Experiencing Philanthropy
Nancy Lippe
Syllabus, Fall 2014
Course Description
Philanthropy, Nonprofits, and Community
Philanthropy plays many roles in our communities, from alleviating crisis situations to
encouraging strategic, systemic change. Nonprofit organizations are the intermediaries
connecting donors to community needs. Working with a $10,000 grant from the
Learning By Giving Foundation, students have the opportunity to practice philanthropy
by serving as a young adult grant-making board to award funds to local nonprofits in
the Lowell community.
Students will learn about different styles of philanthropy and effective nonprofit
management; how to think about and evaluate impact as a philanthropist; how to run a
community project; how to read nonprofit financials and assess nonprofit organizational
health and potential; sources of philanthropic news, and thinking; and trends in
philanthropy and nonprofit management. Students will design their own process for
requesting grant proposals and evaluating applications. The process of selecting grant
recipients will bring students very close to the Lowell community.
Class taught in a Socratic style, encouraging students to learn together through
discussion and projects. A number of community philanthropists and nonprofit leaders
will join our class discussions, offering the opportunity to learn directly from those in
the field.
Required Text:
Drucker, Peter. Five most Important Questions. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2008
Recommended Reading Sources
Crutchfield, Kania, & Kramer. Do More Than Give, San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2011
Damon, William & Verducci, Susan, Eds. Taking Philanthropy Seriously. Bloomington:
Indiana University Press, 2006.
Drucker, Peter. Managing Nonprofit Organizations. New York, Harper Paperbacks, 2006.
Frumkin, Peter. Strategic Giving. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2006.
Stanford Social Innovation Review
Classes organized into discussion time (first hour) and board work time (second
hour).
Grading:
Based on 100 possible points
Attendance and Participation: 50%
Assignments and preparation: 50%
Dr. Nancy Lippe has developed and led nonprofit programs in schools and
communities for the last 15 years, focusing on conflict resolution, philanthropy, college
access/perseverance, and art/nature discovery. Her work has involved being both a
grant seeker and a grant maker, resulting in a great appreciation for the opportunities
and challenges of both sides. Currently, Nancy works in Concord, MA as the Program
Director of Musketaquid Arts & and Environment at The Umbrella Community Arts
Center. She also serves on several local nonprofit boards, and is a facilitator in a local
restorative justice program. She received her BA in Human Biology from Stanford
University and her doctorate in education from the Fielding Graduate University.
Experimenting With Philanthropy
Spring 2014 Proposed Syllabus
Nancy Lippe
Class # 1
Overview of course and nonprofit sector
Discussion: Review of course. Getting to know each other activity: What kind of
philanthropist do you want to be? Case study: “Homelessness: Back to Square One.”
What is role of philanthropy in society, economy?
Speaker(s): Ellie Mudge, Learning By Giving Foundation
Board Work: Surfacing Board values and interests.
Assignment for Class #2
1. Read:
a. Peter Karoff, Just Money, pp. xi-22 (PDF on Blackboard); Frumkin pp1-28 (PDF on )
b. Steven Ott and Lisa Dicke, Nature of the nonprofit sector, pp. 49-55 (PDF on Blackboard)
c. Council on Foundations Glossary: Read through to familiarize yourself with terms.
Make sure you can talk about the difference between a private foundation and a
community foundation
d. Case Study: “Homelessness Back to Square One.” Be prepared to discuss: Who is
involved, what is the situation, why does it exist, how can it be solved, what are the
roles/purposes of philanthropy in this situation
http://www.lowellsun.com/news/ci_23205516/homeless-back-square-one-city-closesdown-camps
2. Reading reflection: BEFORE CLASS, email me a few sentences about what resonated
with you in the readings. nancy.lippe@tufts.edu.
Class #2
What is Philanthropy?
