International Philanthropy & Nonprofits Unit

In a growingly interconnected and globalized world, it is important to incorporate an international and global scope into the classroom study of philanthropy and nonprofits. This is especially important for students in U.S. based classrooms given the extent of international giving ($23 billion annually), the significant ties of domestic nonprofits with global actors, and the history of government relations and foreign aid around the globe (Giving USA, 2018). This international sector of the philanthropic and nonprofit field plays a significant role in the operations of foundations, nonprofits, governments, and community organizations both domestically and globally. Preparing students to understand the processes, paradigms, actors, and history of international philanthropy and nonprofits is an important educational task. This eight-session unit is designed to meet this need by incorporating an explicit focus on international philanthropy and nonprofits into an introductory nonprofits course. It is expected that students in the course would have previously been exposed to key ideas of what constitutes a nonprofit and the role of these organizations and philanthropy more broadly in society. While an entire course could be taught on international philanthropy and nonprofits, since this is a single unit within a larger course, it is designed to offer an introduction to the topic for students. In preparing this unit, I began with reflections on an effective design approach to use (you can read more on my design approach here). I then considered my own pedagogical philosophies that are central to my teaching practices and how these philosophies would inform the design of this unit. I then considered the teaching practices I aim to incorporate into my classrooms and how these practices align with and support my philosophies and student learning. With this theoretical foundation in place, I have designed a unit on international philanthropy and nonprofits that aims to promote critical thinking, expand student perceptions, and expose students to the diversity of perspectives in the field.

Lesson 1: Introduction to Global Inequality

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to define different aspects of global inequality.
Students will be able to distinguish between different terminology often employed in the international philanthropy and nonprofit fields and explain the implications of different terms.
Students will begin to recognize and explain multiple paradigms of philanthropy and nonprofits.
Students will begin to critically interpret narratives and the implications of those narratives.

Class Prep:

Students should read the following to inform discussions:

“Global Philanthropy and Inequality” LINK
“Defining Global Philanthropy” LINK
“International Philanthropy” LINK

Lesson Plan and Learning Activities:

Warm Up: True or False? Global Inequality (10 minutes)

Adapted from: World’s Largest Lesson. (2016). “The World is not Equal. Is that Fair?” UNICEF. http://cdn.worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/2016/05/The-World-Is-Not-Equal.-Is-That-Fair.pdf

The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to different forms of inequality on a global scale. Instruct students to bring an electronic device to class (phone, tablet, computer). Note, you may also conduct this activity in paper format if access to technology will be a hindrance to student participation.

Access the online Quiz here: https://quizizz.com/admin/quiz/5cacdf034e532f001a862552
Have students join the live quiz for participation.
Instruct students that they will be answering a series of true/false statements about various forms of inequality.
Have students respond to each answer and make a note of the distribution of answers. At this point, do not share the correct responses with students.
Once you have gone through the whole quiz, display the class responses to each question.
Let students know that each of the statements is actually true. Solicit their responses.
Emphasize that inequality and inequity have many forms and have significant impacts on the well-being of individuals and communities domestically and abroad. As we discuss international philanthropy and nonprofits, we should keep in mind the reality of inequality at all times. As we go through the unit, we will explore the roots of these inequalities, different paradigms for understanding their existence, the ways inequality is being addressed, and the implications of various approaches.

Where do you stand? Exploring the gap between the rich and the poor (10 minutes)

Adapted from: Oxfam Education GB, (ND) “Global Poverty Learning Day” https://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/global-poverty-learning-day

The purpose of this activity is for students to further explore the gap between the rich and the poor on a global scale. They will consider the implications of this gap and the disparity of resource access and related inequity.

Distribute the Name Cards to students and explain that they have a different occupation and wage outlined on their cards.
Students should imagine the classroom as a scale with one end representing the world’s poorest people and the other representing the world’s richest people.
Students should review their cards and then work collectively to arrange themselves according to their cards on the designated scale.
Once students have sorted themselves accordingly, solicit a few students to share why they are positioned where they are. Then ask each student to read their occupation and salary, from poorest to richest.
Now, ask students to imagine the classroom represents a different scale. This time with one end representing a high quality of life (opportunities, well-being, etc.) and the other representing low quality of life. Ask students to arrange themselves on this scale as they would imagine for their name card. Once arranged, solicit feedback on where students and positioned and why.
- A key learning point here is for students to recognize that we can conceptualize poverty in multiple means, not just by income. Students should consider the distinctions between well-being and wealth and how this might connect to philanthropy and programs.
Lastly, outline the true distance that would exist between the different name cards. While students may be relatively close to each other in the classroom if we were to line up proportionately to income differences the spaces between people would be much larger. Consider showing Table 1 to illustrate.

