NONPROFIT FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT
PADM 7334
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Spring 2015
January 1, 2015
Professor:
Kimberly A. Aaron, Ph.D.
kimberly_aaron@sbcglobal.net
Phone: (972) 979-6005
Office hours: By Appointment
Class Meeting:
Thursday, 6:00 p.m. – 8:40 p.m.
Ross Hall 313
Course Description:
Nonprofit Fundraising and Development sets the context for understanding the basic concepts of
philanthropy and provides a practical study of the strategies and techniques of resource
development in public and nonprofit organizations, preparing students to work effectively as a
member of a fundraising team.
Course Objectives:
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:






Understand the impact of philanthropy on individual organizations and the broader
community
Describe the critical elements in developing and managing donor relationships
Analyze the impact of philanthropy and resource development to operations and
service delivery
Develop the components of written proposals to corporate, foundation, and private
donors
Recommend development strategies and tactics
Demonstrate understanding of the ethical and legal constraints of the development
profession
Required Text:
Tempel, et al. Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, Jossey Bass, 3rd Edition, ISBN 978 0470551738
Recommended Text:
Karsh, Ellen and Fox, Arlen Sue. The Only Grantwriting Book You’ll Ever Need. Basic Books, 4th
Edition, ISBN 978 0465058938
A Note on Reading Materials:
Additional reading assignments include journal articles available online, through the university
library, and/ or provided in class. You will need your student ID number to access articles through
the university library.
Requirements & Grading:
Journal Essays
Case Statement and Funding Plan
Final Take-Home Examination
Class Attendance & Active Participation
28% (7% per submission)
35%
25%
12%
Students are expected to produce work of quality. This includes careful attention to grammar,
punctuation, and spelling in all written assignments. Please set your Spellcheck to review grammar
and style. Additionally, students should craft clear and deliberate arguments and present their
work in a well-organized format.
Journal Essays
Journal essays are weekly written discussions of and/or reflections upon the course readings. Do
not make the mistake of summarizing the material. The journal entries should be a critical
assessment of the material that reflects your own thoughts. Each entry should be no more than two
pages. Students will sign up to lead class discussions based upon their essays. The “journal” or a
complete set of essays will be turned in every four weeks for grading.
Case Statement and Funding Plan
Students will form project groups for the purposes of developing a case statement and funding plan
for a local nonprofit organization. The case statements and funding plan will be presented in class
at the end of the semester, as well as turned into the professor.
Final Exam
On the last day of class you will be given a take home exam. The exam will consist of at least five
questions, of which you must answer three. You will have until midnight the following Sunday
evening to complete the exam and turn it in. You may turn in a hard copy of the exam or you may
email it.
Extensions & Special Exceptions:
No extensions are granted for written work. Late papers will be penalized one grade step. For
example, a paper that is deemed an “A” paper, but is late will receive an “A-” as a grade. Note that
unless otherwise specified, all assignments must be submitted in hard-copy during class meetings.
Email Communication Policy:
Email is an efficient and effective mode of communication, especially given the busy lives of
university students and faculty. Therefore it is recommended that students contact the professor
2
via email when appropriate. Please use “PADM 7334” in the subject line of any email sent to the
professor regarding this class. I do check email regularly.
Scholastic Dishonesty Policy:
Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Suspicions of academic dishonesty will be investigated
and pursued to the fullest extent of the university’s policy.
Disabilities and Accommodations:
Your success in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock to create inclusive learning environments consistent with federal and state
law. If you have a documented disability (or need to have a disability documented), and need an
accommodation, please contact me privately as soon as possible, so that we can discuss with the
Disability Resource Center (DRC) how to meet your specific needs and the requirements of the
course. The DRC offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with
disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process among
you, your instructor(s) and the DRC. Thus, if you have a disability, please contact me and/or the
DRC, at 501-569-3143 (V/TTY) or 501-683-7629 (VP). For more information, please visit the DRC
website at www.ualr.edu/disability.
