Spring Quarter 2013

EDUC 374/POLISCI 334.

Research Workshop: Philanthropy and Civil Society, 1- 3 Units, Fall-Spring (Woody Powell, Rob Reich, Johanna Mair & Paul Brest)

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates doing research or writing senior honors theses on related topics. Professor Woody Powell and visiting scholar Johanna Mair will lead discussions of recent writings that form the corpus of our scholarly knowledge of the nonprofit sector and civil society. Students will present their work, circulate drafts of chapters and proposals, and receive feedback from Powell and Mair, the teaching assistant, and fellow students. The class will be visited on occasion by other scholars and practitioners for a discussion of their work as it related to themes of the class. The course's aim is to help students to produce high quality work that will have an impact in their respective disciplines and shape the scholarly terrain of research on philanthropy and nonprofits.

International Problem-Solving Through NGOs: Policy, Players, Strategies, and Ethics

Undergraduate and Graduate, 2 Units, Spring 2013, Mondays 4:15-6:05pm (Susan Liautaud) 

The course focuses on advanced international problem-solving through the lens of international NGOs but integrating other relevant players addressing global issues. This course will explore the policy, business, strategic, political, and humanitarian/rule of law aspects of NGOs. Students will consider the major issues that international NGOs face in their effort to effect positive change in an increasingly complex global environment. Policy innovation will be part of the discussion. We will draw heavily on a series of sophisticated case studies involving a variety of NGOs, areas of specialization, and geographic regions.  The course will cover a range of topics, likely including: medical humanitarian aid; climate change; the natural resource curse (blood diamonds, minerals, etc.); issues in China; women’s issues; neglected diseases; and poverty.  Prominent NGO leaders from around the US and internationally will join the course as guests. Students will have a final project with great flexibility in form and topic on an issue of their choice (but with content and scope guidelines) but no final exam. Class attendance is mandatory.

PUBLPOL 144: Amplifying Your Impact: Philanthropy by Design 

Undergraduate, 4 Units, Spring 2013, Tuesdays 2:15-4:05pm (Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen)

Seminar and practicum. Students drive an actual $10,000 philanthropic process and design their own social change strategy. Topics: strategic planning, nonprofit assessment and site visits, innovative social change models, and leadership development. Speakers include philanthropic leaders and social entrepreneurs. Class activities: group grant assessments and selection, creative problem solving, and decision-making simulations. Individual project: Social Impact Strategic Plan. Must attend first class; limited enrollment. Recommended: PUBPOL 183. Notes: Limited enrollment. By instructor permission only. Attendance at first class session required.     

PUBPOL 155: Disruption for Good – Technology, Innovation and Philanthropy

Undergraduate, 2 Units, Spring 2013, Tuesdays 4:15-5:30pm (Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen)

A new breed of technologies and nonprofits are driving unprecedented innovation in how we create, deliver and measure social change. Innovative models and technology’s extraordinary potential to transform billions of individual lives. Topics: social network campaigns, mobile platforms and international development, apps for good, crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, creative swarms, nonprofit evaluators, and new generation corporate philanthropy. Readings: articles, blogs, studies, and websites. Guest speakers include technology, nonprofit and philanthropic leaders. Individual Project: Unusual Suspects project. Must attend first class; limited enrollment.

INTNLREL 142: Challenging the Status Quo: Social Entrepreneurs Advancing Democracy, Development and Justice

Undergraduate, 5 Units, Spring 2013, Mondays 2:15-5:05pm (Kathleen Kelly Janus)

This seminar is part of a broader program on Social Entrepreneurship at CDDRL. It will use practice to better inform theory. Working with three visiting social entrepreneurs from developing and developed country contexts students will use case studies of successful and failed social change strategies to explore relationships between social entrepreneurship, gender, democracy, development and justice. It interrogates current definitions of democracy and development and explores how they can become more inclusive of marginalized populations. This is a service learning class in which students will learn by working on projects that support the social entrepreneurs’ efforts to promote social change. Limited enrollment.

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Winter Quarter 2013

EDUC 374/POLISCI 334.

