N521 Syllabus Sum 2026.pdf

N521 Syllabus Sum 2026.docx

N521 –The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector

Summer 2026

Trent A. Engbers, PhD

Visiting Lecturer, Indiana University

Professor/MPA DIrector, University of Southern Indiana

 

812-465-1130 (office)

812-477-1432 (home)

Skype:  tengbers

Zoom: taengbers

 

Email:  taengbers@usi.edu  or tengbers@iu.edu    (they go to the same place)                                                       

Website: http://faculty.usi.edu/taengbers

General Information

N521 (Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector) is an advanced elective in the Nonprofit Management focus area that is designed to provide a solid foundation for understanding the nonprofit sector and its role in the lives of individuals, communities and nations.

 

Special note on advising: I always encourage students with an interest in working in the nonprofit sector to take both N521 and N525. N521will focus more on conceptual frameworks, while N525is an applied course. Thus, N521 will examine why and how particular features or dimensions apply to nonprofit organizations, while N525 will focus on the implications and practical applications of these particular features for nonprofit managers.

 

The nature of this class.

The structure of this class is a little unorthodox. It is both an 8 week course and a 12 week course.  The bulk of the content will be delivered over the first 8 weeks of the summer, but the assignments will be spread out over the course of 12 weeks.  This gives you the flexibility to enjoy a slower pace in the later part of the summer (you can even finish early if you want to turn in everything early) or you can spread out the assignments over 12 weeks to enable a less intense course experience. I will be available to you over the course of the whole summer for assistance and support.

 

Purpose of Course

The nonprofit sector is a crucial part of the social, political, and economic landscape of the U.S., but is often overlooked by policy analysts. This course aims to provide you with a broad overview of the sector, its origin, size, and role in American society and elsewhere. By the end of the course, you will have acquired an essential map of the U.S. nonprofit landscape, an understanding of the map's major features, and the skills to read and use the map in charting your future career. We will also look at how the nonprofit landscape may look very different in other societies.

To do so, we will review the history, size, scope, and dimensions of the U.S. nonprofit sector and examine explanations of and approaches to the sector (i.e., its political, economic, social and philosophical underpinnings) in some depth along with religious and ethical foundations. You will become familiar with the different types of nonprofit organizations, how nonprofits relate to government and the private business sector, and how these relationships differ across nonprofit fields and across societies. We will also look at why people organize, give financial support, and/or donate their time.

 

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you should have developed a sound understanding of the following:

1. The size, composition, and legal foundations of the nonprofit sector
2. The role of nonprofit institutions in communities and societies - political, sociological, and economic perspectives on the sector
3. How nonprofit institutions relate to government and the for-profit sector and how these dynamics vary across major nonprofit policy arenas
4. What accounts for variations in the role of the nonprofit sector over time & place - historical and cross-national perspectives
5. Why people give of their time, expertise, money, goods - philosophical and social science perspectives
6. How giving is structured - philanthropic institutions and incentive structures
7. Sources and limitations of information about nonprofits and voluntary social action.

Required Books

• Ott, J. Stephen, The Nature of the Nonprofit Sector, 4th Edition (Ott), (2021). NOTE: The third edition will also work, but you will need to get one outside chapter that is different between 3^rd and 4^th
• Powell, Walter & Steinberg, Richard(editors),The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook, 2ndEdition (Powell &Steinberg).Yale UniversityPress,2006. Available free online through IU library: https://proxyiub.uits.iu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=192287&site=ehost-live&scope=site
• Additional readings as assigned

 

Office Hours

Given the online format of the class, I will not be keeping fixed office hours. However, I am widely available and happy to schedule an appointment at a time that is mutually convenient. Please contact me directly to schedule an appointment or call or write with any questions that you have. I am eager to be available, so please let me know how I can be of help.

 

Expectations

Although this course is offered in a distance learning format, it does not alter our basic responsibilities to one another. It is your responsibility to do the following:

• Be prepared to contribute each week to the online discussions
• Complete assignments on time
• Participate in class discussion
• Inform me of any problem or situation that may be interfering with your learning or performance in the course
• Provide feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the course in a professional manner

It is my responsibility to do the following:

• Provide activities designed to accomplish course objectives
• Assist in providing an atmosphere conducive to learning
• Grade and return assignments in a timely fashion and appraise students of their progress on a regular basis
• Respond to student concerns

Class Format

This is a web-based course.  Most of our interaction will be via the internet.  Our internet exchanges will, for the most part, be asynchronous (that is, not at concurrent times). This characteristic of how the course will be delivered has advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages are that the format gives you a good deal of flexibility about when you log in and contribute. It also gives you time to prepare thoroughly and reflect about the issues raised in the readings, cases, and exercises. The electronic format for our interchanges also provides an opportunity for everyone to contribute without the constraints of limited time for in-class discussion and differences in verbal skills.

