Nonprofits on the Frontlines

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Nonprofit organizations have long been an essential component of democracy and civic life in American society. Yet, in the current moment, nonprofits are facing unprecedented challenges due to funding instability, political threats, and the effects of polarization. In this course, we will examine the roles of nonprofits in community service, advocacy, movement building, and public narrative; analyze how organizations navigate political pressure and efforts to constrain or delegitimize their work; understand the nature of the nonprofit workplace; and explore new and emerging organizational formations. Given the significant presence of nonprofits in the Washington, DC area, we will expand our learning with ecosystem mapping, ethnographic research, and reflective projects that connect classroom concepts to lived practice.