
signed in within those 10 minutes will be marked as being absent.
No exceptions. No excuses. No student may sign in for another student.
c. Absences:
There are no excused absences. Structured in-class discussions of course concepts and
their application require each student’s active participation in every learning session.
Absences may be made up (see section e. below)
d. Class Attendance and Participation Grading:
Class attendance and participation will constitute 500 points, or 21% of the total grade.
Class attendance and participation points will be compiled and evaluated following every
class session.
1. Attendance: Attendance in class rates 25 points, accumulated every class
session the student is present and has signed in on the attendance sheet. Absence
from class rates a 0 for that learning session. If you don’t sign in, you’re “not
there.” Being absent totally, being late for class or leaving class early, or failing to
sign in, all equal an absence. No exceptions.
2. Participation: Class participation points will be accumulated at a rate of up
to 11 points per class period, depending on the extent to which a student participates
actively in class. (see “Students Must be Ready for Class” below).
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e. Make-Ups:
Absences may be “made up” when the student has read an assigned article and has
written a three-page (minimum) review of the article. Full attendance and participation
credit will be given (30 points, each session) when this procedure is used.
An absence, lateness or leaving early for the class on April 18 (last class of the semester)
will remain unexcused.
5. Students must be Ready for Class:
Learning is not a spectator sport. For learning to happen in any course, students must take an
active role in the process. Students are expected to come to class prepared and ready to
learn, which requires reading and studying the assigned reading before you come to class.
Being prepared for class enables students to construct a knowledge base on which
subsequent learning will take place.
Students are required to bring to each class session the text book used for the current
reading assignment.
6. Grading:
A student’s final grade will comprise the following components:
Class Attendance and Participation
500 points 21%
Final Exam
500 points 21%
Written Case for Support
300 points 13%
Written Theme Paper or 2 Article Repts
300 points 13%
Work Group Presentation in Class
300 points 13%
10 Reading Assignments @ 36 pts
500 points 21%
TOTALS
2400 points 100%
Grades will be calculated as follows:
Number of total points earned divided by 2400 gives a percentage grade.
This percentage grade is then translated into a letter grade according to the table below.
Grading Scale (all students)
93-100 = A
83-86 = B
90-92 = A80-82 = B87-89 = B+
77-79 = C+
73-76 = C
70-72 = C67-69 = D+
63-66 = D
60-62 = D0-59 = F
For example, if a student’s raw score total is 1992 points, the numerical grade is 83% and the
letter grade is B.
NOTE: The Instructor reserves the right to raise any student’s grade based on his perception
of the student’s overall knowledge and understanding of the course material.
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7. Reading Assignments:
All students are required to complete 10 reading assignments, which are posted on the
eCollege learning facility. These assignments represent 500 points of the course grade.
Each assignment is worth 50 points when submitted on or before the due date. Reading
Assignments close on the Due Date. Further access may be gained by special permission
from the Instructor.
To complete a reading assignment, students will read the assigned passages from the
textbooks as well as other required reading detailed on eCollege, then will answer a simple
question or two. Students are asked to type their answers directly into the answer box
provided with each assignment, then to click on “submit” in order to submit the assignment.
8. The Case for Support:
All students will be required to write a Case for Support paper for a real or imagined nonprofit
organization. The Case for Support paper should be somewhere between 8 and 12 pages in
length, double-spaced. This component will constitute 300 points of a student’s grade for the
semester. Students will work on the Case for Support paper individually.
A class session will be given on January 30, 2013 as a base from which to develop the Case
for Support and start the writing process. Individuals will proceed from information based on
the class presentation to decide the elements they want in their CFS, then outline the project,
then write the document.
DUE DATE for the Case for Support paper is February 20, 2014
REQUIREMENTS: This assignment MUST contain the following elements:
- Cover sheet with the paper’s TITLE plus the student’s name, course title and
number, date, etc in the upper right-hand corner
- Page numbers All pages must be numbered in the lower right hand corner
- Outline of the Document of the paper appearing just back of the Conclusion
- Executive Summary positioned as the second page of the paper, should contain a
short summary of the key points covered
- Conclusion at the end of the paper summing up the key points
- Reference Page at the end of the paper giving notes and sources used
SUBMISSION FORMAT for these papers:
These papers are to be submitted in Word 2003 or 2007 (.doc or .docx) format, and are to
be attached to an email sent to the Instructor’s email address: jfike2@emich.edu.
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9. Theme Paper or Two Article Reports:
Each student will be required to write EITHER a Theme Paper OR Two Article Reports.
