Syllabus for PRS575

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DEPARTMENT: Executive Master of Public Health
COURSE NUMBER: PRS575D Spring 2016
COURSE TITLE: Planning and Performance Measures for Nonprofits
CREDIT HOURS: 2
Instructor Information
Name: David N Westfall, MD, MPH, CPE
Email: david.westfall@dph.ga.gov or dnwestf@emory.edu
Phone: (770) 535-5743
Mailing Address: 1280 Athens Street
Gainesville, GA 30507
Office Hours: Available by phone or email
Course Description
Introduces the basic concepts and vocabulary needed to operate, make decisions, and evaluate
a nonprofit organization or other local agency. The course focuses on large and small nonprofits
and other agencies that provide health education and interventions to improve the health of the
public. Attention is given to the flow of funds to and from organizations with consideration given
to adherence and compliance to a variety of regulatory requirements. Assignments are a
combination of case studies and interactions with actual organizations. The course is designed
to provide the learner with practical knowledge and tools to succeed within the nonprofit world.
Course Competencies
This course addresses the following Prevention Science track competencies:
 Assesses individual and community agency needs and assets.
 Oversees the management and fiscal procedures of public health interventions and
programs.
 Assesses the effects of public health interventions and programs.
 Makes community specific inferences from quantitative and/or qualitative data.
 Contributes to the professional and leadership development of oneself and to the
larger public health field.
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to:
 Identify the distinctions between a nonprofit (NP) and a for profit organization
 Evaluate the success of a nonprofit
 Evaluate the mission and objectives of a nonprofit
 Clarify the role of an Executive Director of a nonprofit
 Define fund accounting and NP financial management
 Identify accounting terminology

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 Describe the budgeting process and systems required to monitor it
 Discuss the value of balances and reserves
 Interpret the Federal Government Form 990 and evaluate the sustainability of the NP
 Develop detail of strengths and weakness of the NP
 Evaluate the strategic planning process and implementation of activities
 Present recommendation for improvement
 Show the relationships among mission, objectives, and activities
 Determine if the NP will be sustainable and what if anything should be done
to strengthen the NP
 Present an organized set of evaluations and recommendations to a group
in an interesting and informative way.
STUDENT HONOR AND CONDUCT CODE
The RSPH requires that all material submitted by a student in fulfilling his or her academic
course of study must be the original work of the student. For more information about the
School's Student Honor and Conduct Code, go to:
http://www.sph.emory.edu/rollins-life/enrollment-services/honor-code/index.html
If you have any questions about this specific course, contact the instructor.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that
provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things,
this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment
that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a
disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Access, Disabilities Services and
Resources office in 110 Administration (404-727-9877). That office can guide you in determining
the process for documenting, obtaining and using accommodations at Emory University.
On-Campus Meeting Times
There are two on-campus class sessions for this class. Attendance is required for all on-
campus class sessions.
Opening On-campus Sessions
 Session 1: January 8
 Session 2: January 9
Closing On-campus Sessions
 Session 1: April 1
 Session 2: April 2
Text/Readings
 Worth, Michael J., Nonprofit Management: principles and practice. Third Edition. Sage;
ISBN-10: 1452243093; ISBN-13: 978-1452243092
 Articles from the Bridgespan Group linked in the course modules:
o “Strongly Led, Under-managed”
o “The Effective Organization: Five Questions to Translate Leadership into Strong
Management"

