OL 665 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
Not-for-profit organizations represent a significant hiring pool for new graduates in the United States. Not-for-profit organizations are identified by the absence of a monetary profit goal. Typically, the not-for-profit organization’s existence is based on a desire to provide a public benefit. Not-for-profit organizations exist across industries and are present in education, healthcare, development, and environmental agencies. Examples of not-for-profit organizations include Doctors without Borders, the American Red Cross, Teach for America, and the World Food Program.
Not-for-profit organizations require leaders who can manage them as businesses while understanding the needs of the communities they serve. For this project, you will conduct a strategic analysis of a not-for-profit organization of your choice; in so doing, you will develop the critical skills necessary for leadership and management careers within the not-for-profit business sector. To conduct your analysis, you will identify key financial considerations, explore unique public relations considerations, and consider issues of sustainability within organizations with a not-for-profit designation. This project will increase your versatility as a leader and improve your appeal as a potential employee within the not-for-profit business sector. The final product represents an authentic demonstration of competency because it asks you to critically evaluate factors that contribute to the overall success of a not-for-profit organization.
The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure the quality of your final submission. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five, and Seven. The final product will be submitted in Module Nine. Remember that you final submission will include a conclusion that summarizes the milestone work in a closing section.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
- Evaluate management strategies and organizational structures of not-for-profit organizations for their effectiveness in managing boards, volunteers, and staff
- Analyze communication strategies used by not-for-profit organizations for how they advance shared values, attitudes, and goals with all stakeholders
- Analyze resource and budgetary considerations within not-for-profit organizations for determining potential challenges to financial operations
- Analyze ethical considerations within not-for-profit entities for their impact on public image
- Evaluate how operational strengths and weaknesses of not-for-profit organizations impact their long-term sustainability
Prompt
For this project, you will choose a not-for-profit organization of your choice—it must be a 501(c)(3) organization—and develop a strategic analysis. You will report on key areas of the organization and evaluate each for its effectiveness in ensuring the long-term sustainability of the organization. Use the following question to guide your strategic analysis: To what extent is your chosen not-for-profit organization operating to ensure its continued sustainability?
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
- Introduction: Introduce your chosen organization, supplying background information relevant to communicating your strategic Consider information such as when, where, and how the organization was founded.
II. Analysis
- Leadership:
- Discuss the specific board structure present in your chosen organization, explaining the benefits of this
- Discuss the current management strategies for recruiting, utilizing, and retaining human capital, including to what extent a succession plan is in place.
- Evaluate the current leadership strategies and organizational structure for strengths and weaknesses in managing boards, volunteers, and staff.
b) Communications:
- Discuss the current communication strategies being used throughout the organization, internally and externally, for promoting the organization’s shared values.
- Discuss the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding
- Evaluate the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and
c) Finances:
- Discuss the organization’s current budgetary resources, structure, and responsibilities.
- Discuss the organization’s current fundraising campaigns, grant possibilities, and planned giving opportunities and their impact on the overall budget.
- Determine potential challenges to the financial operation of the organization based on your analysis of its overall financial management.
d) Ethics:
- Discuss the organization’s handling of budget and fundraising transparency, specifically in regards to its adherence to established codes, principles, and ethics of the industry.
- Discuss ethical considerations the organization faces related to conflict of interest, privacy, and
- Evaluate how the ethical operation of this organization has impacted its public
III. Evaluation
- Summarize the most significant strengths and weaknesses of the not-for-profit
- Evaluate the organization’s long-term sustainability under the current operational Consider how the major strengths and weaknesses of this organization factor into its sustainability.
- Conclusion: Summarize your position on the organization’s long-term sustainability, including suggestions for the organization to support future sustainability. Support each suggestion with your rationale.
Milestones
Milestone One: Organizational Profile
In Module Three, you will develop a detailed profile of the not-for-profit organization on which you will perform your strategic analysis. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Leadership and Communication
In Module Five, you will analyze the leadership strategies and communication practices of the not-for-profit organization on which you will perform your strategic analysis. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Milestone Three: Financial Management and Ethics
In Module Seven, you will analyze the financial management and ethical practices of the not-for-profit organization on which you will perform your strategic analysis. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.
Final Submission: Strategic Analysis of a Not-for-Profit Organization
In Module Nine, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. Conclude your plan by applying the knowledge you have gained over the course of the project. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Deliverables
Milestone | Deliverable | Module Due | Grading |
One | Organizational Profile | Three | Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric |
Two | Leadership and Communication | Five | Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric |
Three | Financial Management and Ethics | Seven | Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric |
Final Submission: Strategic Analysis of a
Not-for-Profit Organization |
Nine | Graded separately; Final Project Rubric |
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your strategic analysis should be 10–12 pages (not including the title page or references), double spaced with 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA formatting.