Debrief Questions:

What does this activity show us about the gap between the rich and the poor?
What might be some of the social implications of this gap?
Share some facts:
- The total earnings of the richest 25 hedge fund managers could have paid for 30 hospitals, employed more than 300,000 nurses for a year or vaccinated every child in poverty from five preventable diseases (£8.3 billion, or an average £331 million each).
- Two bankers can earn more in a year than Malawi spends on its entire health system.

Interrogating Terminology:Gallery Walk (30 minutes)

The purpose of this activity is for students to explore common terms employed in international philanthropy and nonprofit work and to interrogate the connotations and assumptions related to those terms. Students will learn the significance of language use and its implications and begin to explore the concepts of dominant narratives and their impacts on worldviews.

Display chart paper should be placed around the classroom. Each chart should contain two words or images that represent two different conceptualizations of an idea related to international development (for example charity vs. philanthropy, third world vs. global south, photos, etc.).
See Appendix B for examples.
Students should each be given enough post-it notes for the number of chart papers in the room.
Instruct students to walk around the room and write down (or draw) the connotations they (or others) might association with each word or photo and place it in the proper area of the chart. Students should do this for each of the charts in the room.
Once students have placed their post-its around the room, divide up the students into equal groups and assign each group to a specific chart. Keep in mind best practices in group assignments to promote inclusivity in the classroom. (See this guide from CIRTLfor suggestions).
Instruct students to work with their small groups to read the post-its and to organize them conceptually on the chart.
Each small group should summarize for the whole class the key ideas they see reflected in their chart and the implications of the difference between the two terms/photos/ideas.

Homework (due today):

Students should complete the Associations worksheet (Appendix C) prior to class and turn in. The instructor should review this worksheet to determine current knowledge and misconceptions. This will be returned to students as part of the next class sessions activity.

Lesson 2: Landscape of the Field: Historical Context & Major Players

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to explain the legacy and historical context of international philanthropy and nonprofits.
Students will be able to outline the institutions involved in international philanthropy
and nonprofits.

Class Prep:

Read: Gollihu, K. (2016) “The History of Global Charitable Giving: Why we need to remember” which outlines the purpose and context of the History of Giving Website. LINK

Historyofgiving.org: Each student will be assigned one time period from History of Giving. They should read and take notes in detail on their section using the History Notes document (Appendix D).Students will work with peers assigned to the same section. As a small group, they will consolidate the information they learned and teach the material to their peers.

Lesson Plan and Learning Activities:

Small Group Work (25 minutes)

Students should gather in small groups with other students who were assigned the same history section.
Students should compare notes and collectively determine the important elements of their section. They should plan a means of sharing this information with their peers. They should include information for each of the key categories on the History Notes Sheet. Encourage students to be creative with how they present the material.

Small Group Presentations (3-5 minutes each)

Each group will teach the material to their peers.
As students present, the instructor should create a Mind Map outlining the main players and thoughts students are discussing. See Appendix E for an example.
Creating this Mind Map should outline the different elements and actors related to international philanthropy. This will also serve as a means of scaffolding for the students who will be tasked with creating their own mind map next section.

Bringing it together (5-10 minutes)

Overview for students the Mind Map you have created and highlight main takeaways.
Outline your thought process as well.
- Note that they will be making a similar graphic representation of ideas in the next class.

Lesson 3: Program Assumptions & Implications

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to critically interpret narratives and be able to explain the implicit and explicit arguments and the implications of those arguments.
Students will be able to understand global development from the perspectives of a programs intended recipient and how this relates to other stakeholder perspectives.
Students will be able to illustrate the impact of institutions and systems on global communities.
Students will be able to define different aspects of global inequality.

Class Prep:

Students should all watch Poverty, INC. prior to class. They should come to class with updated versions of the Assumption worksheet they submitted during the first class session. These updates should be made in a different color to note the change.
Submit Viewing Notes to Dropbox before class. Keeping detailed notes of what you learned, things that surprised you, or things you would like to know more about.

Lesson Plan and Learning Activities:

Small Group Work: Prior to class, the instructor should plan to form students in groups of roughly 5 with attention to group dynamics that support inclusion. These groups will form the basis of today's session. When students arrive have them sit with their small groups.

Post Viewing Roundup: (10 Minutes)

Students should watch Poverty Inc. before arriving to class. Participation in this activity can be reinforced by having students turn in Viewing Notes and an updated Assumptions worksheet they completed for the first day of the unit. Instruct students that this will impact their grade as it is important for all students to be prepared to engage with their small groups.

