Nonprofit@UWW

Overall, my internship with the UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. has been the highlight of this semester. I was able to learn so much from everyone in the office. I have had the opportunity to process donations, assist with mini campaigns, work on stewardship projects, and more. I have been able to practice the materials I learned last semester in my Fundraising for Charities class and experience everything first hand. This not only solidified my knowledge, but also helped me gain confidence in my abilities to apply the knowledge that I have learned to real world situations.

My work with the McNair Scholars Program has given me the opportunity to further explore my passions and some of the inquiries I have in regard to fundraising and marketing to the Latinx community. I have found and witnessed how the Latinx community is under-recognized when being marketed to by organizations and how it has become an “additional source of revenue” for some. With the community becoming more recognized, I have started to conduct research, under the mentorship of Dr. Ruth Hansen, on “The Distinctiveness of Fundraising to Latinx Arts Organizations” to see what is distinctive to organizations existing fundraising practices. Recently, I have presented my current work at the 49th Annual ARNOVA Conference, which allowed me to gain valuable feedback and encouragement about my current research plan. As I am preparing to take the next steps in the interview process, I am both excited and interested to see some of the responses that Arts Administrators and Foundation Program Officers will have, as well as some of the barriers that are faced. I anticipate and hope that this study will help people better understand organization’s strategies and the characteristics of fundraising to Latinx audiences and donors.

The UW-Whitewater Institute for Nonprofit Management Studies and the Helen Bader Institute at UW-Milwaukee are co-leading a statewide series of surveys of COVID-19 impacts on the nonprofit sector, a collaborative effort that includes a number of participating UW-system researchers.

In April, the first of three surveys was launched, garnering over 500 responses from leaders in nonprofits from all regions. Institute Director Dr. Carol Brunt contributed to the production of the first state-level report released on May 18^th and co-authored the Human Services sector-specific report.  Megan Matthews contributed to the sector-specific report on how COVID-19 is impacting Wisconsin nonprofit Arts organizations, as part of the larger statewide research.  One of the goals of a sector-specific report is to gain stories of how organizations within a sector are being impacted by COVID-19 financially, programmatically and in the area of human resources.

The second survey is available through August 9 – click here to participate. Results from the second survey will be available in late August.

Follow us on Twitter @NonprofitUWW

Students in UW-W’s Fundraising for Charities course (Management 371), offered for the first time this spring, had planned to learn the theories of fundraising and philanthropists’ motivations, as well as a practical toolkit for ethical fundraising. The course gives students experience working with basic fundraising tools, such as writing appeal letters and creating event plans.

The unscheduled pandemic offered one more learning opportunity: applying good fundraising technique to unanticipated disruptions.

As part of a portfolio of written sample fundraising pieces, each student imagined how investing in technology could help a chosen charity navigate the service challenges presented by COVID-19, and prepared a letter proposal seeking funding for the project. Projects needed to tie into the organization’s mission, describe the anticipated outcomes, timeline, and budget, and explain how the project not only met current urgent needs, but was also a good investment for the organization in the long term.

Follow us on Twitter! @NonprofitUWW

Over the Spring semester, UW-W nonprofit students worked with the UW-Whitewater Foundation and a local organization that serves families at risk of being homeless. While students’ experiences did not go as originally planned due to COVID disruptions, interns were able to finish their work remotely.

We have had discussions with several area nonprofits about future internships, and continually cultivate relationships for future opportunities as interest in our program grows. Currently, we are exploring the concept of virtual internships, and opportunities available for students in Fall 2020 and beyond!

If you are a student interested in an internship, contact Megan Matthews at matthewm@uww.edu to discuss details.

If you are a nonprofit interested in hosting an intern, contact either Megan Matthews (matthewm@uww.edu) or Carol Brunt (bruntc@uww.edu) to discuss the program.

Follow us on Twitter! @NonprofitUWW

The Nonprofit Management program at UW-W is collaborating with The Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management  at the upcoming 2020 conference of the International Society of Third-Sector Research (ISTR) in Montreal, Quebec!  Together, we’re sponsoring a day-long workshop entitled:

Human Resource Management & Employee Relations in the Nonprofit Sector: A Comparative Look at Practice

We are seeking two Wisconsin-based nonprofit professionals with extensive experience in nonprofit HR and/or volunteer management practice to take part in a round table discussion on major HR & employment trends, dimensions, and issues in nonprofit organizations across North America.  The scholarship will cover round trip airfare to Montreal from Milwaukee, 2 nights lodging (July 8-10), and registration to the ISTR conference.

Please note that some meals will be provided as part of the conference registration. Remaining meals will be at the recipients’ own expense.

Scholarship application deadline is March 6, 2020.

Applicants will need to submit a letter of interest and current resume. Applicants must have a current passport.

Questions? Contact Bryce Lord, Associate Director, HBI at balord@uwm.edu or (414) 229-3176.

Ready to apply?  Click here!  

Follow us on Twitter @NonprofitUWW and Instagram @Cobenonprofit !

This summer, lecturer Megan Matthews was part of a panel presentation at the Association of Arts Administration Educators on the topic of how universities launch new programs.  The panel, “…By Any Other Name…”, was created in response to recent research about how programs choose their names, what kind of political and administrative realities affect creation of new programs, and how several programs have navigated through the process of starting up.  In choosing names, programs tend to use terms that

• Describe the program
• Distinguish the program from competitors
• Avoid crossing institutional boundaries.

