WEALTH AND EXCHANGE.

Catalog description

This course provides students with an introduction to the principles of financial management in the setting of a philanthropic organization. The focus is on the primary financial topics of capital budgeting, capital structure, and working capital management which have been modified to consider the philanthropy setting. The study of capital budgeting examines how modifications to traditional NPV analysis can be implemented and justified in a setting without corporate income taxes. The study of capital structure examines how the traditional choice between debt and equity is replaced with a choice between fundraising or debt issuance. Debt issuance is further explored through an analysis of the characteristics of muni bond markets and how muni markets differ from corporate bond markets. The study of liquidity management and financial analysis focuses on those measures that are most useful and available for studying the financial condition of philanthropic organizations. Throughout the course, a focus is put on applied analysis using excel spreadsheets and incorporating real world data drawn from the financial statements, bond quotes, and regulatory filings of local philanthropic institutions. Prerequisite: This course is open only to non-finance majors, 30 credit hours.