Critical Elements | Exemplary (100%) | Proficient (90%) | Needs Improvement (70%) | Not Evident (0%) | Value |
Introduction | Meets “Proficient” criteria, and introduction demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of the details that contribute to communicating the strategic
analysis |
Introduces chosen organization, supplying all necessary background information for communicating the strategic analysis |
Note: Full answer to this question is available after purchase.
|
Does not introduce chosen organization | 5 |
Leadership: Board Structure
[OL-665-01] |
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of the nuances of board types within
not-for-profit organizations |
Discusses the specific board structure present in chosen organization, explaining the benefits of this structure | Discusses the specific board structure present in chosen organization, but discussion is cursory, contains inaccuracies, or
does not explain benefits |
Does not discuss the specific board structure present in chosen organization | 6 |
Leadership: Management Strategies [OL-665-01] | Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a complex grasp of personnel management strategies | Discusses the current management strategies for recruiting, utilizing, and retaining human capital, including to what extent a succession plan is in place | Discusses the current management strategies for recruiting, utilizing, and retaining human capital, including to what extent a succession plan is in
place, but discussion is cursory or contains inaccuracies |
Does not discuss the current management strategies for recruiting, utilizing, and retaining human capital | 6 |
Leadership: Leadership Strategies
[OL-665-01] |
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation demonstrates nuanced understanding of how leadership strategies and organizational structure influence managing boards,
volunteers, and staff |
Evaluates the current leadership strategies and organizational structure for strengths and weaknesses in managing boards, volunteers, and staff | Evaluates the current leadership strategies and organizational structure but evaluation is cursory or contains inaccuracies | Does not evaluate the current leadership strategies and organizational structure | 6 |
Communications: Communication Strategies
[OL-665-02] |
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a sophisticated grasp of communication strategies used to promote shared values | Discusses the current communication strategies being used throughout the organization, internally and externally, for promoting the organization’s shared values | Discusses the current communication strategies being used throughout the organization, internally and externally, for promoting the organization’s shared values, but discussion is
cursory or contains inaccuracies |
Does not discuss the current communication strategies being used throughout the organization | 6 |
Communications: Public Relations
[OL-665-02] |
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and description demonstrates nuanced understanding of the organization’s public relations strategies and branding
techniques |
Discusses the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding techniques | Discusses the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding techniques, but discussion is cursory or contains inaccuracies | Does not discuss the organization’s public relations strategies and specific branding techniques | 6 |
Communications: Advancing the Goals [OL-665-02] | Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation demonstrates nuanced understanding of how communication strategies can support advancing the goals of the organization | Evaluates the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and externally | Evaluates the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and externally, but evaluation is cursory or contains
inaccuracies |
Does not evaluate the current communication strategies for opportunities for advancing the goals of the organization both internally and externally | 6 |
Finances: Budgetary Resources, Structure, and Responsibilities [OL-665-03] | Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates nuanced understanding of budgetary resources, structure,
and responsibilities |
Discusses the organization’s current budgetary resources, structure, and responsibilities | Discusses the organization’s current budgetary resources, structure, and responsibilities, but discussion is cursory or includes
inaccuracies |
Does not discuss the organization’s current budgetary resources, structure, and responsibilities | 6 |
Finances: Fundraising Campaigns, Grant Possibilities, and Planned Giving Opportunities
[OL-665-03] |
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of the impact of fundraising on the organization’s budget | Discusses the organization’s current fundraising campaigns, grant possibilities, and planned giving opportunities and their impact on the overall budget | Discusses the organization’s current fundraising campaigns, grant possibilities, and planned giving opportunities and their impact on the overall budget, but discussion is cursory or includes
inaccuracies |
Does not discuss the organization’s current fundraising campaigns, grant possibilities, and planned giving opportunities and their impact on the overall budget | 6 |
Finances: Financial Management [OL-665-03] | Meets “Proficient” criteria, and determination demonstrates a nuanced understanding of financial management and fiduciary responsibilities | Determines potential challenges to the financial operation of the organization based on the analysis of its overall financial management | Determines potential challenges to the financial operation of the organization based on the analysis of its overall financial management
, but determinations are is cursory or illogical |
Does not determine potential challenges to the financial operation of the organization based on the analysis of its overall financial management | 6 |
Ethics: Budget and Fundraising Transparency [OL-665-04] | Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of transparency and industry-wide ethical standards | Discusses the organization’s handling of budget and fundraising transparency, specifically in regards to adherence to established codes, principles, and ethics of the industry | Discusses the organization’s handling of budget and fundraising transparency, specifically in regards to adherence to established codes, principles, and ethics of the industry, but discussion is cursory or includes
inaccuracies |
Does not discuss the organization’s handling of budget and fundraising transparency, specifically in regards to adherence to established codes, principles, and ethics of the industry | 6 |
Ethics: Ethical Considerations [OL-665-04] | Meets “Proficient” criteria, and discussion demonstrates a sophisticated awareness of ethical considerations related
to a not-for-profit organization |
Discusses ethical considerations the organization faces related to conflict of interest, privacy, and
compensation |
Discusses ethical considerations the organization faces related to conflict of interest, privacy, and compensation, but discussion is
cursory or overlooks key concerns |
Does not discuss additional ethical considerations related to conflict of interest, privacy, and compensation | 6 |
Ethics: Public Image
[OL-665-04] |
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and evaluation demonstrates nuanced understanding of
ethical considerations |
Evaluates how the ethical operation of the organization has impacted its public image | Evaluates how the ethical operation of the organization has impacted its public image, but
evaluation is cursory |
Does not evaluate how the ethical operation of the organization has impacted its
public image |
6 |
Evaluation: Strengths and Weaknesses
[OL-665-05] |
Meets “Proficient” criteria, and summary demonstrates sophisticated grasp of the factors that become strengths or weaknesses within not-for-
profit organizations |
Summarizes the most significant strengths and weaknesses of this not-for- profit organization | Summarizes the most significant strengths and weaknesses of this not-for-profit organization, but summary is cursory or contains inaccuracies | Does not summarize the most significant strengths and weaknesses of this not-for- profit organization | 6 |
Read; OL 665 Module Four Journal Guidelines and Rubric
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