Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen NovoEd Lecturer in Business Strategy Philanthropy University Stanford Graduate School of Business Q1 2016 Technology and the 21st Century Nonprofit COURSE SYLLABUS "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." – Steve Jobs “Harnessing technology can dramatically increase our ability to develop scalable solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. All the technology tools we need are in our hands right now. What are we waiting for?” – Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, “Disruption for Good” Instructor: Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Contact Information: Joey Gutierrez Chief of Staff Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation [email protected] (650) 847-0046 1. COURSE DESCRIPTION Technology and the 21st Century Nonprofit will equip nonprofit managers and leaders with an understanding of the four core ways in which technology is dramatically reshaping the social sector and prime them for further developments in this space. Students who complete the course will learn tactics to capitalize on these trends through readings, discussions and videos as well as guest lectures from leaders who are successfully using technology to scale their impact. Course topics will include stakeholder outreach, harnessing new technologies for social change and managing information, data and innovation. This course will support the creation of a community of practice among its students whereby course participants can brainstorm and iterate on how to apply course learnings to meet their specific organizational objectives. 2. COURSE STRUCTURE The class will combine lectures, case studies, guest speakers and group work. Case studies will be taken from the case portfolio that Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen created for the Stanford GSB. The protagonists in each case study and other leaders from technology, business and the social sector will be featured as guest speakers to share their personal stories and innovative approaches directly with students. Students will complete the assigned readings and receive framing from the instructor before engaging in group discussions with other course participants. These discussions are a core part of the course experience and thus, students will be given instructor-designed agendas to help facilitate conversation and draw upon key course themes. The final project will be an implementation plan mapping out how to apply the lessons learned from this course’s content to each student’s respective organization. Each week consists of approximately one hour of videos as well as two to three hours spent reading, working on deliverables and in discussion with other learners. The students will be evaluated on their participation in team-based discussions, a mid-term assignment and a final, peer-evaluated implementation plan. 3. ASSIGNMENTS Grading: All assignments will receive peer evaluations using the following criteria: 1. Clarity and Comprehensiveness of Analysis. Do the assignments provide strong, well- reasoned analysis and unique insight? Are all of the required components covered? 2. Creativity. Do the assignments provide a new approach to using technology in the organization? Do the assignments go beyond baseline analysis? 3. Thoroughness of Background Research and Analysis. Do the assignments present a broad spectrum of background work or do they rely upon limited or predictable sources? 2 Arrillaga-Andreessen Technology and the 21st Century Nonprofit Philanthropy University 4. Structural Design and Professionalism. Do the assignments clearly and professionally communicate your ideas? Is the assignment quality comparable to what a professional consultant might present to an Executive Director or board? Assignment 1: Technology to Reduce Costs Prompt: In what ways can technology be used to reduce the total costs of operating the student’s nonprofit? Think about how it could create efficiencies, lower fundraising expenses, build revenue generation and/or allow the nonprofit to reach existing and new donors, as well as beneficiaries, in a more cost-effective way. Objective: Technology’s ability to increase access and lower barriers has created a world in which nonprofits can accomplish the same goals cheaper and easier than several years ago. While most nonprofits are interested in cutting costs, many do not have the expertise to harness technology to do so. With the newfound knowledge from this course students can find easy and essential cost- saving methods for their nonprofit to implement today. Requirements: The assignment must enumerate at least three ways the student’s nonprofit can use technology to reduce its total operating costs. For each cost-saving strategy, the student must describe the current system and why it is inefficient, the proposed technological solution, the estimated cost- savings and a plan to measure the full impact of the strategy on the nonprofit. Assignments will be peer-graded and will provide an opportunity to share ideas across the class. When peer-grading, reviewers should evaluate their classmates’ proposed strategies as well as provide two or three additional ideas for how to deploy technology to reduce the operating costs at their peers’ nonprofits. Assignment 2: Technology Implementation Plan Prompt: Students will create an implementation plan mapping out how to apply the lessons learned from the course to each student’s respective nonprofit. Objective: Technology is an underutilized and often misunderstood tool, yet today’s nonprofits must use it to maximize their social impact. Students of Technology and the 21st Century Nonprofit should leave the class with clear goals and a practical, implementable plan to increase their impact by using technology. Requirements: Students will select three of the four course themes—Access to Information, Access to Networks, Lower Barriers to Entry and Lower Barriers to Innovation—and create a detailed plan 3 Arrillaga-Andreessen Technology and the 21st Century Nonprofit Philanthropy University for how their nonprofit will apply learning from each category to increase organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Each strategy must include why the nonprofit should undertake the plan, what success would specifically look like (in the short-, intermediate- and long-term), clear and concrete steps to implementation (including a timeline, if necessary) and how to measure whether or not the implementation achieved its goals (how will the nonprofit know if it is successful or not?). 4. COURSE SCHEDULE Week 1 Course Introduction and Framing What does rapidly changing technology mean for the social sector? Guest Speaker: Lucy Bernholz, Visiting Scholar, Stanford PACS. Required Reading: Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, “Disruption for Good,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Spring 2015. “Introduction” and “Insight” from Lucy Bernholz, Philanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2015, Grantcraft, Stanford PACS, betterplace lab, 2015. Mary Meeker, “Internet Trends 2015,” Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, May 27, 2015. Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation website: www.laaf.org. Stanford PACS Digital Civil Society Lab website: www.digitalcivilsociety.stanford.edu. Optional Reading: Full report of Lucy Bernholz, Philanthropy and the Social Economy: Blueprint 2015 Grantcraft, Stanford PACS, betterplace lab, 2015. Lucy Bernholz, Chiara Cordelli and Rob Reich, “The Emergence of Digital Civil Society,” Project on Philanthropy, Policy, and Technology, Stanford PACS, September 2013. Discussion Questions: How is technology currently used in your respective organizations? What is the general attitude towards technology in your organization? What are the possibilities for your organization to use technology to build its infrastructure and reach more stakeholders? Week 2 Access to Information How is the increased accessibility of information reshaping our sector? 4 Arrillaga-Andreessen Technology and the 21st Century Nonprofit Philanthropy University Guest Speaker: Jacob Harold, President and CEO, GuideStar. Required Reading: Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen and Sarah Murray, “GuideStar: Data as a Tool for Nonprofit Transformation,” Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case No. SI-130. “The State of Nonprofit Transparency, 2008: Voluntary Disclosure Practices,” GuideStar, March 2009. Gabi Fitz, “A Case Study in ‘Sustainable’ Knowledge Management,” Philantopic, Foundation Center, November 11, 2014. Greg Beato, “Thriving on Failure,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Summer 2015. Online Nonprofit Information handout. Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation, October 2015. Guidestar website: www.guidestar.org. Optional Reading: William Meehan III and Davina Drabkin, “GiveWell Real Change for Your Dollar,” Stanford Graduate School of Business, Case No. SI-122. Discussion Question: How could augmenting or managing the flow of information, both within your nonprofit and externally across stakeholders, better empower you to meet your organizational objectives (accountability, transparency, marketing, development, community building, etc.)? Week 3 Access to Networks I How has technology changed how nonprofits engage with their respective stakeholders? Guest Speaker: Charles Best, Founder and CEO, DonorsChoose.org. Libby Leffler, Former Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Facebook. Beth Kanter, Trainer and Nonprofit Innovator in Networks, Learning and Social Media. Required Reading: Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen and Sarah Murray, “DonorsChoose.org: How Technology Facilitated a New Funding Model,” Stanford Graduate School of Business,