Based on your reading, post your thoughts (within 300 words) in response to one of the following questions. Your original responses are due on Friday, 04/19. Each student is required to review and comment on the TWO submissions immediately before theirs. For example, author of the 3rd submission should comment on the first two submissions; author of the 4th submission should comment on the second and the third submissions; and so on. Authors of the first two submissions could comment on any two later submissions they choose. Your comments on other students’ posts are due on Sunday, 04/21.
Discussion Questions (Chapters 11-15):
(1) Identify a social change issue that you are familiar with, and describe the life cycle of this social change issue. Which stages do you think are the most challenging to accomplish? Why?
(2) Define advocacy, lobbying, organizing, civic engagement, and political campaign activity. Provide examples to illustrate two of these activities.
(3) Explain financial statements developed by nonprofit organizations and the role of audits. How are audits different from financial statements? Which nonprofits would do an audit and why?
(4) Summarize key financial ratios used in financial management of nonprofit organizations. Which financial ratios would you give priority to when attempting to evaluate a nonprofit organization’s financial performance? Why?
(5) Identify circumstances that pose financial risks to nonprofit organizations. Discuss a real case where a nonprofit organization experiences such a risk. What are the causes of the risk? What should the nonprofit do to overcome the difficulty?
(6) Look up the Form 990 of a nonprofit organization that interests you. (It is likely available on GuideStar at www.guidestar.orgLinks to an external site.Links to an external site..) Go through the financial data and develop your own analysis of the organization’s finances. Questions you might think about include the following: Does the organization appear to have diversified sources of revenue? How vulnerable or unpredictable are these sources likely to be? What were the major categories of expenses for the year shown? What unforeseen expenses could arise? What kinds of assets does the organization hold? Does it have debt? What produced its cash flow for the year shown? Does it have endowment or other donor-restricted assets?
(7) Do you think that people give primarily for altruistic reasons or in order to receive benefits for themselves? Might the motivations differ among various types of gifts and various organizations? Explain your answer and provide examples.
(8) Identify the advantages and disadvantages of various solicitation methods (such as: emails, letters, phone calls and social media). Please select a real nonprofit organization that you are familiar with, discuss which solicitation methods are appropriate and effective for this organization, explain why.
(9) Select a real nonprofit organization that you are familiar with; identify the benefits and risks for this organization in receiving government support.