Discussion: Role of Philanthropy in Society: potential, limitations, benefits
Speaker: Susan Winship, Greater Lowell Community Foundation
Board Work: Prioritizing values and interests, Introduction of community service
project, divide into community teams
Assignment for Class #3
1. Read:
a. Karoff pp. 63-71; William Damon, Taking Philanthropy Seriously, pp. 1-10; James Allen
Smith, In Search of An Ethic of Giving; Frumkin, Central Problems in Philanthropy.
b. Stanford Social Innovation Review Article on Elitist philanthropy
www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/the_elitist_philanthropy_of_so_called_effective_altruis
m
c. www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/sunday-review/policy-making-billionaires.html
d. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/opinion/sunday/good-charity-badcharity.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0facebook
e. Handout from class (also attached) about Charity v. Change and Levels of
Philanthropic Intervention (from Tracy Gary’s Inspired Philanthropy)
2.. Begin community needs research
3. Reading reflection: BEFORE CLASS, email me a few sentences about what resonated
with you in the readings. nancy.lippe@tufts.edu
Class # 3
Policy Issues in Philanthropy
Discussion: What are the core issues and tensions in the practice of philanthropy?
Speaker(s): Susan Halter, COOL
Board Work: Draft a board mission statement, Tufts Communities
Assignment for Class # 4
1. Read
a. http://www.ssireview.org/up_for_debate/article/strategic_philanthropy
b. www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/collective_impact
c. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/philanthropy/24337-strategic-philanthropy-soyesterday.html
d. Review Shape Up Somerville case study
http://www.fsg.org/Portals/0/Uploads/Documents/PDF/CI_Case_Study_Shape_Up
_Somerville.pdf
2. Reading reflection: Briefly outline a collective impact approach for solving the
problem for the couple in Maine. Does this problem merit the nature and extent of a
collective impact approach?
3. Identify community members to contact, send first round of queries
Class # 4
Strategic Philanthropy: Giving With Impact
Discussion: What does it take to make a difference? How can this sector solve
community problems?
Speaker:
Board Work: Finalize board mission, community needs discussion and work time
Assignment for Class # 5
1) Attached please find the Harvard Kennedy School case study of Oprah's South
African school for girls.
a) Do you believe she practiced effective philanthropy? Why or why not? Be specific.
b) Do you find that the alignment strategy for evaluating gifts sufficient? If not, what is
missing?
Write a 1500-2000 word essay evaluating Oprah’s approach to philanthropy. Use the
alignment approach and Tracy Gary’s levels of giving as tools for your analysis. Be
specific, take a position, and reference supporting thinkers. You are strongly
encouraged to draw upon your readings. No bibliography required, just cite author's
name. Email to me by class time.
2. Community needs– continue research
3. Next class we will start looking at nonprofit organizations. Be thinking about a
nonprofit you would like to found.
Class # 5
Overview of the Nonprofit Sector
Discussion: Review Oprah Case study. Begin nonprofit segment: What is a
nonprofit? Develop a fictional nonprofit.
Speaker(s): TBA
Board Work: Community needs discussion, service project brainstorm
Assignment for Class # 6
A. Explore the articles and websites below. Familiarize yourself with the terms: Benefit
Corporation, B-Corps, Hybrid, L3C, Program Related Investment, Flexible Purpose
Corporation. Note the basic points of differentiation: purpose, taxes, sources of funds,
accountability.
1. www.bcorporation.net/
2. www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/business/a-quest-for-hybrid-companies-partmoney-maker-part-nonprofit.html
3. www.intersectorl3c.com/blog/104163/8364/
4. skollworldforum.org/2006/09/25/creating-a-hybrid-for-profit-non-profit-socialenterprise-structure/
5. HBS Case study: Impact Makers (Attached)
B. For your group's hypothetical nonprofit, would you consider one of the alternative
structures? Why or why not? Come prepared to discuss. (Become an expert in the step(s)
toward starting a nonprofit your group was
assigned. www.councilofnonprofits.org/howtostartanonprofit)
C. Continue community research. Surface issues, needs, key leaders (individuals,
organizations)
D. Keep thinking about possible class service project. Needs to be a project you start
and implement together.
