HOST 109 - The Business of Doing Good: Nonprofit & ESG Organizations

3 Credits

This course introduces nonprofit organizations including their structure, purpose, and responsibilities. These mission-driven organizations are often understood through the lens of IRS tax codes including and 501(c) classifications. The good these organizations do often falls under ESG (i.e., Environmental, Social, Governance) frameworks. Learners analyze the ethical, moral, and legal obligations of nonprofits and ESG-committed organizations, including fiduciary responsibility, financial transparency, and public trust. Students develop an understanding of moving from funding to building long-term financing strategies through case studies involving event planning and management, taxation, compliance, best practices, and unethical behavior. Students gain a comprehensive understanding of how purpose-driven organizations are built, governed, financed, and evaluated in the modern U.S. landscape by the end of the course.

Fees

Quarters Typically Offered
Summer Online
Winter Day, Online

Designed to Serve All students who plan to work in and/or with a foundation, nonprofit association, not-for-profit entity, or in event planning in general.
Active Date 20260408T15:00:58

Grading Basis Decimal Grade
Class Limit 28
Shared Learning Environment Yes
Contact Hours: Lecture 33
Total Contact Hours 33
Degree Distributions:
ProfTech Course Yes
Restricted Elective Yes
Course Outline

Modern nonprofit landscape including IRS tax-code elements such as 501(c) classifications, governance structures, and legal understandings of not for profit verse nonprofit
ESG fundamentals such as how ESG frameworks shape organizational behavior and stakeholder expectations.
Ethical, moral, and legal responsibilities
Financial strategy such as grants, donor behavior, funds (i.e., restricted, unrestricted) and transitioning from funding to financing
Accountability and transparency including IRS reporting (e.g., taxes), best practices, and scandals with lessons for us to learn from
Event planning operations (e.g., venue selection, budgeting, volunteers, stakeholder and guest experiences)
Events as Strategic Fundraising Tools: Designing events for donor engagement, sponsorship, cultivation, and ROI

Student Learning Outcomes
Describe nonprofit planning logistics using industry terminology (e.g., IRS, 501(c) classifications, governance).

Analyze fundraising realities and logistical realities in the nonprofit sector through case studies and examples.

Explain ESG (i.e., Environmental, Social, Governance) frameworks including ethical, moral, and legal aspects.

Design a financial strategy inclusive of accounting for grants, donor behavior, funds (i.e., restricted, unrestricted) and transitioning from funding to financing.