MPA 851: Policy, Nonprofits & Innovation

Course Description

This course examines the role of nonprofit and voluntary organizations in social policy development and service delivery. Students explore nonprofits’ essential role in social policy, understand both cooperative and contentious relationships between government and the nonprofit sector, and develop managerial knowledge and skills for leading nonprofit and voluntary organizations. In addition to nonprofits, the course introduces emerging approaches that straddle between conventional sectoral boundaries, to addressing complex social challenges, such as social enterprises and social impact bonds. By applying theoretical frameworks of nonprofit delivery, students gain hands-on experience in policy analysis, integrating a range of analytical skills.