Class # 6
Challenges and Opportunities of the Nonprofit Sector
Discussion: Social entrepreneurship and choices in starting a nonprofit organization;
Speaker(s): David Parker, Executive Director, The Sandbox
Board Work: Community presentations, service project selection
Assignment for Class # 7
1. Frumkin Chapter 6, Logic Models.
At least read the section on the Elements of A Logic Model, and the intros to the sections
on Theory of Change, Theory of Leverage, Theory of Scale so that you know what they
are and how they might impact your logic model.
Another helpful logic model explanation:
www.smartgivers.org/uploads/logicmodelguidepdf.pdf
2. Read all of Peter Drucker's Five Most Important Questions.
3. COMPLETE logic model for your hypothetical nonprofit (attached). Please make a
copy so that you have one to keep and one to turn in. Note that the phrase "your view
of the world" is a less technical way of saying "Theory of Change."
4. Draft a board mission statement.
Class # 7
Nonprofit Management
Discussion: Drucker’s Five Questions: Good nonprofit management
Speaker(s): Jessica Wilson, Executive Director, Lowell Telecommunications Corp.
Board Work: Develop process for soliciting grant proposals, service project planning
Assignment for Class # 8
1) Review Frumkin chapter 9, pp. 331 – 362 Be able to understand difference between
process- and outcome-centered measurements
2) Read: docs.gatesfoundation.org/documents/guide-to-actionable-measurement.pdf
3) Read: www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/why_measure
4) Read: Robin Hood Foundation (attached)
5) For your hypothetical nonprofit, write down some qualitative and some quantitative
measurements you would recommend. Make sure they align with your logic model
(update logic model if needed). If possible, identify a few cost-benefit ratios (Robin
Hood-style) you could work with. Please email to me prior to class.
Class # 8
Aligning Mission, Process and Performance with Evaluation tools
Discussion: Developing evaluation tools that measure desired outcomes
Speaker(s): TBA
Board Work: Service project planning, leadership compass activity
Assignment for Class # 9
1. Send attached RFP out to community contacts, organizations
2. Work on service project details.
3. Request for proposals! Write a grant proposal for your hypothetical nonprofit startup. Suggested limit is 4 pages. Use the attached AGM Common Proposal form, a local
grant application form many foundations accept. For our purposes, answer questions 2,
3, 5, 6 (first two questions only), 7, 8, 9, 10
I will scan and send out in a separate announcement the group logic models for you
submit with the proposal.
Class #9
Nonprofit sustainability: Fundraising and marketing
Discussion:
Speaker: TBA
Board Work: Develop grant assessment tools
Assignment for Class # 10
Read
1. Read:
http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/ten_nonprofit_funding_models/
http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/the_networked_nonprofit
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/giving/12FACE.html?_r=0
http://www.ssireview.org/book_reviews/entry/nonprofit_sustainability_jeanne_bell_j
an_masaoka_steve_zimmerman
http://www.spectrumnonprofit.com/matrixmap.pdf
Reading reflection: Write a few sentences about networking and social media for class
nonprofit
Class #10
Networking, Financials
Discussion: Networked nonprofit, reading financials
Speaker: TBA
Board Work: Review of models of philanthropy (Gary readings), what kind of
philanthropist do you want to be? Finalize grant evaluation rubric;
Assignment for Class # 11
First review of grant applications
Class #11
Discussion/Board Work: Begin grant recipient selection process
Assignment for Class # 12
Your task in class this week is to select the finalists and strategize the site visits.
Be thinking about what kind of philanthropy you want to practice. What kind of impact
do you want to make? How can you leverage your gift?
Class #12
Discussion/Board Work: Second round of grant recipient selection process
Assignment for Class # 13 and final project
1. Finalist site visits
2. Final Reflection -- @ 4-6 pages, double-spaced. Choose a nonprofit or foundation or
policy issue to analyze in your role as a philanthropist. Take a position. Again, support
your reflection with readings, experiences, class discussion, class speakers, your fellow
classmates, interactions with the community, etc.
Class # 13
Discussion/Board Work: Final selection of grant recipients
Assignment: Final project
Week 14 Grant Award presentation