But questions remain – especially about whether and how a name might impact curriculum and outcomes.  For instance,

• Does an entrepreneurship program aim to produce a different kind of graduate than a management program?
• Do enterprise alumni have different career goals than administration alumni? 
• Do graduates of a leadership program hold a unique world view?

Megan shared data from research conducted on a Creative Enterprise program she has helped to develop at UW-W. 

As UW-Whitewater launches the Nonprofit Management minor this fall, we’re sure that it smells pretty sweet – but we’ll continue to monitor evolving understandings of whether a new program by any other name would also be just as rosy.

Follow us on Twitter! @NonprofitUWW

One of the enduring critical issues of societies across time is how to care for those in need. Who is responsible for providing care? Who is responsible for funding it?

Alexandra Lewis (Left) and Mariah Navis (Right) with Research Poster

We know that charitable giving isn’t evenly spread across the nonprofit sector. What can published accounts tell us about what Americans consider less worthy of donations? Over this academic year, students Alexandra Lewis ’18 and Mariah Navis ’19 have been working with Dr. Ruth Hansen to replicate a study first done in the United Kingdom by Dr. Ali Body and Dr. Beth Breeze, using published accounts as a proxy to determine which charities and causes are considered unpopular or unworthy by the general public. Alex and Mariah presented the study’s preliminary results at the UW-W Undergraduate Research Day on March 21.

We Get Our Kicks at Booth 76

Preliminary findings show some differences between the list generated by reviewing UK media and the one reviewing US media.  For instance, US articles identified Confederate heritage as an unpopular cause.  Articles on the topic started appearing in 2015, after a mass shooting in a historic black church in Charleston, SC prompted national debate on displaying the Confederate flag and other monuments to the Confederacy.

Mariah and Alex will also present preliminary findings at the system-wide undergraduate research symposium, held this April at UW-Green Bay. The research team plans to conclude analysis this spring.

Today we have a guest post from Bryce Lord, Associate Director of the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management.  As we approach spring break and those graduating are looking for their post-UW job, Bryce announces a Wisconsin-wide resource for nonprofit employment opportunities.

The Helen Bader Institute (HBI) for Nonprofit Management at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee is proud to offer the Wisconsin Nonprofit Career Center – the premier resource in Wisconsin to connect nonprofit career opportunities with highly qualified talent throughout the state.

Formerly hosted by the Wisconsin Nonprofits Association, the Wisconsin Nonprofit Career Center offers a wide range of resources for both the nonprofit job seeker and employer.

WI Nonprofit Job Seekers can:

• Search and apply to the best nonprofit jobs at institutions that value your credentials!
• Upload your anonymous resume so employers can contact you – while you maintain control of your information and choose to whom you release your information!
• Receive an alert every time a job becomes available that matches your personal profile, skills, interests, and preferred location(s).
• Access career resources and job searching tips and tools.

WI Nonprofit Employers can:

• Post jobs where the most qualified nonprofit applicants will find them.
• Email your jobs directly to WI Nonprofit job seekers via our exclusive Job Flash email.
• Search the resume database and contact qualified candidates proactively.

From Milwaukee to La Crosse, from Madison to Superior – finding the right employer to employee connection is a vital part of a positive hiring experience. HBI recognizes the need for a broad-ranging resource that works to connect nonprofit jobs and job seekers across the Wisconsin nonprofit sector.

Thank you for all the good work you do across Wisconsin!

We’re pleased to announce the lineup of events for our second annual Nonprofit Organizations Week! This year combines research findings presented in collaboration with the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management (UW-Milwaukee), a film and discussion presented in collaboration with our colleagues in Arts Management at UW-W, and a panel of local nonprofit professionals discussing careers in the nonprofit sector. We hope you can join us at one or more of these events!

Tuesday, November 6

Research Lecture: Perceptions of Wisconsin City Council Members as to Public Health Problems in Their Communities and their Thoughts on the Capacity of the Public and Nonprofit Sectors to Deal with Those Problems

Room 2200 in Hyland Hall, 12:30 – 1:45 pm

What do city officials see as public health issues in their communities?  Do they think local government and nonprofits are able to respond?  Presentation of original research.

• Doug Ihrke, Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management, UW-Milwaukee
• Michael Ford, Department of Public Administration, UW-Oshkosh
• Jennifer Fink, College of Health Sciences, UW-Milwaukee
• Linnea Laestadius, School of Public Health, UW-Milwaukee

Graduate School Information Session: Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management, UW-Milwaukee

Room 4303 in Hyland Hall, 2:00 – 3:00 pm

Wednesday, November 7

Film and Discussion: Sinking the Titanic: A Documentary

Summers Auditorium in University Center, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

How do arts management professionals contribute to a theatrical production?  Emily Ottinger, UW-W ’18, Stage Manager and Company Manager for Milwaukee Ballet, will join the discussion.

Moderated by Sarah Marty, Arts Management, UW-Whitewater

Thursday, November 8

Panel Discussion: Careers in the Nonprofit Sector

Timmerman Auditorium in Hyland Hall, 3:30 – 4:30 pm

A panel of professionals discusses the varied careers available in the nonprofit sector.

• Ann de Tienne, formerly Food Distribution Manager, Second Harvest, Madison, WI
• Christine Rebout, Executive Director of the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Janesville, WI
• Sean Stevens-Fabry, MD and Manager, Bread of Healing Clinics, Milwaukee, WI

Moderated by Megan Matthews, Management, UW-Whitewater

Events are free and open to the UW-Whitewater community!

Event Contact: Carol Brunt bruntc@uww.edu

Blog Editor: Ruth Hansen hansenru@uww.edu

Follow us on Twitter!  @NonprofitUWW