Public Affairs 7533: Nonprofit Financial Management
This is a sample syllabus to provide general information about the course and it's requirements. Course requirements are subject to change. This syllabus does not contain all assignment or course detail and currently enrolled students should reference the syllabus provided by their instructor. For a specific syllabus, please email us a request.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students should successfully be able to:
- Describe actual and potential roles of a nonprofit CFO
- Apply financial planning processes and techniques to NP organizations and programs
- Assess financial health of an organization based on their accounting practices financial statements
- Manage financial risk
- Build a budget according to nonprofit principles
- Communicate basic financial information to organizational leadership, board members, and community stakeholders
Requirements and Expectations
A text book may be required for this class. Please check your instructor's syllabus for details.
- Message Board Participation 15%
- Briefs (2 @ 10% each) 20%
- Team Nonprofit Study (25%) & Presentation (5%) 30%
- Final Individual Project: Nonprofit Analysis 35%
Description: You are required to both post your own reflection or assessment of the week’s content and comment on at least one other classmate’s discussion post in the weekly discussion boards. You are not required to reply to a reply but are encouraged to do so since this course has limited group engagement.
Collaboration optional: While your posts are independent work, this is considered collaborative due to the conversational nature of the asynchronous online format.
Description: Two briefs are assigned as part of this course. Papers are to be no more than two (2) pages long, double‐spaced, with one‐inch margins and 12‐point font. Students should cite any references used to complete the brief.
Independent work: Briefs are your opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and ability to analyze based on the applicable prompt. You can review sample memos or briefs from outside sources from your professional network or as identified through your independent research. While the structure and sources used to inform the brief can be from outside resources, the content of the memo should be 100% written by you.
Description: Teams will be established online through opting into group topics by the end of Week 5. Each team is required to prepare and submit a written report about an existing nonprofit (all nonprofits will have a presence in Central Ohio). Nonprofit selections, assignment instructions, and further information will be given in an assignment description on Carmen. Each student should expect to contribute time (one virtual or in‐person meeting) and approximately five (5) double‐spaced pages to this assignment.
Collaboration required: You will be required to confer with your project team to develop the content of the report and the presentation. Group members should take an equal burden of the work and communicate in a timely manner.
Description: You will demonstrate your ability to perform many of the skills that you will learn in this course. This project requires you to take on the role of a nonprofit CFO. Your organization is considering adding a new service/program and you have been asked to evaluate its feasibility. Using a set of nonprofit financial statements, students will analyze the statements with traditional financial analysis tools as described in the text and in class. Instructions and further information will be given in an assignment description on Carmen. The final individual project will total approximately ten (10) double‐spaced pages.
Independent work: This project is the culmination of the knowledge you have acquired over the course of this semester and it your opportunity to showcase this knowledge independently. The project should be 100% completed on your own with no outside collaboration.