Question 1: My Top Three Take Away From the Class
The scope of the concept of the nonprofit touches on its definition, administration, strategic management, funding, foundation, and practices. The following is an overview of the top three things that I learned from the concept of nonprofits.
- a) Strategic Management for Nonprofit Management
The course provided me with an insight into nonprofit management by exposing me to contemporary cases from all over the world and elaborating to me how complex it is to manage nonprofits in different sectors. The concept of the strategic plan and its importance came out clearly to me. The method checks on the organization’s mission and finds the long-term and short-term goals to achieve the organizational goals. I also learned about the emerging trends in nonprofits like leadership skills, lobbying techniques, entrepreneurship in social entities, and income strategies.
- b) Theory and Practice of Public and Nonprofit Management
The course offered me a chance to know that an organization achieves its mission in a combination of theory and practice. It further helped me understand why there has been an excellent appetite for training to acquire managerial knowledge and skills in charitable or nonprofit organizations. The institutional environments in which the nonprofits operate have changed mainly. For instance, the theory comparison case of the west and east made me understand how the environmental turmoil and the intricacies surrounding terms of funding and the arrangements in different partnerships prompted the nonprofit management to go professional.
- c) Nonprofit Administration
The relationship between the nonprofit, private, and public foundations, among other issues, is well elaborated in the administration and management of nonprofit organizations. I got familiar with the work of nonprofits and the challenges the sector is facing. The course made me to explicitly understand the size, extent, roles, sub-units, and the peculiar characteristics in the precinct of nonprofit. Furthermore, I became aware of the legal requirements and other current trends in the sector’s administration.
Question 2: Three Concepts that Changed My Perception of Nonprofits
I had some myths about nonprofits. The following is a list of them and how the course changed my perception of nonprofits.
- a) Nonprofit products and services are free
I used to know that the products and services offered by nonprofits are free. After going through the introduction to nonprofit management, I learned that the services provided come from probably a local foundation or, in other cases, a fundraiser. Taxpayers’ money also supports service delivery to the community. Although the final consumer may not fully pay to enjoy the product or service, the funding must have been done for the nonprofit to deliver goods or services. There is nothing for free in nonprofits organizations. Grants, donors, and other forms of revenue subsidize organizational products and services.
- b) Foundation of the Nonprofit Sector
Previous, I knew that nonprofits do not run to generate profits, just as the name suggests. After going through this course, I learned that, in reality, the nonprofits make reasonable profits for them to remain afloat and guarantee sustainability. From its terms of operation, the gains made cannot benefit a private individual under the concept called “private benefit.” In the first case, these charitable organizations are exempted from paying tax and are therefore mobilized to help the public and not an individual.
- c) Fund Development and Grant Writing for Nonprofit.
Before learning this course, I knew that funding of nonprofits mostly came from foundations. The perception changed when I learned that grants from foundations are just but a small part of the amount contributing to the charitable organizations yearly. The funds majorly come from philanthropists who include the individuals and grants from private and cooperate world foundations.
As an administrator in nonprofits, I will diversify ways of generating more revenue for my organization, like providing life-enhancing products and services at lower prices to customers. It will help the sustainability of the organization by avoiding solely depending on the charitable donations, which sometimes may fail to show up.
As a staff member, I will steer our organization to be of social good to the community. I will ensure that we achieve this through skillfully designing beneficial solutions to the needs and challenges that face the city. The achievements and impacts of nonprofits are measured when the organization goes leaves a gap. I will make sure, together with my team, we leave a mark or an effect on the local community in case we terminate our products and services that we offer. We must remain accountable to the local community because that is when we could have served our purpose as a nonprofit organization.
As a board member, I will come with a strategic plan of alleviating suffering as part of our organizational core mission. It has been a feature mission of many nonprofits not to innovate ways of empowering the community. To do away with the notion of being associated with providing shelter, food, and other essential services, I will work with my team on systemic conditions to create economic opportunities to empower the community.