MAPL 6250 Fundraising for Nonprofits and Advocacy

Fundraising for Nonprofits and Advocacy offers a broad overview of fundraising tools and strategies. Students will learn about different fundraising models and develop practical skills for fundraising to support a variety of types of organizations and campaigns. The course will explore events, donor appeals, grant writing, corporate sponsorships, and online fundraising, among other topics. The course design offers flexibility for students to focus on fundraising in the issue area and organizational type of their choice; they may focus on a chosen 501c3, 501c4, PAC or political campaign.

4 Graduate credits

Effective August 17, 2027 to present

Learning outcomes

General

Create case statements that tell a compelling story of the organization's contribution to the public good;
Develop fundraising plans appropriate to a given organization or campaign that draws on proven practices to secure adequate funds from individual and institutional sources;
Select appropriate funding sources for a given organization or cause, drawing from options that include charitable gifts and grants, government grants and contracts, earned income, memberships and sponsorships, returns on investments, volunteer labor and gifts-in-kind, among others;
Select the required compliance and reporting activities for a given fund activity;
Design fundraising tools such as grant proposals and donor appeals; and
Determine the effectiveness of fundraising activities and provide recommendations for adjustments as needed.