COURSE NUMBER: MBA
292F.11
COURSE TITLE: Strategic
Financial Management of Nonprofit Organizations
UNITS OF CREDIT: 1
Unit
INSTRUCTOR: Brent
Copen
E-MAIL ADDRESS: bcopen@berkeley.edu
Please note the unorthodox format of this
course, which meets all day on two Sundays. You must attend both sessions in
their entirety in order to earn a passing grade.
PREREQUISITE(S): A
course in finance or finance experience is required. If you have a question,
please check with the instructor.
CLASS FORMAT: This one unit course will employ a seminar format combining
lecture, discussion, group and individual exercises, and case studies. Students
should be prepared to actively join in class discussion and to bring to class
their own issues and experience in nonprofit management. Students should also
bring a pocket calculator to class.
REQUIRED READINGS: Course
Reader
BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: The
final grade will be based on class participation and either a final exam or a
final project.
CAREER FIELD: Nonprofit Leadership
ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S
CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:
In order to be an effective leader in the nonprofit field, one must be able to
analyze and act upon financial information as part of an overall approach to
strategic decision making. This course will focus on the financial management
issues faced by board members and by senior and executive managers in nonprofit
organizations.
Students will learn the
tools and techniques for effective financial management, including pricing,
program analyses, budgeting and overall business model sustainability. The
course will address current regulations and issues that impact nonprofit financial
management. The use and development of internal and external financial reports
will be studied with an emphasis on using financial information in
decision-making. Tools and techniques of financial statement analysis,
interpretation and presentation will be discussed and practiced.
The course is designed to
develop the core financial management skills needed by board members and senior
managers in large and small organizations. These include the practice of
critical and analytical thinking, the ability to synthesize and plan, the
knowledge of how to evaluate and respond quickly, and the skills to communicate
effectively. We will address the real challenges, opportunities, and problems
of financial management in nonprofit organizations.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:
Brent Copen is dedicated to
strengthening the sector by helping nonprofits develop more robust financial
management practices. He has presented hundreds of workshops and
training nationally to CEO’s, board members, funders and emerging leaders; and
has consulted extensively to a wide variety of nonprofits across
sub-sectors. Copen currently holds four graduate level teaching
positions at U.C. Berkeley. He co-authored The Nonprofit
Business Plan, a practical guide to help nonprofit leaders establish a
sustainable, results-driven business plan. Copen is currently the
Chief Financial Officer at Tiburcio Vasquez
Health Center.
He received a Master in Public Administration degree from Columbia
University’s School of International and Public Affairs.