One of the disadvantages of the format is that we will not enjoy the same level of intimacy that can be achieved in a seminar format. Feedback among participants will not be as quick or, perhaps, as rich. My hope, however, is that each of you will carry on your interchanges with me and your peers recognizing the need for care and completeness in your communications and the virtues of good humor. Our communications can (and I hope will) be augmented by phone, Zoom and other forms of two-way communication if these alternatives seems more appropriate in a given situation.

I also am planning on hosting optional synchronous meetings to discuss the course and readings. These will be recorded and posted for those who can not attend. The day will vary in order to maximize the opportunities for interaction for individuals with different schedules. They will begin at the time below and end when all questions have been answered. They are scheduled for:

• May 12: 8:00 Eastern
• June 8: 7:00 Eastern
• June 22: 8:00 Eastern

My philosophy of teaching is quite simple and I do not see a need to change it because of the format for this course. I believe that students learn best by actively participating in the teaching-learning process. Since this is a graduate course, I consider each of you to be experienced professionals in a position to be a valuable resource to each other. You can learn as much from your classmates as you can from me (in fact, the format may magnify the importance of this view). You will be asked to participate in numerous activities, discussions, and exercises.

 Most of our interactions will occur in the context of Canvas, a software system that provides a comprehensive set of tools for the creation, management, and viewing of sophisticated world wide web-based teaching and learning environments.

Useful Websites NonprofitDatabases and Related

(Personal Admission: I didn’t update all of these links this summer. If you notice one that is now a bad link, please let me know and I will help you find the correct one).

• Guidestar: http://www.guidestar.org/, web database of all IRS-registered charitable nonprofits.
• IRS: https://www.irs.gov/ and follow link for charities and nonprofits (at the “information for…” drop-down item in upper right corner) for additional see links to a variety of resources for organizations seeking exempt status as well as codebook and downloadable list of registered See also information about Form 990 and nonprofit status at https://www.irs.gov/charities-and-nonprofits
• Urban Institute: www.urban.org, follow "UI Policy Centers" link to Center on Nonprofits and See also National Center for Charitable Statistics and the links under https://nccs.urban.org/
• Marcum & Associates: https://www.marcumllp.com/industries/nonprofit-social-sector accounting firm specializing in nonprofits (this does not constitute an endorsement of the firm).
• Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance: http://give.org/. , ratings of nonprofits and information for
• The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society : http://ccss.jhu.edu/., see links under "Research Projects" to the Nonprofit Sector Project and Nonprofit Economic
• Saguaro Seminar: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/taubman/programs-research/saguaro. major survey on civic engagement in collaboration with Robert Putnam.
• American Religion Data Archive:  http://www.thearda.com/Archive/browse.asp., links to major data sources on religion
• National Association of State Charity Officials: See https://www.nasconet.org/.  see links to charity regulation at the state level and IRS
• The Giving Institute: https://www.givinginstitute.org/.  (formerly American Association of Fund- Raising Its affiliated group, Giving USA Foundation, publishes Giving USA.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals: https://afpglobal.org/.  professional association of fundraisers
• Independent Sector: https://independentsector.org/. , trade association for national nonprofits (ignore request for password, g., press escape button).
• Foundation Center:  https://candid.org/?fcref=lr., search See also “Literature of the Nonprofit Sector”
• Council on Foundations: https://www.cof.org/.
• National Council of Nonprofit Associations: https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/.  network of state and regional associations of nonprofit
• The Nonprofit Gateway: https://www.usa.gov/start-nonprofit
• Charity Channel: https://charitychannel.com/  a long list of nonprofit discussion groups, career opportunities, and other resources (may not be available).
• NPAction: https://www.npaction.org/  provides information on how to undertake
• National Center for Nonprofit Entreprise: https://nationalcne.org/  provides information and technical assistance on nonprofit
• The Chronicle of Philanthropy: https://www.philanthropy.com/  major publication in the field
• NonProfit Times: https://www.thenonprofittimes.com/  trade publication focusing on the nonprofit
• Nonprofit Quarterly: https://nonprofitquarterly.org/  trade publication focusing on the nonprofit
• International Center for Nonprofit Law: https://www.icnl.org/  resource on international nonprofit
• Action Without Borders:  https://www.idealist.org/en/.for a variety of resources and
• Care2 make a difference:  https://www.care2.com/., highlights key debates in the nonprofit sector

Course Requirements

There are four major requirements for the course, each of which will contribute to the overall course grade in the proportions indicated: online participation (40%), a community profile (20%), a nonprofit issue paper (20%), and the subsector project (%20). I have described each in greater detail below.

