NGO Education Survey

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PA 645 - Economic Development

This course introduces students to the theoretical and practical aspects of community and economic development. The primary focus will be on economic development efforts at the subnational level. Topics include the tools, institutions, financing instruments, and policy issues relating to economic development.

PA 610 - Organizational and Crisis Communication

Human beings live and work within complex organizational networks: family, school, club, professional, and political.  Understanding the complex nature of communication and interaction within these networks provides a critical insight for managers seeking group success.  This course examines theories and practices associated with organizational communication, explores the unique dynamics of crisis communication, and enhances student learning and skills development through review and reflection on real world and case study scenarios.  

PA 650 - Advocacy Leadership

This course provides an analysis of the legislative process as it relates to policy making on the federal, state, and local levels. Focus is on legislative decision making, executive-legislative relations, legislative organization, and characteristics of legislatures and legislators. External and internal factors that effect the process are examined.

PA 655 - Evidence-Informed Decisions in Public and Nonprofit Sectors

This course focuses on evidence-informed management practices and decision methodologies for individuals working in the public and nonprofit sectors. The course includes an examination of numerous decision scenarios for managers in public and nonprofit settings and explores variations in evidence-based decision making models that apply in context of program outputs, policy effectiveness and change advocacy. Topics include discussions of evidence quality, data collection and management techniques and efforts to understand, interpret and apply common statistical techniques used to support evidence-based decision making. Special emphasis given to effective communication of processes and findings to others.

PA 662 - Applied Anthropology: Promoting Social Change

This course introduces students to the ways anthropological theories and methods can be used to promote social change, alter or “improve” institutional cultures, and inform decision- and policymaking in both the public and private spheres. All anthropologists seek to understand WHY people think and behave in particular ways, but applied anthropologists go one step further, offering insights into how communities and institutions can achieve their economic, social, or political goals. Applied anthropologists propose solutions to social and political problems, making recommendations on specific policies, strategies, or plans in a wide range of settings, from nonprofit community action groups to corporate boardrooms. Students discuss examples of public and applied anthropology and learn about and evaluate research methods suited to the restricted time frame that applied anthropology often entails.

PA 681 - Nonprofit Advancement

This course covers the fundamentals of advancement for nonprofit organizations. The key focus is on helping managers build high performance nonprofit organizations. Topics include improving management skills, board development, volunteer management, and coordinating organizational effort across functions, such as fundraising, grants, marketing, public relations, and special events. Advancement activities are examined in the context of strategic planning and consistency with organizational mission.

PA 684 - Strategic Communications for the Nonprofit Sector

This course reviews the broad concept of strategic communications and delves into the core components, strategic principles, and successful tactics associated with marketing, public relations, and other forms of external-oriented communications that are essential to the success of modern nonprofit organizations. Students explore aspects of an intentional communication strategy, review contemporary challenges, and gain applied experience in crafting persuasive content fitting for traditional and new communication forums.

PA 687 - Fundraising for Nonprofits

Students examine various fundraising procedures and programs, types of campaigns and strategies, and constituency analysis. Topics are annual and capital campaigns, endowment campaigns, planned giving, stewardship, and volunteerism.