Northeastern Online Course Syllabus

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1 Northeastern Online Course Syllabus NPM 6125 Promoting Nonprofit Organizations (CRN# 20297) Winter Term (6 weeks) February 22 April 2, 2016 Format: ONLINE Instructor Name: Steven P. Smith Phone Number: If you are unable to contact the instructor, or in the event that some concern about the course arises and is not addressed by the instructor students should contact: Rick Arrowood Program Director, Nonprofit Management Required Textbook(s)/Software: Nonprofit Marketing: Marketing Management for Charitable and Nongovernmental Organizations. Walter Wymer, Jr; Patricia Knowles; Roger Gomes. Sage Publications. C ISBN (cloth). Champions with a Cause: The Nonprofit Board Member s Role in Marketing. Gary J. Stern. First Nonprofit Education Foundation. Available as a PDF in the Reading folder on Blackboard. Supplemental Reading Interesting, helpful reading that can augment your research for your final paper: Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, BoardSource, Governance Series. Richard T. Ingram, ed BoardSource is the best source for information on nonprofit boards. Book 4 in this tenbooklet series: Ensure Adequate Resources. Book 8, Enhance the Organization s Public Standing has strong marketing themes. Relationship Fundraising, Ken Burnett. Jossey-Bass Ken Burnett is a successful fundraiser who understands that forming relationships is the basic underlying principle for raising money. This book helps get the nonprofit professional focused on marketing tips that have worked well in Mr. Burnett s experience. Begging for Change. Robert Egger with Howard Yoon. Harper Business Robert Egger started the D.C. Central Soup Kitchen in He build this small direct service agency to one of the most respected nonprofits in the world. 1

2 Today, it distributes 4,000 meals a day. The book calls for more effective operations within nonprofit agencies. Little Red Book of Selling, Jeffrey Gitomer. Bard Press Or: 12.5 Principles for sales greatness. Mr. Gitomer is all about selling. Great concepts to think about in the nonprofit context. He writes about selling, but teaches us that it s all really about the buy. Not the sell. Smart Marketing for Associations, M. Michelle Poskaitis. ASAE Publications A good, basic book about marketing to help teach the concept to newcomers to the idea who need to get the picture quickly in a well-expressed manner. She shares tools for tracking progress and doing market research. The Cathedral Within, Bill Shore. Random House Captures the essence of a person seeking to do something that matters. Good to grasp the analysis of how people come to find the mission that moves them, then help them get to where the organization needs to be. Cites example of City Year, an agency that had to shake up its culture to get to the challenges in front of them. Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations: Vol. I: Develop the Plan. Gary J. Stern, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, nd printing, Lots of how-to stuff in getting staff and volunteers on board. Chapters on Positioning and Conduct a Marketing Audit are particularly useful. Linchpin. Seth Godin. Penguin Group Are you indispensable? There is management. There is labor. And then there are linchpins. These are the people who many or may not show up on the org chart with a specific title, but they see an opportunity to make something happen within an organization and the take that opportunity and run with it. The essential building blocks of great organizations. Good to Great, Jim Collins, Harper Business, Collins explores how attracting and keeping the right people is the key to success in business. He has a monograph on application of the concept to the nonprofit sector. Course Prerequisites Northeastern University requires satisfactory completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution to enroll in this course. NPM 6125 is one in a series of courses leading to a graduate certificate in Non Profit Management, or, a graduate degree. 2

3 Course Description Explores the uses of traditional and nontraditional ways to promote nonprofits to an array of actual and potential audiences for a variety of purposes. All nonprofit organizations at some point must be visible to the public in order to fulfill their missions; nonprofit managers must know how to promote their organizations to current and potential supporters, the broader public, and the mass media. Topics include program and organizational branding, targeting respective audiences, preparing materials for greatest effect, applying social media as appropriate. Course Outcomes Upon completion of the NPM 6125 course, students will have the opportunity to: Become familiar with fundamental concepts of marketing and relationship management for nonprofit leaders at all levels of the organization including board members, staff and volunteers. Gain an understanding of target audiences and methods of achieving behavior change. Identify cost-effective opportunities for partnerships and creative solutions to acquire and manage resources. Explore how marketing, publicity, advertising and public relations are key components of effective promotion on nonprofit organizations. Determine ways to develop benchmarks and milestones for incremental achievement of strategic marketing objectives including, but not limited to 1. Understanding internal and external target audiences 2. Developing mission and customer-based messages 3. Market assessments 4. Strategic marketing 5. Communications planning 6. Program evaluation Course Methodology Each week, you will be expected to: 1. Review the week's learning objectives. 2. Complete all assigned readings (est. time: 2 hours/week) 3. Complete all lecture materials for the week ( est. time: 1 hour/week). 4. Participate in the Discussion Board (est. time: 2 hour/week). 5. Complete and submit all assignments by the due dates (est. average per week: 4 hours) including weekly communication on progress on Team project. NPM 6125 will employ the required texts and various supplemental readings from a variety of sources along with experiences of the students and the instructor. Students will 3

