A Major Field of Nonprofit Activity. The purpose of this assignment is to enable students to develop an in-depth understanding of a major field of nonprofit activity (e.g., arts and culture, social services, health care, K-12 education, higher education, environment, health care, animal welfare). There is considerable variation across nonprofit fields along several dimensions including how organizations are financed, the competitive landscape, and the regulatory environment. Learning more about the field relevant to their interests will enable students to be more successful in making good choices about which professional opportunities to pursue and working effectively in an organization.
The paper should include a description of 1) the scale of the sector (e.g., employment and/or revenue, number of organizations), 2) the origin of the sector and key historical turning points, 3) major services provided by organizations in the field; 4) relationship with public and for-profit organizations; 5) revenue sources and the percentage of revenue each represents), 6) external forces shaping the sector, and 7) current opportunities and challenges. A minimum of 5 text, article or web-based sources should be utilized. These can be supplemented by interviews of experts in the selected field.