General Disclaimer:
The course syllabus may be amended at any time by the professor.
SYLLABUS: CLASS AGENDAS & READINGS
January 15
Introductions/Review of Syllabus/Giving in the U.S.
Independent Sector and Nonprofit Almanac
January 22
History of Philanthropy
TSA – Chapter 1
Sulek, Mary. 2010. On the Modern Meaning of Philanthropy. Nonprofit
and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. 39(2)
Sulek, Mary. 2010. On the Classical Meaning of Philanthropia. Nonprofit
and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. 39(3)
January 29
The Case for Support
TSA – Chapters 2 - 5
Discussion of Project, Group Assignments, Sample Case Statements
February 5
Focus on Donors
TSA – Chapters 10 – 13
Prior, Anna, How Charities Can Get More Out of Donors: What the Latest
Research Says About Getting People to Give. Located at
http://www.wsj.com/articles/how-charities-can-get-more-out-of-donors1418598068
3
February 12
More on Donors
TSA – Chapters 14 – 17
Eisinger, Jesse, A Shake-Up as the Financial World Infiltrates Philanthropy
located at http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/a-shake-up-as-thefinancial-world-infiltrates-philanthropy/?_r=0
Essays Turned In
Guest Speaker – Donald Wood, Vice President and Foundation Executive
Director, Arkansas Hospice, Inc.
February 19
Structuring Fundraising
TSA – Chapters 6 – 9, 18
ATT Performing Arts Center Case Study
February 26
Budgeting and Programming – Keys to Development
TSA – Chapter 31
Guest Speaker – Sherece West –Scantlebury, President and CEO, The
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
March 5
Solicitations
TSA – Chapters 19-22, 32
Essays Turned In
Guest Speaker – Terrie Turner, President, Sunbelt-Advertising
March 12
Managing the Process
TSA – Chapters 24, 27 - 29
March 19
Donor Data Bases, Stewardship, and Development Operations
TSA – Chapter 23, 30
Guest Speaker – Abby Holsclaw, Senior Director of Philanthropy and
Financial Stability, Goodwill Industries International
March 26
NO CLASS/SPRING BREAK
April 2
Data, Storytelling and Closing the Loop
Essays Turned In
Stories Worth Telling: A Guide to Strategic and Sustainable Nonprofit
Storytelling, located at
http://meyerfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/SWT-WhitepaperFINAL.pdf
April 9
Social Enterprise and Venture Philanthropy
Foster, W. and Bradach, J. 2005. Should Nonprofits Seek Profits?
Harvard Business Review. 83(2)
Chetkovich, C. and Frumkin P. 2003. Balancing Margin and Mission:
Nonprofit Competition in Charitable versus Fee-Based Programs.
Administration and Society. 35(5).
4
Eikenberry, Angela M. and Kluver, J.D. 2004. The Marketization of the
Nonprofit Sector: Civil Society at Risk? Public Administration
Review, 64(2)
April 16
Case Statement and Funding Plan Presentations
April 23
Ethics and the Profession
TSA – Chapters 35 – 41
Guest Speaker: Hannah Vogler, President, Hannah Vogler Consulting
April 30
Wrap Up/Take Home Examination Distributed
Essays Turned In
Aesthetic Requirements & Citations
Citations must be used in all assignments where appropriate. Students should only use footnotes
for further explanation of a topic in the paper; footnotes should not be used for reference citations.
All written assignments should follow the following aesthetic guidelines.
One-inch margins on all sides
12 point font size
Times New Roman or comparable sized font style
Double spacing
Indented paragraphs
Left justification (right justification is optional)
Numbered pages
Cover page including, at a minimum, student name, ID number, assignment title, and date
Last name in the upper right corner of every page (use header function)
One blank sheet of paper at the end of the assignment
Stapled (no paper clips or other creative paper-connecting mechanisms)
5