4 demonstrate their comprehension of the concepts through papers, discussion board, an on-line quiz, and supporting reports and articles relating to course topics which students find through their own research. Participation/Discussion Board in Blended Learning Discussion Board is a vital, integral part of the learning process. Effective communication is a cornerstone for Promoting the Nonprofit Organization, so how we (instructor and student) demonstrate good communication skills on Discussion Board will be an important part of assessment, not only of the students but of your instructor as well. Participation on Discussion Board accounts for 20% of your grade in NPM On Sunday, I will post a discussion question or short series of questions that pertain to the week s reading assignment. By end-of-day Tuesday (starting in Week 2) you are required to post a primary response, directly answering the question(s) posed. Further, you are required during each week to post at least two secondary responses or parts of a discussion thread among us students and instructor that amplify or augment the thread. NOTE: For week 1 discussion, first response should be by Wednesday. Your primary response must be submitted by midnight Tuesday each week (except Week 1 as noted above). Late responses miss the thread of discussion, which is part of instructor-student contact, as important as in-class discussion. Late or missing responses will not earn full credit. Your response should be in the context of the question. For example, if I ask you to Describe components of the marketing mix as explained in an on-line article, then select a nonprofit organization, visit the website, and comment on a component of marketing mix as exemplified on the website. Assess its effectiveness. Your observations and perspective will be valued in the discussion. My expectation is that each of us will Demonstrate courtesy and clarity in our responses Be concise in response (quantity does not assure quality) Look for connections among text, lecture, research, and personal experience. Communication/Submission of Work In the Assignments folder, click on the View/Complete Assignment link to view each assignment. Attach your completed assignments here and click Submit to turn them in to me. Once your assignment has been graded, you will be able to view the grade and feedback I have provided by clicking on Tools, View Grades from the Northeastern Online Campus tab. 4

5 If you have questions/need clarification about an assignment, perhaps about something you ve read that seems unclear, about access to a recommended website in other words, questions pertaining to content and/or doing the work, I recommend that you use the Water Cooler on Discussion Board so we all can benefit from the question and the answer. If there is an issue you need to communicate with me about that you d prefer to treat with confidentiality, please (ste.smith@neu.edu). There will be an assignment that calls for teamwork. When you work as part of a team on an assignment, you ll need to communicate directly via or in the Group Discussion area with each other. Click on your Group (by name) under My Groups > Team Name > Group Discussion. This will open up your Team s discussion area. Grading/Evaluation Standards Grading will be done using a 100 point system. Each assignment is worth a specific number of points. Your cumulative total will determine your final grade points = A points = B points = C,. Below 70 points = Fail. Work submitted late, but within the seven day period following deadline will lose two points. Work will not be accepted more than one week after deadline unless previously negotiated (due to extenuating circumstances) with the Instructor. As we near course completion and you know you will not have all work completed by April 2, 2016 (the last working day of the course), get in touch with my by or phone to see if we can reach terms that will get you an Incomplete, with a defined timeline for wrapping up unfinished work. The Incomplete or I grade may be given only when the student fails to complete a single key requirement of a course, such as a paper or major report. The University has a one-year-limit policy to make up Incomplete grades. However, Northeastern Online students will have access to the course management tool for a four-week period to complete the missing requirement. Therefore, Northeastern Online students are strongly advised to make up Incomplete grades within this four week period. The makeup must be possible without the use of the Northeastern Online site. 5

6 The components of the final grade for NPM 6125: Discussion Board: 20 points. Quiz 15 points week 3 There will be an on-line quiz posted on Blackboard during Week 3 of class. It will be posted Wednesday, March 9 and must be completed by end-of-day, Sunday, March 13. It will cover material in weeks 1 through 3, and will be short answer (multiple choice, truefalse, fill-in-the-blank). The quiz must be completed in one sitting; once you open it, you can t pause and return. Website Demo to Class 10 points Students sign up Weeks 2 through 5 Students select a nonprofit organization from a list provided by the instructor, and pick a date (Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday) during Weeks 2, 3, 4, or 5 to lead discussion on that nonprofit s effectiveness in deployment of the website in an aspect of that week s topic. Research Paper: 20 points week 5 A five to seven-page paper using one of these marketing/communications principles as a focus Market segmentation, positioning, and branding Offer-orientation vs Needs-Centered orientation Strategic marketing planning Relationship building as key to fundraising Applying social media to communication with target audiences By Friday, March 4, submit by to me, Paper topic (principle from above list you ll focus on), name of nonprofit organization you ll analyze/research. Before you submit topic and nonprofit organization, contact the nonprofit organization you re analyzing for information. Note: a requirement of this assignment is that you will demonstrate communication with a staff member or lead volunteer, indicating name, title and contact information. Interview and/or exchange with this person is required. Visit Guidestar and find the nonprofit s most recent IRS Form 990. Explain how the financial report corroborates (or not) the story told on the web site. Google the nonprofit and find articles or stories published outside the organization that help complete the picture. Use Gary J. Stern booklet, Champions with a Cause: the Nonprofit Board Member s Role in Marketing and comment how this nonprofit demonstrates (or not) that the board is involved in achieving the nonprofit s mission. Appropriate footnoting and bibliography required. Paper due Sunday, March 27. Note: when assembling your research paper, please use American Psychological Association style guide. Here is a quick reference: Basics of APA Style Tutorial. 6

