Nonprofit studies
Nonprofit studies or nonprofit management is a multidisciplinary field of teaching and research that focuses on practices of the nonprofit sector and can date back to the 1920s.[1] This area of inquiry examines the management and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector.
Nonprofit studies may also refer to studies of the voluntary sector, third sector, nongovernmental organizations, or civil society.
Methods in the field of nonprofit studies
Teaching and learning
Expert professors with experience in the nonprofit sector provide effective learning material for students in nonprofit studies. These professors have gained credible knowledge from working in, and doing research on nonprofit organizations. Other professors in nonprofit studies tend to also be a part of sociology, psychology, or public administration departments.
Curriculum in nonprofit studies programs vary from program to program with a heavy emphasis in management above other content areas mentioned above.
In many nonprofit studies programs, experiential learning opportunities complement classroom learning. Students may take part in internships or co-operative education placements where they learn by working alongside staff in a nonprofit workplace. Community-based learning activities such as service-learning, community-based research, volunteering, and participatory action research can enhance the learning process by combining experiential learning and skill building with critical reflection on self and social/environment injustice.
Nonprofit research
References
- Ma, Ji; Konrath, Sara (2018). "A Century of Nonprofit Studies: Scaling the Knowledge of the Field". VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations. 29 (6): 1139–1158. doi:10.1007/s11266-018-00057-5. hdl:1805/19864. ISSN 0957-8765. S2CID 195067944.
- Weber, P. C., & Witkowsky, G. R. (2016). Philanthropic Disruptions: Changing Non-Profit Education for an Engaged Society. Journal of Public Affairs Education,22(1), 91-106. Retrieved April 30, 2018.