Certificate in Sustainable Nonprofit Management: Four-Course Curriculum

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1 1 Certificate in Sustainable Nonprofit Management: Four-Course Curriculum Continuing Education School of Public and Nonprofit Administration Grand Valley State University Prepared by: Bruce Nanzer June 2009

2 2 Continuing Education and the School of Public and Nonprofit Administration at Grand Valley State University are considering the addition of a certificate program in Sustainable Nonprofit Management. Previous research surveying public and nonprofit managers has shown a level of interest in nonprofit sustainability sufficient to warrant development of a curriculum to meet the requirements for such a certificate, this report proposes a sequence of courses designed to satisfy these needs. Interest Survey Findings The study identified a level of interest high enough to move forward with the next stage of development. The report also reveled most of the administrators surveyed were aware of the role sustainability should play in organizational management, recognized the importance of incorporating sustainability principles in administration, and expressed an interest in instruction in the subject. The study raised the following questions: 1. What subjects are most important in a curriculum for Sustainable Nonprofit Management? 2. What subjects are of the most interest to potential students? 3. Beyond the subject areas identified in the study what additional areas should be covered in curriculum? 4. Should future research on interest be conducted? 5. How should credit toward a certificate be awarded? 6. What courses should be offered to satisfy the requirements for a certificate in Sustainable Nonprofit Management. Following are responses to the above questions and a suggested four-course sequence including topic areas covered and course objectives. Completion of this sequence will provide a working knowledge of sustainability and how it can be applied to management in the nonprofit sector. What subjects are most important in a curriculum for Sustainable Nonprofit Management? Having gained acceptance in the for-profit sector sustainable business principles are recognized as a process based management approach that ensures practicing organizations economic viability while identifying and reducing environmental impacts and promoting the welfare and interests of all stakeholders in the concern. In order to provide students a working understanding of the principles a curriculum should provide; a foundation of knowledge pertaining to the environmental, administrative, and social concepts and/or theories relevant to the study of sustainability; a grounding in the development of social capital and the potential (positive and negative) impact of management decisions on communities inside and outside of the organization; an introduction to a variety of sustainable tools and programs available for integration in the administration of modern nonprofit organizations;

3 3 and, an understanding of how sustainability can be meaningfully incorporated into organizational strategy, planning and decision making practices. What subjects are of the most interest to potential students? Survey responses revealed sustainable business practices, applying sustainability to administration, developing social capital, and ethics as the areas of most interest to potential students. The suggested course sequence addresses the first three interests directly. Ethics should be considered a concept central to the understanding and application of sustainability and would be a integral subject in all four classes. Beyond the subject areas identified in the study what additional areas should be covered in curriculum? The course sequence suggests a number of concepts to be included in the instruction of sustainability. The course descriptions each offer a number of topics relevant to the subjects covered. Among them are Systems Theory, Change Management, and a number of tools or programs available to managers seeking to incorporate sustainability. Should future research on interest be conducted? In recent years a sustainable business approach has gained recognition in the for-profit sector and the recent study demonstrates awareness of the concept among the public and nonprofit administrators surveyed. Also, a number of business schools are offering courses, certificates, or degrees in sustainable business management. This report has found no evidence of any programs offering sustainable management classes from the nonprofit perspective while the study reported high awareness and interest in the subject. Offering the certificate would place Grand Valley in the unique position of possibly being the only university to offer a certificate/advanced study in Sustainable Nonprofit Management. As suggested the curriculum proposes a four-course sequence covering the concept of sustainability applied to the management of nonprofit organizations and would be appropriate for application in public sector organizations. Additional course offerings may be required if interest in topics/subjects more specific to one of these sectors are identified. For example, classes may be developed on sustainability focused financial and/or accounting practices, environmental economics, sustainable development, or social entrepreneurism.

4 4 How should credit toward a certificate be awarded? The Sustainable Nonprofit Management curriculum is presented as a four-course sequence. Each course would carry a three credit load with approximately 45 in-class hours. The certificate would require completion of all four classes or a total of 12 credit hours. What courses should be offered to satisfy the requirements for a certificate in Sustainable Nonprofit Management? Four-course sequence as follows: Course One: Introduction to Sustainability for Nonprofit Managers This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of sustainable management in nonprofit organizations. Focusing on the complex relationship between society, organizations, and the natural environment the course will integrate historical and contemporary thought leading to the development and implementation of the triplebottom-line management processes. This course will provide an introduction/foundation in the concepts and historical background relevant to the study and implementation of sustainable principles in the management of nonprofit organizations. The course would be definition/concept driven and provide the base knowledge for more advanced study of sustainability. Subject areas Sustainability concept/theories/issues ethics triple-bottom-line competing goals: environmental, economic, and social waste-to-energy cradle to cradle biomimicry sustainable development exploitation: environmental and social; local to global o Systems Theory Environmental theories/issues environmental ethics environmental justice environmental management equilibrium natural systems environmental economics common pool resources externalities

