Master 2012

Master elective: Making a difference? Effective management of philanthropic “NGO” organizations

Content

In this elective, you will analyse and advise a large international or small grassroots non-profit/non-governmental organisation on a variety of issues. From finding new financial opportunities and relations with businesses to dealing with strategic challenges, you will be their student-consultant. This will involve working closely with directors, managers, volunteers and other stakeholders of the organisation in the inspiring environment that is nonprofits and NGO’s.

Why is the management and consultancy of nonprofits/NGO’s of interest to business managers? As a future manager, you may be confronted with NGO’s as stakeholders. You may also be confronted with issues of corporate social responsibility (CSR), such as sponsor requests from local associations and corporate volunteering. These days, the relation between businesses and non-profit organisations is developing from a philanthropic act of charity to a full and strategic integration of CSR into the vision and mission of the corporation. For managers, this requires different management skills, and an open-minded view on nonprofits as stakeholders. Also, many business managers are asked to be the chair of a large international charity.

The relation between business and non-profit organisations is also shaped by the increasingly ‘business-like behaviour’ of nonprofits. Nonprofits now face many challenges that are familiar to those within the corporate sector but new to the non-profit world. External pressure to operate more effectively and efficiently is increasing. A reaction to this is that work processes are becoming more formalised and professional, and many nonprofits are seeking a relationship with businesses. Nowadays the managing, governing and consulting of hospitals, support organisations, museums, sport associations, action and pressure groups is considered to be a specialisation within the field of management. The skills and knowledge that are needed differ from the skills required in common business settings. We will equip you with these special management skills and prepare you for professional relations with the non-profit world.

In this elective, you will gain insight in managing nonprofits, business/non-profit relations, and the diversity of the non-profit field. We will prepare you to manage, govern or consult for non-profit organisations and to shape collaborations between businesses and nonprofits, from a business point of view. During the course, you will be provided with the necessary theoretical and practical background to learn more about non-profit/NGO management. Guest lecturers will be invited to participate from different organisations.

Students will be graded on two assignments. The first is a presentation on two of your favourite non-profit organisations and the major challenges these organisations will face in the next five years. You will try to find feasible solutions to these challenges with help from literature, and write a five page report on your findings. The second assignment is writing a policy advice for a large international or small grassroots non-profit/non-governmental organisation. You will not be examined on theoretical knowledge but on how you would bring the offered theory into practice.

If you would like to bring into practice the knowledge you have gained in the functional areas of business (e.g. finance, marketing, and strategy), for the benefit of nonprofits and NGOs, this is the elective for you!

Start Monday 26 March 2012 end Friday 18 May 2012

Complete information on SIN-Online