Nonprofit@UWW

Did you know that approximately ten percent of people employed in the United States work for a nonprofit organization?  And that that number exceeds 12% here in Wisconsin?  That the nonprofit sector contributes more than $900 billion to the U.S. economy?  The nonprofit sector is a big deal!

Starting this fall (2018), General Management majors at UW-W CoBE can elect an emphasis in Nonprofit Studies.  The emphasis requires three courses:

• Foundations in Nonprofit and Nongovernment Organizations (MGT 370) Our initial nonprofit management course examines the scope and impact of this growing sector, as well as its relationship to business and public sectors.
• Public Policy Analysis and Advocacy (POLISCI 330) Offers a systematic introduction to the study of public policy through an analytical problem-solving approach as well as examining other models and approaches across sectors.
• Cooperative/Internship in Management (MGT 493) A practical internship course, offered as a constructed-supervised work experience within the major area of concentration of the student. The internship experience offers the student an opportunity to participate in day-to-day activity in nonprofits. It is supported by an online credit course.

Currently, Management 370 is offered every fall.  PoliSci 330 and Management 493 are offered every semester.

Our faculty members bring practical experience in a variety of nonprofit settings, as well as expertise and research into aspects of nonprofit management.  Watch this space for a series of articles on what each member brings to the UW-W Nonprofit program.

UW-W CoBE is a member of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council.

To learn more about the Nonprofit Management emphasis, contact Dr. Carol Brunt at bruntc@uww.edu .

Why Non-Profit Management?

When I first came to UW-Whitewater as a freshman, like most of my peers, my degree was undeclared.  I knew I had an interest in people, specifically how they internalize their environment, justify their worldview, and how this influences their relationships to others.  I had a desire to understand people with backgrounds unlike my own.  I started in psychology, dabbled in sociology and theology, and eventually fell into the business school.  Now I am in my final year pursuing a major in general management.

Management offers job versatility across all industries, and yet, I am still unsure which direction this education will carry me. I was ecstatic when the course Foundations of Nonprofit & Nongovernmental Organizations became an option for my senior electives.  To understand people, their needs, goals, and their own purpose of life is important to me.  I want to help those individuals that otherwise might not have been given a chance to be heard, and I, in the meantime, will make the personal connections and experiences I would not find anywhere else.

The scope of the non-profit sector is vast, but wielding my education as my weapon, I hope to find my place in it.

The College of Business and Economics (CoBE) at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater began laying the groundwork for a nonprofit and nongovernmental program in its Department of Management in 2014.  Our first faculty member, Carol A. Brunt, Ph.D. was hired in 2015 to initiate program development.  Dr. Brunt has professional experience in international development and environmental NGOs, especially on the African continent.

Within that first year, she developed an introductory graduate course, “Social Transformation and NPO/NGO Management,” and began recruitment for a second faculty member. Ruth Hansen, MJ joined the College in Fall 2016.  Ms. Hansen (soon to be Dr. Ruth – she anticipates her Ph.D. this summer) has professional experience as a fundraiser in the US.  We also developed an undergraduate introductory course, “Foundations of Nonprofit and Nongovernmental Organizations.”

Both courses provide students with foundational knowledge of the NPO sector. Initial student feedback has been enthusiastic, and with the introduction of an undergraduate emphasis in Nonprofit Management as one of the options for the General Management major, nonprofit education has officially joined UW-W’s Management curriculum.

Our program team also includes Megan Matthews, MFA.  Ms. Matthews has a professional background in fundraising and in arts management.  Together, we are focusing on well-founded program development, including curriculum design, course instruction, student inquiries, community partnerships, and interdisciplinary projects.  Next up: developing an undergraduate major in Nonprofit Management, guided by the NACC curriculum recommendations.  Building on current strengths, we will start by focusing on HR management, leadership, grants management and fundraising.

The research agenda of our program team focuses on aspects of nonprofit management, using multiple research methodologies.  Dr. Brunt examines strategic human resource management (SHRM); career development and adult learning theory; and social unionism in the nonprofit sector.  Ms. Hansen researches fundraising, focusing on individual fundraiser agency, communication, and socially marginalized client groups; donor behavior; and policy and regulation of nonprofits.

Our diverse interests, experiences, and multidisciplinary approaches lead us to eagerly anticipate collaborative, dynamic programming within our fledgling Nonprofit Management program.  This past year, CoBE sponsored its first Nonprofit Week on campus, featuring a research presentation by Doug Ihrke and Crystal Mederies Ellis of the Helen Bader Institute (HBI) at UW-Milwaukee, and a panel presentation on Careers in the Nonprofit and Public Sector. In February, we’ll be presenting in HBI’s Colloquium Series at UW-Milwaukee.

Both Dr. Brunt and Ms. Hansen moved to Wisconsin recently, and are enthusiastically getting to know the nonprofit community in southeast Wisconsin.  This includes site visits with local organizations, as well as engaging with local chapters of associations serving nonprofit professionals.  Ms. Matthews is a Wisconsin native, and is active in integrating arts in communities across the state.

Follow us on Twitter at @Ruth_K_Hansen and our blog at Nonprofit@UWW.