Have students discuss the following prompts in their small groups. After they’ve had a few minutes to debrief as a group, as for some students to share out their discussion with the class as a whole. The goal is to get students thinking about the film and what they learned.
Sample Prompts:
- What were your reactions to the argument of Poverty, INC.?
- In your own words, what are the main takeaways of the film?
- How did the associations you had on your sheet change after viewing the film?
- Has your conceptualization of poverty changed?

Mind Maps: Introduce the Concept (10 minutes)

Explain to the students that they will be working in small groups to develop Mind Maps outlining the systems and impacts they learned about in the film as it relates to global poverty. Explain to students the purpose of Mind Maps and how they are created.

Show this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Y4pIsXTV0

Small Group Mind Map Creation: (30 minutes)

Instruct students that they will create a Mind Map as a group. Encourage them to use https://www.mindmeister.comto create the maps electronically. This will allow students to work remotely on the maps at a later time if needed.
Provide each group with the “Mind Map Exercise” sheet (Appendix E) which outlines the elements of a Mind Map (from imindmap.com).
Instruct Students to brainstorm first the different actors, branches, and elements they might include in a Mind Map. They can sketch out ideas on provided paper.
Students should work in small groups to complete the Mind Maps.
Students should conduct a Gallery Walk in the last 5 minutes to view other maps.

Lesson 4: Power and Privilege in Philanthropy

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to recognize and explain multiple paradigms of philanthropy and nonprofit programs.
Students will be able to critically analyze and articulate the role of power and privilege in philanthropy.
Students will be able to understand global development from the perspectives of a programs intended recipient and how this relates to other stakeholder perspectives.

Class Prep:

Students should read the following material before class. They should come to class with 2 discussion questions that either focus on one specific reading or look at themes across the readings. They should also identify one quote from the text that sums up the main theme or argument of that text. This prep work will be used to structure the class discussion.

Joyaux, S., (2004). “Philanthropy: Its Many Faces of Power” Plenary AFP Mid America Conference: LINK
Preface, Forward, and Introduction in edited by Incite! Women of Color Against Violence. (2007). The revolution will not be funded: beyond the non-profit industrial complex.
Forward and Introduction in Villanueva, E. (2018). Decolonizing wealth: indigenous wisdom to heal divides and restore balance.
Discussion with Anand Giridharadas and Edgar Villanueva: LINK

Learning Activities: (50 minutes)

Have each student write their questions on individual sticky notes and place them on the whiteboard or a central location.
The instructor can write categories that you expect questions will fall under on the board before class and have students place their questions in that category or add a new category if theirs is not represented.
The instructor should take a moment to organize questions once they are on the board and then select questions in an order that will build the discussion.
Depending on student engagement in the discussion you can consider utilizing a Think-Pair-Share framework. In this method students will first think or write out quickly thoughts on the question, then they will discuss with a partner next to them, then they will share out and move the discussion to the full group. This can be a nice way to give students who are hesitant about large group discussion a chance to think through their answers first.
You may also ask for the student who wrote the question to identify themselves and proctor the discussion of that question.
The goal with the class session is to engage the students in considering how power and privilege have impacted the paradigm of philanthropy and to be exposed to radical ways of redistributing power.

Lesson 5: Stakeholders, Perspectives & Power

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to identify stakeholders and analyze their role in development.
Students will be able to critically interpret narratives and be able to explain the implicit and explicit arguments and the implications of those arguments.
Students will be able to understand global development from the perspectives of a programs intended recipient and how this relates to other stakeholder perspectives.

Class Prep:

Students should read: World Health Organization “Stakeholder Analysis ToolKit”

Learning Activities:

Group Quiz (10 minutes)

Begin the class by a group quiz to check reading comprehension. Sort students into small groups and let them know they can reference the reading material as needed. Ask students a series of factual information and keep score. Consider increasing participation by offering a reward for the group that answers the most questions correct the fastest (candy, etc.).

Warm Up Discussion (5 minutes)

Once the class has shown mastery over the basic elements of a Stakeholder Analysis have students gather in small groups. Prompt the students to discuss the perspective of the toolkit they read. The goal in this discussion is to have students consider the fact that the methods and ways that a Stakeholder Analysis is discussed and planned are part of the larger systems discussed in the unit. Importantly students should always be interrogating the assumptions of a reading, and the possible impacts assumptions and power has on communities. Students should discuss what it means to be using a World Health Organization report. Note that part of the lesson is to understand stakeholder analysis, but another part is for students to learn how to interpret the meaning and experience the process utilized by large international philanthropy and nonprofit institutions (such as the WHO).