This project will constitute 300 points of a student’s final grade.
There are several DEADLINES involved, as follows:
Appointment with Instructor to be MADE on or before:
Appointment with Instructor to be DONE on or before:
Deadline for Outline of the Theme Paper on or before:
Deadline to submit Final Draft of Theme Paper:
Jan. 23, 2014
Feb. 13, 2014
Feb. 20, 2014
April 3, 2014
SUBMISSION FORMAT for these papers:
These papers are to be submitted in Word 2003 or 2007 (.doc or .docx) format, and are to
be attached to an email sent to the Instructor’s email address: jfike2@emich.edu.
A. Theme Paper will be researched and written by students individually.
REQUIREMENTS for the Theme Paper:
The Theme Paper will be at least 12 pages in length.
The paper should be crafted around a central, thematic question that gives focus to the
paper.
The Theme Paper must contain the following elements:
1. Cover Sheet/Title page bearing the student’s name, the course title and number,
the paper topic in the upper right hand corner
2. A one-page “Executive Summary” positioned as the second page of the paper,
and containing the following information:
a. a short summary of what the paper is about,
b. the essential argument that will be made in the paper,
c. the central thematic question that the paper will answer,
d. the author’s conclusion at the outcome of the research process
3. Page Numbers: All pages must be numbered in the lower right hand corner
4. A one-page Conclusion at the end of the paper
5. A Detailed Outline of the paper appearing just back of the Conclusion
6. Reference pages at the end of the paper giving notes and sources used,
Topics must be approved in advance by the Instructor. Each student is required to
make an appointment to talk with the Instructor to discuss topic and the essential
research question that will be pursued in the Special Topics Research Question.
Deadlines for the Theme Paper project are as follows:
DEADLINE for making this appointment with Instructor is January 23, 2014.
DEADLINE for the OUTLINE Draft of the Research Paper is February 20, 2014
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DEADLINE for FINAL Draft of the Theme Paper is April 3, 2014
Theme Papers are to be submitted only in one of the following formats: in Word 2003 or 2007
(.doc or .docx) format,
Theme Papers are to be submitted electronically by attaching it to an email and sent to
the Instructor using the address jfike2@emich.edu.
10. Work Groups for Class Presentations:
Each student in the course is required to participate in one of four work groups that will
research and give an in-class presentation on a particular topic.
This assignment constitutes 300 points of each student’s grade. The work groups and
assignments are as follows:
Work Group #1 will present on Building Relationships in Fundraising, March 27
Work Group #2 will present on New Age Methods of Fundraising, April 3
Work Group #3 will present on Managing and Assessing Fundraising Operations, April 10
Work Group #4 will present on Advanced Techniques in Fundraising, April 17
Insofar as possible and appropriate, students will be able to exercise some choice in the group
they wish to join for this assignment. The grade given to the project will be the grade given to
each student in the work group that prepared the presentation.
11. Exams:
The Final Exam will be given on eCollege, and will run from 1:00 a.m. on Friday, April 18,
2014 until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2014
The final exam will cover all material covered in class learning sessions plus the reading
assignments for the semester.
12. No Make-Ups for Final Exam:
The Final Exam will be given on the eCollege online learning facility. No make-up exams will be
given. Once an exam closes it will be permanently closed. No exceptions will be made.
13. Lecture Notes: The Instructor’s lecture notes will NOT be posted on the eCollege learning
facility. There may, however, be graphics files available for some lectures.
14. Use of Learning System Technology:
To a supplement to facilitate learning and make it easier for students to find everything in one
place, The Eastern Michigan University’s online learning facility, called eCollege (aka “EMU
Online), will be used as part of the learning experience in this class.
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Each student is responsible for knowing how to access eCollege and learning how to navigate in
and use this learning system.
Students are advised to familiarize themselves with this learning system immediately at the
beginning of the semester, so that any technical difficulties they might have can be resolved at the
outset of the course.
Technical assistance will be provided by the Information Technology Department of the University.
Pop-Up Blockers Must be Turned OFF
The eCollege learning system frequently uses small browser windows to deliver requested
content. Some pop-up blockers incorrectly interpret these small windows as pop-up ads and
block them. If you have installed a pop-up blocker, it is wise to turn it off while using the
learning system.
15. Daily Class Schedule
The daily class schedule, together with the reading assignments and all other resources for this
course except the podcasts, are available on eCollege learning facility.
PLSC 606 WIN-2014
12-12-2013
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