Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
This course explores different approaches to fundraising for arts organizations, including techniques for identifying and cultivating a variety of potential funders. To help you learn about important tools and strategies for raising funds, you will create your own fundraising plan for a real or imagined arts organization. As the course progresses, you will complete multiple smaller projects, which provide a framework for addressing each line item that typically appears in a contributed revenue budget for the arts.
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
You will be required to use basic functions of Microsoft Excel in this course. If you need guidance on this topic, I recommend starting with the Excel Essentials training from LinkedIn Learning. (Note: To access the training, you will need to log in with your OU 4×4 and password.)
It is assumed that you will have attended live arts programming before. If you haven't, I encourage you to identify an event to attend before or during the term to help you to contextualize your learning.
Course Materials
- Laura Frederick’s The A$K: How to Ask for Support for your Nonprofit Cause
- Use the link above to access this eBook for free through the OU Libraries website (you will need to log in using your OU 4×4 and password)
- Microsoft Excel
- Use the link above to download Microsoft Office for free through the OU IT website (you will need to log in using your OU 4×4 and password)
- Additional resources will be provided in the weekly modules in Canvas
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Discussions | Each week, you will post one original response to the prompt and reply to at least one peer. | 30% |
| Term & Concept Checks | Weekly quizzes cover content from that week's resources. Quiz question formats include multiple choice, multi-select, matching, and ordering. | 20% |
| Fundraising Plan | This will consist of weekly assignments, which lead up to a final project. | 40% |
| Attendance/Participation | You can gain credit for this either through attending the Live Sessions or through watching the recordings and providing summaries of the Live Sessions. | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Module Overviews
Module Overviews provide context for the topic at hand, preparing you for what you are about to learn. A typical Overview page includes introductory text, learning objectives that outline what you will gain throughout the module, and a checklist of what you will need to do during the week.
Live Sessions
In our Live Sessions, we will:
- Discuss how course material is relevant to work in the real world
- Analyze case studies regarding the topics of the week
- Identify important points and considerations for the module's assessments (especially the project)
- Go over Q&A
Although attendance is not required, participating in Live Sessions or watching the recordings will be essential to your success with the major project and other course elements. You can gain points for these either by attending live or by watching the recording and submitting a written summary.
Resources
Each week, you will have access to a variety of resources from blogs, textbooks, and videos. These resources will provide the foundational knowledge you need to successfully complete that week's activities and participate in the Live Session.
Term & Concept Checks
Term and Concept Checks are designed to ensure you've gained the foundational knowledge you need to successfully participate in discussion boards and complete your project work. This auto-graded quiz 1) holds you accountable for reviewing course resources and 2) helps you to gauge your progress in mastering key concepts and terms.
Project Work
You will complete 6 assignments that will be combined into a fundraising plan for a real or imagined arts organization. This gives you the chance to apply what you've learned to real-world scenarios and create your own work. It will also provide opportunities for receiving feedback from your instructor and peers. Your final project submission allows your instructor to assess your mastery of the course content, and it can be used as a part of your program portfolio.
Discussion Boards
The Discussion Boards allow you to demonstrate your ability to explain and discuss course content and applications in depth. I hope that you will add substantively to the discussion by sharing your own experiences and resources.
Takeaways
Each module will contain a takeaway graphic or text, summarizing key points you need to remember when applying this knowledge later in your work environment.
Course Policies
Communication
You may contact me for any reason at any time via email at Emily.R.Comisar-1@ou.edu. I will reply within 24 hours Monday through Friday, or within 48 hours over the weekend.
In addition to being your instructor in this course, I am also your peer in the arts management field. Likewise, in addition to being classmates, you are all also one another’s colleagues. Please address me by my first name (Emily), and let me know if you are at all uncomfortable with me doing the same. I hope that this course will be both professional and fun. All Live Sessions will be conversational and informal, creative and thought-provoking, and everyone will be encouraged to participate.
Feedback
Discussion board posts are due on Sundays, and you can expect to receive feedback and grades on your discussion board posts by the following Wednesday. For project work, you can expect feedback and grades on your project work within seven calendar days after the deadline.
Late Policy
Late work will be accepted only with prior instructor approval. As in any work setting, I understand that sometimes things come up, but when they do, I expect you to communicate with me in a timely fashion. Work completed late without prior notification or approval will receive a grade reduction of 5 percent for every 24 hours of lateness.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|