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o "Ten Nonprofit Funding Models”
o “The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle
o "Nonprofit Overhead Costs: Breaking the Vicious Cycle of Misleading Reporting,
Unrealistic Expectations, and Pressure to Conform"
o “Great Valley Center: A Case Study in Measuring for Mission”
 Website: How to Read the IRS Form 990 and Find Out What it Means
 Website: Guidestar Organization (http://www2.guidestar.org/)
 Website: Money for Good (http://www2.guidestar.org/rxa/news/articles/2011/results-of-
money-for-good-2.aspx?hq_e=el&hq_m=1455746&hq_l=2&hq_v=1cbf9897d6)
Computer Requirements
Computer hardware, software, and peripherals compatible with Blackboard usage are required.
Please consult the Blackboard Help site and/or the EMPH Online Orientation course for general
information about operating systems, browsers, communication software, and printers. Some
courses may require the installation of plugins and/or software which can be installed only by
those with administrative rights to their computers. Please note that an iPad or similar mobile
device does not provide the needed functionality for all of the Blackboard tools.
In addition to the general requirements referenced above, this course requires the use of
streaming video and audio.
Evaluation and Grading
Evaluation:
Individual Assignments 30%
Participation and Attendance 10%
Discussion 20%
Group Project 40%
Assignment Individual/Group
Percent of
Final
Grade
Due Dates
3 Papers
(10% each)
Individual 30%
Paper #1: January 24
Paper #2: February 7
Paper #3: March 6
10 Discussions
(2% each)
Individual
20%
On going
Project
Interviews (10%)
Paper (15%)
Presentation (15%)
Group 40%
Various
Final Presentation On Campus
April 1 and 2
Participation and
Attendance
Individual 10% On going
Total 100%

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Grading Scale
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C
F
93-100
90-92
86-89
80-85
75-79
65-74
Fail (less than 65)
Assignment Details
Group Assignments
In this course you will have one overarching group assignment - the Evaluation of a Nonprofit
Organization - that will continue throughout the semester, culminating in a paper and a
presentation to the entire class. Your perspective for this assignment will be as consultants
engaged by the Executive Director and the Board of Directors of your nonprofit to evaluate its
operations, and your final paper will be “to the Board of Directors”. You will be required to gather
information about the organization from various sources, including online, and from interviews
with the organization’s administration. Your initial focus will be on general information about the
organization: its history, governance, organizational structure, mission and goals, leadership,
staffing, reporting, and evaluation of success. Interview questions should focus on these areas.
Your subsequent research will focus on the financial aspects of the organization, and questions
during the second interview should cover this area. Finally, you will complete your evaluation
report (paper) and prepare a presentation for on-campus. Your final report, after approval by
the instructor, will be shared with your non-profit organization.
A visual presentation for on-campus delivery should be prepared with talking points – a
PowerPoint presentation will be fine. Plan on about 20 minutes of presentation followed by
question and class comment time. The presentation should include an Executive Summary
(class handout) and highlights of each of the areas above in which “the Executive Director and
Board have requested guidance”. It would be helpful to structure your presentation according to
those same components. Each member of your Group will be expected to participate in the
presentation. Your colleagues in class will be “evaluating your evaluation”.
In addition to the in-class presentation you are also required to post relevant background
materials, interview questions, source documents, appendices etc. in your group Blackboard
wiki or other platform selected by the group that better meets group needs. The wiki/other
platform will be the repository where group members share materials. These documents should
identify specific group members responsible for the analyses and evaluation of different
components for the presentation. Posting must be completed prior to the closing on-campus
session.
The wiki/other platform itself will not be graded but should help detail individual contributions to
the group effort. If you choose to use a platform other than the Blackboard wiki as your
repository for your group project, you must communicate your site to the instructor and enroll
the instructor in the site so that he can visit and observe your activities to assure group
involvement.

