Impact: Strategic Leadership of Social Ventures and Nonprofit Organizations

Catalog description

Our primary objective in this course is to prepare and equip you to play a high-impact leadership role in the social sector, as a founder, executive, board member, and/or donor/philanthropist/impact investor. You will have the opportunity to learn from and engage with extraordinary guest speakers who are inspiring leaders and luminaries in the social sector. Cases involve a range of social ventures and nonprofits, from early stage start-ups to larger, more traditional organizations. Guest speakers and case studies span a wide range of fields in the US and internationally, including climate change, poverty, racial justice, education, health care, and performing arts. This course seeks to provide a survey of the strategic, governance, and management issues facing a wide range of social sector organizations and their executive and board leaders, in the era of impact investing, venture philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship. Students will also be introduced to core managerial issues uniquely defined by this sector such as fundraising, investment management, and performance management. The course reinforces the frameworks and concepts of strategic management introduced in the core first year courses. In addition to case discussions, the course employs role plays and study group exercises.