Public Affairs 2368: Nonprofit Communications & Grant Writing

Successful students will:

• Write concisely and convincingly on policy issues;

• Tailor written, visual and oral communication for different policy and management audiences;
• Construct logical arguments incorporating research and data, and apply those arguments to written and spoken policy communication;
• Understand how traditional and social media affects public institutions and public policies; and
• Provide constructive and effective reviews of peers’ written and spoken communication.

As part of the Advanced Writing Embedded Literacy category of the General Education curriculum, this course is designed to prepare students to be able to do the following:

• Investigate and integrate knowledge of the subject, context, and audience with knowledge of genres, conventions, and rhetorical choices to advance a particular writing objective.
• Use credible and relevant sources of information, evaluate assumptions, and consider alternative viewpoints or hypotheses to express ideas and develop arguments.
• Reflect on how they adapt rhetorical and research strategies they have learned to new contexts.
• Develop scholarly, creative, or professional products that are meaningful to them and their audience.
• Evaluate social and ethical implications of writing and information literacy practices.

As part of the Technology Embedded Literacy category of the General Education curriculum, this course is designed to prepare students to be able to do the following:

• Critically describe the relationships between technology and society in historical and cultural contexts.
• Recognize how technologies emerge and change.
• Evaluate the social and ethical implications of technology.

All required readings, links, audio clips, and videos will be posted to Carmen. Additional texts may be required. Check your instructor's syllabus for details.

You will learn in class, through peer-to-peer engagement, and through readings/video/resources to build your nonprofit communications skills. By learning how to speak and write to a variety of audiences, you will come to appreciate the importance of delivering a concise and convincing argument. Readings and assignments are designed to help you develop the competence, confidence and rhetorical understanding needed by communicators nonprofit managers and leaders.

During the semester, most of our time will be focused on learning how to create communications materials. Revising drafts and receiving instructor and peer feedback will give you a chance to hone your skills and polish later products that will count more heavily for your team and individual grades.

In this course, you can expect the following:

• The instructor will help you learn to create communications strategy and implement tactics to reach nonprofit goals by modeling effective practice and supporting your learning through simulations in class.
• Readings and homework assignments will strengthen your individual capabilities.
• You will learn from your classmates. Your most helpful constructive critics are your colleagues, which is why many of your efforts throughout the semester— both in writing and through presentation—will be shared with your colleagues and critiqued in class. You will learn from the instructor, as well as from each other.
• By the completion of the course, you will have created a portfolio of artifacts that demonstrates your fluency in nonprofit communications tactics, and you will have a better sense of communications tactics to apply in the nonprofit management context.

Some assignments will be reviewed and discussed in class. Informing the instructor of your intention to be absent does not waive your obligation to submit assigned work. Late work will be accepted with a one-third-letter grade penalty each day that it is late (A- to B+).

• Attendance + Participation (20%): Attendance will be taken for this class. If you will be absent, please contact your instructor.
  • This course involves peer review and class discussion; repeated absences will hurt you and your classmates. More than 3 unexcused or unexplained absences will impact your attendance grade.
  • If you are present in class but are distracted by other reading, texting, or social media, we will reduce your in-class contribution points. “Being here now” makes a difference. Class time will be used for discussions, group activities, and individual assignments. You are expected to be attentive and engaged during lectures and discussions, and to contribute meaningfully during group exercises. This means that you must speak, listen, and engage with the class and, when applicable, with your group members.
• Assignments (80%): In this course, you will complete multiple in-class and take-home assignments. Class time will sometimes be used to allow you to work and receive feedback on your assignments from your peers and the instructor. Each assignment is listed on Carmen with the due date and time, number of points, appropriate formatting, objectives, details, and assessment criteria.