Research Workshop: Philanthropy and Civil Society, 1- 3 Units, Fall-Spring (Woody Powell, Rob Reich, & Paul Brest)

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates doing research or writing senior honors theses on related topics. Professors Woody Powell, Rob Reich, and Paul Brest will lead discussions of recent writings that form the corpus of our scholarly knowledge of the nonprofit sector and civil society. Students will present their work, circulate drafts of chapters and proposals, and receive feedback instructors, the teaching assistant, and fellow students. The class will be visited on occasion by other scholars and practitioners for a discussion of their work as it related to themes of the class. The course's aim is to help students to produce high quality work that will have an impact in their respective disciplines and shape the scholarly terrain of research on philanthropy and nonprofits.

GSBGEN 512: Funding Social Impact: Methods and Measurement.

2 Units, Winter (Paul Brest)

Traditional philanthropy consists of outright grants to organizations to achieve the grantors' social and environmental objectives. However, the past decade has seen an increasing interest in impact investments--financial investments that seek to generate monetary returns at the same time as they further the investors' social objectives. Throughout the course, we ask: how investors can (1) measure the social impact of the organizations they invest in, and (2) assess whether their own loans or capital contributions actually make a difference in increasing the organizations' impact. We begin by reviewing the domains from which impact investing draws: grantmaking to maximize social impact and financial investing to maximize financial return. We then consider examples of impact investing, ranging from below-market equity investments and loans, to investments intended to create social value while achieving risk-adjusted market returns or better. We consider the role of impact investing at various stages, from R&D to start-ups to growing and mature enterprises. We explore these issues through case studies of impact investing both in the U.S. and developing countries. We examine how investors can identify and assess impact investments, the information, knowledge and skills needed to make impact investments, and the role of fund managers and advisors. We also consider novel impact investing vehicles, such as social impact bonds and B-corporations. Time permitting, we will also touch on the related issue of using negative screens for socially responsible investing.

Fall Quarter 2012

PUBLPOL 183: Philanthropy and Social Innovation

Undergraduate, 4 Units, Fall 2012, Thursdays 3:15-5:05pm (Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen)

Philanthropic innovation, action and social transformation in the 21st century. Topics: individual giving; philanthropic landscape and models; foundation mission and infrastructure; philanthropic strategy and grantmaking; accountability and knowledge management; global, venture and corporate philanthropy; public policy and advocacy. Readings: business school cases and industry articles. Guest speakers include individual donors and foundation presidents. Class activities: case discussions, role-plays, breakouts, and debates. Individual project: $10 million Foundation Business Plan. Must attend first class; limited enrollment. Notes: Meets GER Disciplinary Breadth: Social Science. Limited enrollment. By instructor permission only. Attendance at first class session required. 

GG381: Strategic Philanthropy.

Graduate, 4 Units, Fall 2012, Fridays 10:00-1:00pm (Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen)

This is one of the first academic courses to present philanthropy from a strategic field-based perspective. Effectively participating in the social sector mandates a firm grounding in the ever-evolving principles, practices, and models unique to philanthropic stewardship, strategy, and grantmaking. This course will provide an overview of the key operational and strategic distinctions between traditional philanthropic entities, such as community foundations, private foundations and corporate foundations and contemporary models, including funding intermediaries and venture philanthropy partnerships. Students will examine the translation of philanthropic vision and capital into social innovation and action by applying strategic decision-making models as frameworks. Students will analyze foundation mission, operating principles, and infrastructure, while learning about financial management, grantmaking, evaluation, and knowledge management. Additional topics include giving, donor intent, policy change, global social investing, venture philanthropy, and corporate philanthropy. Course work will include readings and case discussions, as well as role-plays and in-class debates. The primary individual project will entail creating a business plan for a $10 million foundation. Every business plan will also include an organizational assessment of a locally-based and service providing nonprofit. Each student also will create a short Philanthropic Passion video presentation.

Election 2012

Undergraduate/Graduate, 1 Unit, Fall 2012, Tuesdays 7:00-8:30pm

Co-taught by Rob Reich (Political Science), Pulitzer-Prize winning historian David Kennedy (History) and Jim Steyer, CEO Commonsense Media (and Stanford lecturer).

Follow the course on iTunes U:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/course/election-2012/id565286438

This course will focus on the fall election in November 2012. Class meets once per week, on Tuesday evenings 7:00 - 8:30pm, with serial examinations of major topics at stake in the election: foreign policy, the economy, the Supreme Court, and campaign strategy. We will also devote one session to California.