7 Rubric NPM 6125 Marketing Research Paper Demonstrating Application of Marketing Principal in a Nonprofit Organization Beginning Developing Accomplished Exemplary Score Demonstrates Understanding of Selected Principle Assess quality of communication demonstrated on website Citation of points from interview Ability to read, understand, assess data on IRS 990 Define the principle as described in source Cite examples from website and other sources that demonstrate the principle. Assess ease Discuss clarity of locating and quality of sought communication information exhibited on elsewhere landing page. on website. Establish experience and position of interviewee to speak with authority. Observation on financial priorities compared to stated priorities Query interviewee on your Selected Principle Use acknowledged criteria that exemplify presence or absence of excellence. Cite expert sources in website excellence. Discuss how NPO website measures up. Probe interviewee on how NPO applies Selected Principle Compare/contrast with other nonprofits discovered through search. Compare/contrast with other websites that demonstrate communication excellence. Comment on how money is actually spent Assess functional distribution of spending compared to stated priorities Objectively assess interviewee description vs actual, observable data. Search and report on outside sources assessing performance based on cost allocations

8 Group Presentation: 35 points After students complete self-introductions (February 22-23) Instructor organizes students in Teams of three or more, for joint presentations during Week 6. After students form in Teams, Instructor will set up Group work area on Discussion Board. File exchange in this work area will contain a number of files from specific nonprofit organizations. The Team is charged to create a Marketing Assessment for the assigned nonprofit organization. One goal is to incorporate a Social Media approach for the designated nonprofit that will enhance external communication for that organization. How will you measure that? The Instructor will provide some authoritative sources to help find an appropriate answer. Class Schedule / Topical Outline Week Dates Topic Assignments 1 2/22 2/28 The Essence of Marketing 2 2/29 3/6 Obtain/Acquire Marketing Data 3 3/7 3/13 Designing Marketing Mix 4 3/14 3/20 Communications 5 3/21 3/27 Developing Resources 6 3/28 4/2 Marketing Strategy Text, Chapters 1,2 Project Teams form. Text, Chapter 3 Paper topic due Solo presentations Text, Chapters 5, 6 Solo presentations Quiz (weeks 1 3) Selected blogs See Reading Folder for links Solo presentations Text, Chapters 7, 8, 9 Stern, Champions publication Solo presentations Paper due Text: Chapter 4 Team online presentations. 8

9 Academic Honesty and Integrity Statement The University views academic dishonesty as one of the most serious offenses that a student can commit while in college and imposes appropriate punitive sanctions on violators. Here are some examples of academic dishonesty. While this is not an allinclusive list, we hope this will help you to understand some of the things instructors look for. The following is excerpted from the University s policy on academic honesty and integrity; the complete policy is available at Cheating intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids in an academic exercise. This may include use of unauthorized aids (notes, texts) or copying from another student s exam, paper, computer disk, etc. Fabrication intentional and unauthorized falsification, misrepresentation, or invention of any data, or citation in an academic exercise. Examples may include making up data for a research paper, altering the results of a lab experiment or survey, listing a citation for a source not used, or stating an opinion as a scientifically proven fact. Plagiarism intentionally representing the words or ideas of another as one s own in any academic exercise without providing proper documentation by source by way of a footnote, endnote or intertextual note. Unauthorized collaboration Students, each claiming sole authorship, submit separate reports, which are substantially similar to one another. While several students may have the same source material, the analysis, interpretation and reporting of the data must be each individual s. Participation in academically dishonest activities Examples include stealing an exam, using a pre-written paper through mail order or other services, selling, loaning or otherwise distributing materials for the purpose of cheating, plagiarism, or other academically dishonest acts; alternation, theft, forgery, or destruction of the academic work of others. Facilitating academic dishonesty Examples may include inaccurately listing someone as co-author of paper who did not contribute, sharing a take home exam, taking an exam or writing a paper for another student. Northeastern Online Policies and Procedures For comprehensive information please go to Northeastern Online Copyright Statement Northeastern Online is a registered trademark of Northeastern University. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. This course material is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by Northeastern Online. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a 9

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