International Nongovernmental Organizati

This course examines how international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) can and often do contribute to social change, confronting and addressing various problems such as poverty, human rights violations, conflict, and climate change, among others. Students will leave with a deep appreciation of what it means to work in or with an advocacy-based NGOs. The course will help prepare them for future careers as an NGO leader, staff person, consultant, analyst, donor, or manager. Students will understand how NGOs are structured and the definition and differences between key concepts such as strategy, theory of change, governance, leadership, management, and program design.

The course will bring a scholar-practitioner perspective focusing on debates about strategy development, measuring impact, donor strategies, theories of change, institutional representation, diversity and equity, ethics, research methodologies, partnerships, networks, venues of engagement, campaigning, capacity-building, fundraising, resilience, sustainability, and external and internal communications.

The course will explore distinctions, similarities, and relationships among nongovernmental (national and international), government, and private actors as they seek to solve problems and have impact and create a better world. Throughout this exploration, we will identify major ethical issues raised by the very notions of charity, philanthropy and nonprofits. As a focus, the course will especially draw on examples from the international human rights movement, and often critically employ a “donor perspective” to draw out the hard strategic choices that INGOs (and their donors) are compelled to make. The course will also use documentary film about INGOs and their work, and various media produced about and by INGOs to help provide additional understanding.

The course will be discussion intensive and require students to utilize and reflect critical and analytical thinking; students will write individual papers, participate in group presentations, write occasional reflection papers, actively participate in discussion both in class and through postings on Canvas and present material to classroom colleagues.

This is an elective course in the M.S. Nonprofit Management Program and will be open, space permitting,  to cross-registrants.

The course will draw on material from the management course offered as part of the core curriculum. It is not a prerequisite for taking the course but the syllabus ass