Distinguished guests will participate in sessions moderated by the instructors, with participation by students. Among the confirmed guests to date:

John Hennessy, President of Stanford University
Steve Schmidt, Campaign Manager for John McCain 2008
Mike McCurry, Press Secretary for President Bill Clinton
John Taylor, Professor of Economics, Stanford University

The course is designed for the entire Stanford community: jointly offered for undergraduate and graduate students (through listings in Political Science and History) and for community members through the Continuing Studies Program. For students, the course is available for 1 credit. Enrollment for the class is capped.  You can begin to enroll in the class on Axess on August 1, 2012.

EDUC 374/POLISCI 334.

Research Workshop: Philanthropy and Civil Society, 1- 3 Units, Fall-Spring (Woody Powell, Rob Reich, Johanna Mair & Paul Brest)

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates doing research or writing senior honors theses on related topics. Professor Woody Powell and visiting scholar Johanna Mair will lead discussions of recent writings that form the corpus of our scholarly knowledge of the nonprofit sector and civil society. Students will present their work, circulate drafts of chapters and proposals, and receive feedback from Powell and Mair, the teaching assistant, and fellow students. The class will be visited on occasion by other scholars and practitioners for a discussion of their work as it related to themes of the class. The course's aim is to help students to produce high quality work that will have an impact in their respective disciplines and shape the scholarly terrain of research on philanthropy and nonprofits.

Spring Quarter 2012

POLISCI 236 / ETHICSOC 232T: Theories of Civil Society, Philanthropy, and the Nonprofit Sector

5 Units, Spring Quarter M/W 11:00am-12:30pm (Bruce Sievers)

What would YOU do with $100,000? Be involved in real philanthropic decision-making, with actual dollars. Course Description: What is the basis of private action for the public good? How are charitable dollars distributed and what role do nonprofit organizations and philanthropic dollars play in a modern democracy? How do nongovernmental organizations operate domestically and globally? The historical development and modern structure of civil society emphasizing philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. Readings in political philosophy, political sociology, and public policy.

INTNLREL 142: Challenging the Status Quo: Social Entrepreneurs Advancing Democracy, Development and Justice

5 Units, Spring 2012, Wednesdays, 2:15-5:05pm (Ramdas, Stoner-Weiss)
Co-Instructors:
Kavita Ramdas, Executive Director of the Program on Social Entrepreneurship at CDDRL, and former President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women
Kathryn Stoner-­Weiss, Deputy Director, CDDRL and Senior Fellow, FSI. Download the flyer »

EDUC 374 / POLISCI 334: Research Workshop: Philanthropy and Civil Society

1- 3 Units, Fall-Spring (Woody Powell & Rob Reich)
Workshop Dates: 9/28, 10/5, 10/19, 11/2, 11/9, 11/30

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates doing research or writing senior honors theses on related topics. Professor Woody Powell and visiting scholar Johanna Mair will lead discussions of recent writings that form the corpus of our scholarly knowledge of the nonprofit sector and civil society. Students will present their work, circulate drafts of chapters and proposals, and receive feedback from Powell and Mair, the teaching assistant, and fellow students. The class will be visited on occasion by other scholars and practitioners for a discussion of their work as it related to themes of the class. The course's aim is to help students to produce high quality work that will have an impact in their respective disciplines and shape the scholarly terrain of research on philanthropy and nonprofits.

Winter Quarter 2012

EDUC 377/GSB 346. Comparing Institutional Forms: Public, Private, and Nonprofit Forms of Organizing

4 Units, Winter (Woody Powell)

For students interested in the nonprofit sector, those in the joint Business and Education program, and for Public Policy MA students. The focus is on the missions, functions, and capabilites of nonprofit, public, and private organizations, and the managerial challenges inherent in the differnt sectors. Focus is on sectors with significant competition among institutional forms, including health care, social services, the arts, and education. Sources include scholarly articles, cases, and historical materials.

POLISCI 137R. Justice at Home and Abroad: Civil Rights in the 21st Century

Undergraduate, 5 Units, Winter 2013 (Rob Reich)

Justice, the philosopher John Rawls believed, is the first virtue of social institutions. But justice is difficult to define and still more difficult to achieve. In this class, we will consider how three core ideals animate most theories of justice: freedom, equality, and security. The U.S. Constitution spells out the legal framework for the operation of these ideals. Civil rights legislation and litigation are a primary arena in which tensions among the ideals emerge and play out. With 9/11 and the war on terror as our backdrop, this class will examine the idea of justice at home and abroad, focusing on civil liberties as the arena of our concern. This class is especially useful for students thinking about law school, but it is designed for any student interested in the topics.