HI 380 HISTORY OF NONPROFITS, PHILANTHROPY, AND SOCIAL CHANGE Ms. Sarah A. M. Soleim sarah_soleim@ncsu.edu Spring 2017 T/TH 11:45-1:00 pm Withers 140 Office Hours Withers 248 Tuesdays 1:00-2:30 pm Or by appointment Teaching Assistant Allison McLeod armcleod@ncsu.edu Course Description This course explores the historical development of nonprofits and philanthropy in the United States from the colonial period to the present. Through a close analysis of primary documents and scholarly writings students will examine the historical context of nonprofit leadership challenges such as: the origins of philanthropy as a concept for moving beyond charity to systemic change; the creation of philanthropic foundations and advocacy organizations in the twentieth century and how these groups strived to align their missions, methods, and resources; and the construction of complex relationships between modern nonprofits, the state, and the private sector as each tried to balance individual interest and the common good. Students will also discuss interactions between race, gender, class, religion, and region in nonprofits, and the opportunities associated with such diversity in the United States. As well as the historical links between nonprofits and the social sciences and nonprofits and U.S. policy in world affairs. Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes By the end of this course, students should be able to identify and analyze major events, issues, and institutions that shape the historical development of nonprofits and philanthropy in the United States. By the end of this course, students should be able to evaluate, critique, and interpret secondary historical sources (eg: monographs, journal articles) and the means by which historians use primary historical evidence to explore the history of the nonprofit sector By the end of this course, students should be able to find and use primary and secondary historical sources to construct and support analytical arguments about the history of nonprofits and philanthropy.
Course Expectations Students should be prepared to engage with their fellow students, professor, and assigned readings at the start of every class. This means that you must read all assigned material before each class meeting and respect others when speaking or listening. We will discuss many sensitive and debated topics in this course. Every student has the right to share his or her opinion and perspective, without feeling ashamed, embarrassed, or disrespected. Disrespect will not be tolerated. If you have any questions or concerns regarding class discussion, please contact the professor as soon as possible. Attendance Policy Class attendance is required and roll will be taken each day. Students will be allowed two unexcused absences for the semester. Any further absences will be permitted only with verification that the student had a legitimate medical or personal reason for missing class. The instructor should be notified of any absences in a timely matter. Please refer to the university s policies regarding excused absences, https://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-03. Students who come to class after roll has been taken will be marked absent. Students with more than two unexcused absences will lose two points for each unexcused absence from their final grade. Students with more than four unexcused absences will be dropped from the course. No make-up work or credit is allowed for unexcused absences. Electronic Devices Students may bring their laptop to class to take notes and access readings. The instructor may ask students to put laptops away during class at any time. Remember, laptops are distracting for users and the students sitting around them. One study showed that after responding to email or texts, it took individuals over 15 minutes. to refocus on their work tasks. You may not check social media, email, surf the web, or do homework for other courses. Absolutely no cell phone use during class. Cell phones cannot be used in place of a laptop. Expect your cell phone to be confiscated if used during class. Service Learning This course will have a service-learning (SL) component where students will render meaningful service in community settings that present them with experiences related to academic material. In this class, students will apply their knowledge of nonprofit history, and their historical research skills (finding and analyzing historical sources such as organizational records, publications, interviews, etc to construct explanations for change over time) to study the history of a local nonprofit institution. The goal will be to use that historical knowledge to help both students and community partners understand how nonprofits evolve over time and how that knowledge can help nonprofits plan for the future. Code of Student Conduct Academic dishonesty of any kind is unacceptable. This includes giving or receiving unpermitted aid, cheating, or submitting another s work as your own, for example. Please see your instructor if you have any questions or concerns. Reference the university s policy at https://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-11-35- 01.
