Previously Offered Courses

Taught by Lucy Bernholz and DCSL Postdoctoral Fellows

The Digital Civil Society Speaker Series highlights evolving perspectives at the intersection of the social sector, digital technology, and contemporary...

Taught by Lucy Bernholz, Toussaint Nothias, and DCSL Postdoctoral Fellows

The Digital Civil Society Seminar is the Lab’s flagship course for Stanford students. The class is taught and designed by...

Taught by Lucy Bernholz

This project-based course aims to bring together students from computer science and the social sciences to work with external partner...

Taught by  Rob Reich, Mehran Sahami, and Jeremy Weinstein

Teaching team: Rob Reich, Professor of Political Science and, by courtesy, Professor of Philosophy and of Education, Stanford Mehran Sahami,...

Taught by Nathaniel Persily and Luciana Herman

California recently passed SB 759, the “Every Vote Counts Act,” to codify requirements allowing voters a chance to fix their...

Taught by Paul Brest, Nathaniel Persily, Dan Ho, and Rob Reich

In recent years, social media platforms have faced public scrutiny for their practices in managing controversial content. New technologies are...

Taught by Lucy Bernholz and Divya Siddarth

Digital Security and Civil Society: Course Overview from Stanford PACS on Vimeo. This class will instruct students in the political...

How will artificial intelligence change the way you live, work and learn?   What skill sets will you need in the...

Taught by Nate Persily

This course will cover contemporary challenges to democracy presented by the Internet.  Topics will include disinformation, polarization, hate speech, media...

Taught by  Rob Reich, Mehran Sahami, and Jeremy Weinstein

Ethics, Public Policy, and Technological Change is a new undergraduate course whose aim is to explore the ethical and social...

Taught by Lucy Bernholz and Rob Reich

We participate in our communities in many ways – as neighbors, volunteers, voters, donors, members of local organizations (PTAs, churches,...

Taught by Lucy Bernholz and Rob Reich

Digital tools have changed the way we volunteer, give money, and organize for social good. This class offered through the Stanford...

Instructors: Liautaud, S.     Schedule: M 4:15 – 6:05pm at 160-124

Synopsis: The objective of the course is to explore the increasing ethical challenges in a world in which technology, global risks,...

Taught by Alexa Cortes Culwell and Jenny Shilling Stein

Taught by Alexa Cortes Culwell and Jenny Shilling Stein, both visiting practitioners at Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society,...

T, Th 3:15-4:45     Building 320, Room 107

An exploration of the theory and practice of civil societies in a comparative context. Civil societies are growing dramatically in...

M, W 11-12:30 Thornton Center 211

The theory and structure of civil society, with special attention to philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. A special feature of...

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

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates...

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

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates...

Weekend Workshop, February 1 & 8, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm; Studio 1 (d. school); 0 Credits

When individuals or organizations attempt to solve social problems by giving money, they often overlook the people at the center...

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

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates...

09/22/2014 – 12/05/2014 Fri 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen)

Appropriate for any student driven to effect positive social change from either the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Strategic Philanthropy will...

Tuesdays, 7-8:30pm, CEMEX Auditorium (Rob Reich, David Kennedy, Jim Steyer)

We live in an age of rising inequality, dazzling technological innovations, economic volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, and the accumulating impact of...

Seminar 5 units; Spring; enrollment limited to 25 (Bruce Sievers)

Do you want to participate in awarding $100,000 to deserving nonprofit groups? This course combines the theory and practice of...

Ethical and political questions in public service work, including volunteering, service learning, humanitarian assistance, and public service professions such as...

Susan Liautuad, instructor

The objective of the course is to explore the current international emphasis on organizational ethics. Students will consider in-depth complex...

Class meets Tuesday evenings in April 2014; Application deadline: March 31; Admission decisions go out by: April 4

Apply design thinking to the domains of activism and philanthropy. Learn about core design principles and explore how these principles...

Mon/Wed 3:15-5:05 pm; Studio 1, d. school; ME 293; 3-4 Units; Credit/No-Credit

When individuals or organizations attempt to solve social problems by giving money, they often overlook the people at the center...

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

This workshop is intended for graduate students doing research on the nature of civil society or philanthropy and advanced undergraduates...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

WIM eligible; seminar 5 units; Spring; Monday and Wednesday 11:00am-12:30pm; enrollment limited to 25 (Bruce Sievers)

Do you want to participate in awarding $100,000 to deserving nonprofit groups? This course combines the theory and practice of...

Undergraduate and Graduate, 4 Units, Spring 2013, Mondays and Wednesdays 4:15 PM-6:05 PM (Chiara Cordelli)

The practice of associating with others is a fundamental part of human existence. We cultivate friendships, we grow up in...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 »

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...

This ongoing, free course introduces the strategic framework that underlies any social program–whether concerned with health, education, drug abuse, or...

This course introduces the strategic framework that underlies any social program–whether concerned with health, education, drug abuse, or the environment–...

Taught by Bill Meehan

Giving away money well-i.e., achieving genuine planned impact in a measurable way–turns out to be as hard or harder than...

Taught by Bill Meehan

This course seeks to provide a survey of the strategic, governance, and management issues facing a wide range of nonprofit...

Taught by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen

Appropriate for any student driven to effect positive social change from either the for-profit or nonprofit sector, Strategic Philanthropy will...

Taught by Paul Brest and Mark Wolfson

The course will be structured around the perspective of a foundation or a high net worth individual who has decided...

Taught by Bruce Sievers

What is the basis of private action for the public good? How are charitable dollars distributed and what role do...