Units

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Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 4 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Fundraising and development in the contemporary environment involves a complex social exchange of needs and values. It is more than tools and tactics. To create ongoing, sustainable resources for organisations, students and practitioners of fundraising benefit from seeing the principles, ethics and professional groundingof fundraising supported by theory and evidence through the growing body of literature and research in this area.

This unit links fundraising to marketing, management, economics, psychology and nonprofit theory. It forms the base for the following subject: GSN489 - Fundraising / Development Techniques.

Aims

To provide students with the strategic theories and practices needed to prepare an organisation to fundraise successfully, and the ongoing research and analysis skills that will enable them to work productively with fundraising professionals and take a leadership role in obtaining resources for nonprofit organisations to achieve mission goals.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Postgraduate)

The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AoL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools.

Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Well-researched knowledge and critical understanding applied to issues at the forefront of a specialised discipline area
1.2 Ability to select and use effectively a range of tools and technologies to locate and/or generate information appropriate to the disciplinary context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Apply logical, critical and creative thinking and judgement to generate appropriate solutions to problems in the disciplinary context

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Ability to create and present professional documents and/or reports using high levels of analysis/synthesis/evaluation for a range of contexts and audiences
3.2 Ability to orally communicate and justify ideas and information, at a professional level, for a variety of contexts and audiences, including peers and discipline specialists

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Operate effectively and with flexibility to achieve common goals in collaborative settings, using a range of skills, including leadership, negotiation, reflection, proactivity and support for team members

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply knowledge of the ethical, social and cultural dimensions relevant to business situations, including appropriate standards or codes of practice, to provide courses of action

The specific course learning goals that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Unit Objectives:

On completing this unit, you will be able to:

1. View and implement fundraising as a strategically planned, cyclical process for resource development;
2. Discuss how the fundraising function interacts with the wider organisation and society;
3. Explain theories of donor behaviour and the nexus between fundraising and philanthropy;
4. Source ethics information and apply an ethical lens to fundraising activities;
5. Use problem solving skills and a knowledge of fundraising markets to locate potential funding sources for organisations;
6. Assess whether an organisation is ready to undertake fundraising;
7. Set guidelines for working successfully with boards, volunteer leaders and other volunteers.

Content

The content in this unit flows from an overall appreciation of what fundraising and development are to understanding the wider environment and trends that impact planning, and then onto an internal look at institutional or organisational readiness for fundraising. Market positioning and donor identification are highlighted and then as processes underlying campaign, income and supporter development. An undercurrent of ethics underpinning practice runs through each week. The overall subject comprises understanding of both theory and practice in fundraising through a variety of resources.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

This unit draws upon both didactic lecturing and interactive learning. Lectures are offered in person, with flexible delivery mode students able to attend lectures in real-time via Elluminate or to access lecture recordings.

The weekly 3-hour class meetings generally include a mix of lectures, class discussions, visitors, case studies and some small group exercises. To supplement these activities, a range of materials is available including this unit outline, the readings and an online (Blackboard) site.

Lectures are designed to introduce students to the concepts and principles that guide successful practice across a range of settings. Class discussions and exercises further develop understanding of the issues and principles in practice.

For less experienced fundraisers, wider reading is helpful. Learning in this subject occurs through pre-reading, listening to lectures, asking questions, discussing and challenging ideas and issues, participating in class either online or in-person and follow-up reading and evaluation.

Assessment name: Annotated Bibliography
Description: Annotated Bibliography:
Students will discuss by email or in person with the lecturer their topic of interest by close of class in Week 2 and compile an annotated bibliography of six items from the literature that are most relevant to understanding that topic. Topic choice can relate to personal and professional interests and should be used as research toward Assignment 2. Topics might include a particular market, issue, or trend but cannot focus just on a particular fundraising tool or vehicle as this crosses over into GSN489.
Length/Duration: Maximum 1,000 words
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit Objectives: 1-5 and AoL Goals: KS (1.1) CTA (2.1) PC (3.1)
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: 6pm Wk 3,16 Jul 2012

Assessment name: Literature Review
Description: Literature Review:
Students will build on Assessment 1 to write a literature review entitled What do we know about (chosen market, issue or trend as per Assessment 1). This will require students to draw upon the literature to highlight any theory base and studies that exist in this area.
Length/Duration: 1,500 words maximum
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit Objectives: 1-5 and AoL Goals: KS (1.1, 1.2) CTA (2.1) PC (3.1)
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: 6pm Wk 6, 6 Aug 2012

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed text

Sargeant, Adrian, Shang, Jen and Associates (2010) Fundraising principles and practice, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Required References: Nil

Other Resources:

A list of additional materials is available via the Week 1 document for this Unit.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures in this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 20-Jun-2012