Week 1 | Management of Non-profit Organizations | Clemson University

Instructions

Course Project Overview

This course has major project assignments due in Weeks 3 and 5. It will take more than a week’s effort to adequately complete them. Plan time to start the research and work on those assignments earlier than the week in which they are due.

For the course project, you will need to develop an organizational analysis for an NPO of your choice. Select a local NPO to which you can gain access to administrators. An organizational analysis is an internal audit that assesses various components (such as personnel and finances) of a business that may be improved for organizational growth and change.

This assignment will consist of a multi-step process involving the following components:

• Assessment of the internal environment of the NPO, that is who works for the NPO, how is it governed, what does its routine operation consist of?
• Identification of any legal, regulatory, and ethical issues the NPO may face.
• Description of the roles and responsibilities of all key personnel, including board of directors and volunteers.
• Assessment of any quality issues (including liabilities or risks) that may be encountered during daily operations.
• A set of recommendations for organizational change, including a timeline and target goals, to be carried out by key management.

As part of the course project, in Week 1, you will select an NPO of your choice. You should choose an organization in which an appropriate executive or manager will grant you reasonable access to key personnel, documentation, and other relevant information. Consider the Internet, interviews, and other research methods to select your organization. Please keep in mind that an NPO may require you to sign a disclosure agreement. Select your organization following a review of all the weekly research requirements in the course to satisfy yourself that your NPO has the information and resources you will need.

For your course project, you need to perform the following tasks:

• Research various NPOs and select one for analyzing.
• Write an analysis about why you chose this NPO.
• Select a key manager to serve as an organizational liaison.
• Develop a written agreement between you and the NPO and obtain necessary signatures.

Deliverables

Write a 2- to 3-page paper in a Microsoft Word document stating the following:

• The name and brief background of the NPO you have chosen.
• Reasons for selecting this NPO.
• A biographical sketch of NPO liaison.
• The list of available organizational resources, including key personnel, documentation, and other relevant information.