Course Requirements Books The following books are required reading for the course. They are available for purchase at the university bookstore, and are on reserve at D.H. Hill Library Mark Dowie, American Foundations: An Investigative History (MIT Press, 2001). Lawrence Friedman and Mark McGarvie, eds., Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility in American History (Cambridge University Press, 2003). David Hammack, Making the Nonprofit Sector in the United States (Indiana University Press, 1998). Assignments In addition to regular class attendance and participation, there are the following written requirements. All requirements must be completed in order to qualify for course credit. Reading response and final project descriptions are at the end of the syllabus. All exams and projects will be graded using the A (4.0)-F (0) scale, +/- grading will be used. Please note that no make-up work or credit is allowed for unexcused absences. 10 Reading Responses 20% 2 In-class essay exams (10% each) 20% Final Essay Exam 20% Research Project (Proposal and Project) 30% Class Participation (Discussion, Group Work, Quizzes) 10% Late Work All assignments have been created with course objectives in mind. They are designed to help you think historically and challenge preconceived knowledge and assumptions. All assignments and exams are to be completed on time. This ensures that grading is fair for all students. One letter grade will be deducted from all late assignments for every day they are passed due. Assistance Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with the Disability Services Office at Suite 2221, Student Health Center. For more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.01) at http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01. Writing Center If you struggle with written assignments, consider visiting the campus writing center. Peer consultants are trained to provide feedback for writers based on clarity, structure and organization. The goal is to ensure the writer s ideas are communicated clearly and effectively to the intended audience. Grammatical issues are addressed as they impact the meaning and clarity of the writing. While consultants are not editors, they work with writers to help them become better editors of their own work. All writing support services are free. Find more info here: https:// tutorial.dasa.ncsu.edu/ writing-speaking/.
Course Schedule Tuesday, January 10 Introduction to the Course Thursday, January 12 Tuesday, January 17 Thursday, January 19 Tuesday, January 24 Thursday, January 26 Tuesday, January 31 Thursday, February 2 Tuesday, February 7 Thursday, February 9 Learning to Think like a Historian Becker, Everyman His Own Historian (Moodle) Read the Document Analysis Worksheets (Moodle) Early European Ideas of Charity and Philanthropy Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, Epilogue FIRST RESPONSE DUE Elizabethan England, Poverty, and Charity Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 3-13 Charity and Philanthropy in Colonial America and the Early Republic Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, pg. 23-27, and chap. 1 Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 115-117 Colonial Models of Charity, Benevolence, and Public Good Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 19-27, 42-45, 50-60, 70-84 Rights of Charitable Institutions Under the Constitution: The Dartmouth College Case Charity, Philanthropy and Civility, chap. 4 Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 123-141 de Tocqueville, Associations, and Civil Life in Antebellum America Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 142-153 Religion and the Voluntary Sector in Antebellum America Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 163-173, 188-202 Women and Organized Charity in 19 th Century America Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 221-263 Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 8 African-Americans and Nonprofit Organizations in the Post Civil War Era Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 264-280 Philanthropy and African-American Education in the Post Civil War Era Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 7 Tuesday, February 14 EXAM Thursday, February 16 Nonprofits and Government in the Early 20 th c. Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 286-308 Tuesday, February 21 The Progressive Era and the Rise of Scientific Philanthropy Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 10 Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 283-285, 320-328 Thursday, February 23 Transforming Nonprofit Funding: The Russell Sage Foundation Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 9 Tuesday, February 28 Immigration, Religion, and the Nonprofit Sector
Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 203-219 PROJECT PROPOSALS DUE Thursday, March 2 American Philanthropy Abroad: Missionaries to Social Science Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 11 MARCH 6-10 SPRING BREAK Tuesday, March 14 Nonprofits in Depression and War Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 12 Thursday, March 16 Nonprofits in the Postwar Era: An Overview American Foundations, chap. 1 Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 17 Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 439-453 Tuesday, March 21 Continue Readings from March 16 Thursday, March 23 Tuesday, March 28 Thursday, March 30 Tuesday, April 4 Thursday, April 6 Tuesday, April 11 Thursday, April 13 Tuesday, April 18 Thursday, April 20 Tuesday, April 25 Nonprofits, the Welfare State, and Federal Funding Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 401-403, 454-481 Exam Evolution of 20 th c. Nonprofits: Community Foundations and Community Chests Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 329-372 Modern Science and Modern Philanthropy American Foundations, chap. 3 and 4 Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 373-399 Foundations and the Cold War Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 15 Philanthropy and the Civil Rights Movement Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility, chap. 16 Nonprofits and the War on Poverty Making the Nonprofit Sector, pg. 422-453 Foundations, the Environment, and International Development American Foundations, chaps. 5 and 6 Foundations and the Arts American Foundations, chap. 8 The Current Status of Nonprofits American Foundations, Note on Semantics, chap. 9 Historical Perspectives on the Future of Nonprofits American Foundations, Preface, chaps. 10 and 11, Epilogue, Appendix FINAL PROJECTS DUE Final Exam Tuesday, May 2nd, 8-11am, Withers #140
