Fall 2025 NonProfit Management PS5315 section D01

STRATEGIC PHILANTHROPY

Call Number 12588
Day & Time
Location
T 6:30pm-8:00pm
To be announced
Points 3
Grading Mode Standard
Approvals Required None
Instructor Ali Webb
Type LECTURE
Method of Instruction On-Line Only
Course Description

This course explores the evolving field of philanthropy by examining its historical foundations and the rationale for the continued existence of philanthropic organizations, like foundations, today. From the industrial-era legacies of figures like Rockefeller and Ford to the modern innovations driven by today's billionaires, students will analyze how generational and societal shifts have shaped the strategies and impact of philanthropy over time.

A key focus of the course is on how philanthropic organizations respond to complex societal issues such as racial justice, climate change, healthcare, and human rights. Through centering diverse perspectives and critical engagement with power structures, this course equips students with the tools to navigate, critique, and influence the philanthropic sector in impactful ways. Students will appraise both the catalytic role philanthropy can play in driving social change and instances where such efforts have backfired and reinforced systematic inequities. The course will further explore how foundations’ missions, values, and goals shape their decisions on funding, project duration, grantee expectations, and impact evaluation methods.

The course will examine different approaches to grantmaking, including social entrepreneurship, effective altruism, social justice grantmaking, and strategic philanthropy. Students will learn the differences across these conceptual frameworks and understand how they influence the ways in which foundations operate. By exploring both the conceptual and pragmatic dimensions of across these frameworks, students will understand the tensions and debates within the philanthropic sector and be well prepared to identify those foundations most likely to support their work. 

Students will also analyze the role of foundation program officers as change agents who navigate power, influence, and institutional constraints to drive change. Through case studies, guest speaker sessions, and real-world examples, participants will learn how these professionals influence funding priorities and partnerships in response to societal needs.

Students will develop and pitch a concept for a new funding initiative to a mock foundation board. This exercise will require them to demonstrate an understanding of the foundation’s mission and approach while proposing improvements to its strategic direction. The final assignment will require the student to pull together their funding concept into a Transformative Phil

Web Site Vergil
Department Non Profit Management
Enrollment 25 students (25 max) as of 9:05AM Friday, April 25, 2025
Status Full
Subject NonProfit Management
Number PS5315
Section D01
Division School of Professional Studies
Open To Professional Studies
Note Open for cross-registration on 8/15
Section key 20253NOPM5315KD01