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Further details, as well as intermediate due dates and deliverables will be described in the
Assignments area of the course.
Individual Assignments
Paper #1
Discuss the relevance of the Bridgespan Group articles "Strongly Led, Under Managed" and
"The Effective Organization: Five Questions to Translate Leadership into Strong Management"
as they relate to your nonprofit. You should comment on similarities and differences between
the two papers. Although you are collecting information as a group, you are expected to
present your own evaluation and opinions in individual assignments. An appropriate response
should probably be no longer than 3 pages. Good points that are focused and succinct are
greatly appreciated. Careful study of these articles may help you identify relevant questions that
should be included in your group's interview with the Executive Director (or equivalent) of your
nonprofit organization. Submit your paper by attachment to the assignment tool.
Paper #2
"Ten Nonprofit Funding Models” and “The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle,” two articles from the
Bridgespan Group, will prepare you to begin your investigation of financial matters in Module 2.
The Bridgespan Group article, "Nonprofit Overhead Costs: Breaking the Vicious Cycle of
Misleading Reporting, Unrealistic Expectations, and Pressure to Conform" together with the
article from Module 1 should provide considerable guidance for thought as you evaluate your
nonprofit. Please provide no more than a 3-page review and critique, including relevance to your
group investigation. This assignment should represent your own evaluation and opinions.
Submit your document by attachment to the assignment tool.
Paper #3
Based on “Great Valley Center:” This individual assignment should be a "compare and contrast"
with what you have learned about your nonprofit. Are there similarities in the case? Or does the
Great Valley Case differ significantly from your organization? Are there any lessons learned that
can be applied to your recommendations? Please limit your document to no more than 3 pages.
Submit your document by attachment to the assignment tool.
Late Assignments
Assignments passed in late without previous knowledge and approval of the
instructor will be graded down a whole letter grade before any corrections are made.
If you have an emergency that delays your turning in assignments, please contact the
instructor as soon as possible.
Verbal and Written Communications
Communicating effectively in writing and verbally is critical to public health research and
practice. Graduates of the Executive MPH Program are expected to demonstrate these skills in
written assignments and oral presentations. Requirements for acceptable performance in this
course include the following:
Proofread: Clarity and accuracy are expected in submission of assignments throughout this
course. Errors of grammar or spelling may result in a lower grade.

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Note: Keep in mind that spell check and grammar check features of software programs
such as Microsoft Word are not sufficient. Please read over all submissions carefully for
content, spelling, punctuation, and grammar before turning them in.
Criteria for written assignments: The following criteria will be used in grading written
assignments: (Instructor edits as appropriate)
 Relevance to the issues
 Scope and thoroughness
 Logic and organization of thought
 Reference to the scientific literature in the areas related to the course
 Proper citations format (please follow track or instructor guidelines for all quotes and
citations)
 Integration of principles and theories described in class and in readings
 Overall writing style
 Correct grammar and spelling
Criteria for oral presentations: The following criteria will be used in grading oral presentations:
(Instructor edits and provides details)
 Organization of material
 Relevance to the issues
 Scope and thoroughness
 Analysis and conclusions
 Presentation skills
 Adherence to time limits
Participation and Attendance
Evaluation of group participation: In order to assess participation of individual students
in the group project, that participation must be visible to the instructor. Contributions to the
project will be documented on the group wiki or other platform. In addition, during the
semester, you will evaluate the participation of each member of your group, including your own
participation, using the forms provided, and post to the Assignment Tool by dates indicated on
the schedule.
**Attendance at on-campus classes and participation will also be included**
Discussion
Questions will be posted weekly on Monday. Discussion for that forum will be discontinued
Sunday night at midnight. At a minimum, students are expected to post a response to each
question posed by the instructor and, in addition, to respond to at least one posting of other
students. Points will be earned on a week-by-week basis. Keep in mind that the purpose of
discussion is to foster an exchange of ideas and experiences. This is possible when initial
postings are made by mid-week, thus allowing time for others to read and comment on
classmates' contributions.

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Overall Course Policies
All work must be turned in according to the schedule. If an emergency arises which keeps you
from posting work at the appropriate time, please discuss the problem with me via e- mail.
This class requires active participation. If you need to be away from the class for more than
three days, please let the instructor know, via email, in advance so that you will not be
considered "absent."
All lecture notes and other information presented within this course is the property of the
instructor, and is protected by copyright.
While this class does not necessarily cover content that is emotionally charged, it is important
to remember that you are in a learning community composed of a wide range of beliefs and
experiences, and every person has a right to express those beliefs/experiences within the
discussion boundaries. No denigration or silencing of others will be allowed.