Weekly Reading Responses Each student will write a 1-page response on weekly assigned readings starting January 17 th. There are 13 Tuesdays to submit a response. You must submit a response on January 17 th and you must submit 10 responses total throughout the semester. You may submit up to 12 responses to boost your grade, but you have to take at least one week off! Please pay attention to the calendar so you do not miss an opportunity to turn in a weekly response. These responses give you a chance to reflect on some aspect of the week s reading a particular argument, analysis, perspective on the history of nonprofits. What you write can, if you want, be shaped in some way by one or more of the reading questions (sent by email in advance) related to the assignment. Or, you can choose to respond to some issue that was not raised in the reading questions. The key is to write about something that provokes your own thoughts and analysis (and that you will hopefully share in some form during the class discussions). Do not try to summarize all the reading you have done for the week, and do not write these responses as informal journal entries. Choose one facet of that reading which you want to discuss, and explain why it is important to examine that issue. Be sure to make your own argument as succinctly as possible, and ground what you have to say in the texts you have read. Papers should be typed in Times New Roman,12pt and double-spaced. Use complete sentences and paragraphs. Papers should have an introduction and a conclusion. Please cite your work using footnotes. When paraphrasing or directly quoting a source, insert a footnote after the sentence period. 1 When you cite Charity, Philanthropy, and Civility and Making the Nonprofit Sector you must cite the article author, article name, and page number. 2 Do not cite the volume editors. When you cite American Foundations, you use the author s name, Dowie, book title, and page number. 3 You will need more formal citations for your final project. Use only one footnote per sentence. You may cite multiple sources in one footnote, but separate them with a semicolon. 4 Each weekly response will be worth be worth 2 points for a total of 20 possible points. 3 points will be given for exceptional work. 2 points: Your response is written clearly and engages with the week s reading. 1 point: Your response had deficiencies in its writing and/or was unclear in its presentation and argument and/or was not directly linked to the week s reading. 3 points: Your response is exceptionally well argued and carefully supported by the week s readings. Each response will be turned in to the TA at the beginning of class on Tuesdays. No late responses will be accepted without verification from a physician or dean that there was a legitimate medical or personal reason for failing to turn in a response on time. 1 Like this. 2 Friedman, Philanthropy in America: Historicism and its Discontents, 3-5. 3 Dowie, American Foundations, 22. 4 Friedman, Philanthropy in America: Historicism and its Discontents, 3; Dowie, American Foundations, 21-22.
Final Project Each student or group will produce a project based on a service-learning experience researching the history of a local nonprofit institution. These projects will help students in mastering course learning objectives and can be used by the community partners. Projects may be done individually or in groups. Examples of projects could include a research paper, report, brochure, scrapbook, display, video, webpage, or a Powerpoint presentation, which community partners could use in planning, evaluation, development work, or public relations. Topics could include organizational history, programmatic history, oral history of a nonprofit leader, etc. Note: Students who choose to do group projects will take responsibility for organizing their own groups and assigning tasks for completing a group project. The instructor will be available for consultation in developing topics and research strategies, but the instructor will not be responsible for scheduling group meetings or disciplining group members. Deadlines Before the end of January: Each individual or group must schedule an appointment with the instructor to discuss project topics and the form each project will take. February 28: Each individual or group must turn in a proposal (1-2 pages) that includes a discussion of the project s topic, research questions, and sources and methods. April 25: Each individual or group must turn in the final project. Students writing research papers or reports are strongly encouraged to turn in drafts for review by the instructor. Drafts must be turned in by March 30 to allow sufficient time for review and revisions. Group projects may also be presented in draft form to the instructor, or to the entire class. Groups must speak to the instructor at least one week in advance of doing a draft presentation. Please keep the following points in mind as you work on your projects: These are History projects you need to analyze how your organization has changed over time, not describe what it is doing today. Your projects must be more than timelines (though a timeline may be part of the project.) You must explain and analyze your organization s history. Do not choose an organization that has just started what history does it have? Do not choose an organization that has no records or historical sources how will you trace its history? There is no minimum or maximum number of hours for this project you do not need to volunteer (unless you want to.) However, you do need to put in the time necessary to research the organization s history.