5 5 o Environmental history Aldo Leopold, Sand County Almanac Rachael Carson, Silent Spring Garret Hardin, Tragedy of the Commons Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth Social Theory and Issues o Civil Society o Globalism o Consumerism o Urbanization Course Objectives: develop a comprehensive foundation in the theory and application of a sustainable approach to nonprofit management recognize the roles and historical significance of social, cultural, and environmental concepts pertinent to the development and application of sustainable management understand the ethical connections critical to the practice of sustainability become fluent in the language of sustainability Course Two: Nonprofit Sustainability and Social Capital This course addresses how nonprofit organizations impact social needs and values of their employees, clients, and the communities in which they operate. A stakeholder approach to the core issues impacting social capital and methods available to organizations to address these issues in a sustainable fashion. This course will explore the often misunderstood social leg of the triple bottom line approach to organizational management. The purpose of the course is the development of a comprehensive understanding of the role organizations play in the development of social capital within and outside of the organization. Subject areas defining social capital within the sustainability framework/principles o Community, Civil Society, Citizenship, o demographic elements of social problems o quality of life benefit equity

6 6 human rights standards of living protection of generational rights strategies for building social capital o Corporate Social Responsibility o Capacity Building o asset mapping o workforce development poverty reduction promoting education o building community communities may be measured by the success of their educational systems combating social ills o creating social equity What destination does our society want to reach? social capital: local to global relationships between social and other forms of capital o ex: social and ecological systems social structure and networks social norms Course Objectives: become acquainted with the concept of social capital and the importance of this element to the successful application of sustainability develop a working knowledge of the tools and processes available to nonprofit managers when developing social capital Course Three: Applications in Sustainable Nonprofit Management Employing a case study format this course will review a variety of sustainable applications available to the management of nonprofit organizations. Emphasis is placed on the evaluation of alternative choices faced by administrators when making sustainable decisions in the nonprofit sector. Through the employment of case studies and review of relevant sustainability practices, procedures and literature this course will allow the student to apply the knowledge gained via the Introduction and Social Capital courses. Subject Areas: Implementation

7 7 o identifying common assets, common strengths o analyzing common problems o asset mapping o developing leadership Change Management Applications/Tools o Green Buildings, LEED Certification o Green Purchasing, Marketing o Natural Step o Local First o Small is Beautiful o Social Entrepreneurship o Environmental Management o environmental and sustainable management systems ISO14001 o Nonprofit Economics and Sustainability o Social and Environmental Accounting Benefits o improved organizational health o increased employee moral, retention, productivity o significant competitive edge o improved client relations o improved vendor, supplier, funder relations o lower overhead o sustainable opportunities for growth Course Objectives: review of the sustainable management approaches available to administrators in the nonprofit sector develop a working knowledge of how these principles are applied in successful sustainable organizations application of selected practices through case study analysis Course Four: Sustainability, Strategy, and Nonprofits In this course students will develop a sustainable decision making framework that will identify alternative courses of action, evaluate options for sustainable choices, and guide the implementation of management decisions to provide positive social, environmental and financial returns.

8 8 This course will examine the strategic use and implementation of sustainability in the operation of nonprofit organizations. Students will be required to conduct a research project focused on the analysis of sustainable practices within an organization. Subject areas Strategic Nonprofit Practice Sustainable management philosophy Systems Theory decision making o moving beyond satisficing to decisions base on principles of sustainability identifying opportunities for sustainability o economic (bottom line, budgetary consideration) o environmental o social planning o short and long-term focus on organizational planning o creating strategies for sustainability o eco-efficiency an emphasis on service a focus on needs and quality of life consideration for the entire product life cycle recognizing limits to eco-capacity process review communication and leadership in sustainable organizations o marketing the message, "walking the talk" within the organizational structure/strategy outside the organization stakeholders clients suppliers funders assessment/evaluation o tools to measure impact, determining the pro and cons C/B analysis cost recognition, green accounting life cycle analysis Course Objectives: provide a foundation in decision making theory and practice as it impacts strategy formulation in nonprofits develop an understanding of how the principles of sustainability can be incorporated into strategic decision in modern organizations through research employ sustainability in the analysis of the operations of a nonprofit organization