 

Class Participation

You must participate actively and constructively in class discussions. In this format, this primarily means contributing regularly to the discussion boards. You are expected to contribute in both quantity and quality.  There is a document posted on Canvas that outlines the expectations for weekly discussion board participation.  In order to do this effectively, you will need to have read the assigned readings prior to the start of the week and demonstrated your comprehension of them. In particular, I look for indications that you relate particular readings or topics to material previously discussed or otherwise covered in the course, to issues and concepts you have encountered in other courses, and/or to your own personal experiences. You will also be asked to lead the discussion board one week and to submit a philanthropic biography during the first week.  Further instructions are also posted on canvas, but you can sign up to be discussion leader at the following link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SNRphQcNg2C1Dpiv9TNQjBAmedjo6S95d9k78Ianlrk/edit#gid=0

 

Community Profile

Each student is asked to write a 5-7 single-spaced profile and analysis of the nonprofit sector in a community of his or her choice. The paper should be formatted as follows: Overview of the community, Overview of the profile of the nonprofit sector, Highlight what you feel makes the nonprofit sector of this community distinctive and significant, Provide an overview of the business and governmental sector, Identify the 5-7 largest nonprofits in the community and do a summary outline of each including its purpose and economic and social trends, and an Evaluation. A full project description can be found on the assignments tab in Canvas.

Nonprofit Issue Paper

Each student is asked to write a 5-7 single-spaced paper (This number is a guide more than a requirement or a limit) on a topic of your choosing, in consultation with the instructor. The paper explores the research literature, examines the background and current relevance of a specific topic, and uses that research to draw specific conclusions about how the topic has advanced and/or influenced the current and future nonprofit sector in the United States. (Look at weeks 4-8 for inspiration on a topic).The topic could either be an issue of interest that affects or involves the nonprofit and voluntary sector or explores a particular biographical aspect of an individual who was or is an important figure in the development of the nonprofit sector in the United States. Nonprofit Sector Issue papers could include exploring a course topic in greater depth or investigating a topic on the nonprofit and voluntary sector and/or on philanthropy not addressed in this course. Please get your topic approved by me before you begin. A full project description can be found on the assignments tab in Canvas.

Subsector Project

Each student will be put into a group of 2 to complete a 5-7 page single spaced exploration of a nonprofit subsector (This number is a guide more of a requirement or a limit).  These subsectors will be chosen on a first come / first serve basis and can be selected by signing up on the google doc at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1CH3XhFqAHXqwczlU2RYAtyZLu4ossB_RE1fk6H-0dMY/edit?usp=sharing. Each student pair will prepare a paper that minimally outlines the size, composition, funding strategy, staffing, legal issues and strengths and weaknesses of the subsector. A full project description can be found on the assignments tab in Canvas.

Grade Calculation

3 Papers                          60% (20% each)       

Participation                    40%, distributed as follows:

• Philanthropic Biography(5% of the course grade)
• Discussion forum contributions (30% of the course grade – 6% for your best 5 forums)  
• Leading discussion of one of the discussion boards (5% of the course grade)

 The semester grade will be determined as follows:

A  100-93%              A-  92.9%-90%             B+  89.9%-88%            B  87.9%-83%         

B-  82.9%-80%        C+  79.9%-78%             C  77.9%-73%                     C-  72.9%-70%

 All assignments are due by the end of the day (U.S. Central time zone) on the date that the assignment is due.  Late work will be downgraded one full letter grade for each business day it is.  I will consider making individual exceptions to this policy, but only if an exception is requested in advance.

Course Outline

 

 Additional Reading

One topic that is sometimes covered in this class is nonprofit organizations from a comparative perspective. Below are some additional readings that you may enjoy related to this topic.

Comparative Nonprofits

• The Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project, http://ccss.jhu.edu/research- projects/comparative-nonprofit-sector. Review “About CNP”, “Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project Publications”, “Global Civil Society Index”. See also “Methodology and Data Sources,” http://ccss.jhu.edu/wp- content/uploads/downloads/2011/09/CNP_Methodology.pdf (Be Familiar)
• Anheier & Salamon, “The Nonprofit Sector in Comparative Perspective” Ch. 4 in Powell & Steinberg.
• Charities Aid Foundation: World Giving Index, 2016: A Global View of Giving Trends, https://www.cafonline.org/about-us/publications/2016-publications/caf-world-giving-index-2016 (Log on to download).
• Smith & Grønbjerg, “Scope & Theory of Government-Nonprofit Relations” (part: pp. 233-42, Model III) Ch. 10 in Powell & Steinberg
• Read and Pekkanen, “Organizations that Straddle” in Ott
• Brass “Blurring the Boundaries: NGOs, the State, and Service Provision in Kenya," Ch. 6. Cammet & McLean (eds), The Politics of Nonstate Social Welfare Provision in the Global South.” (Canvas).
• Nair, "Evolution of the Relationship Between the State and Non-Governmental Organizations: A South Asian Perspective. Public Administration and Development 31 (2011): 252-61. Canvas