Stakeholder Mapping (5 minutes)

Review for students a Stakeholder Relationship Map and a Stakeholder Interest & Power Matrix. They will need to know how to complete these for the class activity.

Conducting a Stakeholder Analysis (30 minutes)Students should have each completed a review of an International Organization for homework. Have students share a bit about their organization and for each group to select one organization to dive into deeper.

Step 1: Students should work collectively to identify all of the stakeholders associated with their chose project. This may involve some internet research. Each group should complete a full list of stakeholders.
Step 2: Students should complete an abridged version of the Stakeholder Table outlined in their reading. See Appendix Ffor an example.
Step 3: Students should complete a Stakeholder Relationship Map using large paper and markers. They should distinguish the levels of relationships between groups.
- Highlight that students may not have all the answers at this point as a full Stakeholder Analysis is often an extended and involved process. They should do their best, however, to deduce at this point as the goal is more to practice than draw true conclusions.
Step 4: Each group will share their stakeholder table and relationship map with the class and comparisons between approach and assumptions can be made.

Homework:

Each student should complete an Interest and Power Matrix for the organization that their group chose in the class session. They should map the stakeholders in the Matrix as discussed in class. They should submit a short rationale for why they chose to place key stakeholders in different areas of the Matrix.

Lesson 6: Theories of Change & Programming

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to understand global development from the perspectives of a programs intended recipient and how this relates to other stakeholder perspectives.
Students will be able to outline competing theories of global inequity.
Students will be able to critically analyze and articulate the role of power and privilege in philanthropy.
Students will be able to critically interpret narratives and be able to explain the implicit and explicit arguments and the implications of those arguments.
Students will be able to illustrate the impact of institutions and systems on global communities.

Learning Activities:

In this session, students will follow an amended version of the Good Fortune Lesson Plan developed through the PBS Point of View program (http://archive.pov.org/goodfortune/lesson-plan/). Lesson Outline: From PBS Point of View

Students will analyze a video case study of a development project in Kenya and evaluate:

whether it will succeed in improving the living conditions of members of the local community.
Compile a list of factors that experts believe are essential to successful international development initiatives.
Profile an international development project that demonstrates the success factors identified by the experts studied in class.

1. Begin by explaining that over the past 50 years, the West has sent more than $2 trillion in aid to help alleviate poverty in Africa. Despite this, the continent continues to be plagued by poverty and instability. Today we will examine different approaches to international aid and development and begin to identify the most effective approaches and problematic errors.

2. Distribute the Viewing Guide (Appendix G) and show both video clips from the film “Good Fortune”. Students should respond to the viewing guide as they watch

Clip 1: “Goals of Dominion Farms” (length 4:50) 14:26-19:16
Clip 2: “We Will Fight It Until the End” (length 9:33) 28:00-37:33

3. After viewing, students should flip their Viewing Guide over and respond in writing to the question, “Do you think Dominion Farms will succeed in improving the living conditions of members of the local community?”. Students should explain why/why not.

4. Evaluating Responses and Argument: Divide students into 5 groups. Assign each group an interview to read outlining different responses to the film, Good Fortune (LINK). As a group, students should read the article and answer the following questions in writing on large display sheets. They will summarize the short article they read and share this with the class as well as responses to the following:

What is the author's reaction to the film?
What is the author's main argument about international development work?
What are the main takeaways related to effective development work?
What are the success factors this author identifies in successful development work?

5. Show the class the Strides in Development video that features Nobel Prize-winning author Amartya Sen. Discuss which factors Sen believes are essential for effective development efforts. Discuss also how the approach of FXB International, discussed in this video, compares to the efforts of Dominion Farms in Kenya’s Yala Swamp area?

Homework:

Identify an international development project that you are familiar with. Evaluate the degree to which community development efforts are responding to local needs and the extent they reflect the success factors described by the experts studied in class. Have students identify a project, find out how and why it got started and determine whether those the project serves have been involved in its planning and implementation. Students should write letters to the editor that praise or criticize how receptive the project has been to local input.

Lesson 7: Privilege & Volunteering Abroad

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to critically interpret narratives and be able to explain the implicit and explicit arguments and the implications of those arguments.
Students will be able to critically analyze and articulate the role of power and privilege in philanthropy.
Students will be able to understand global development from the perspectives of a programs intended recipient and how this relates to other stakeholder perspectives.
Students will be able to explain the legacy and historical context of international philanthropy and nonprofits.

Class Prep:

Read: Cole, T. (2011). "The White-Savior Industrial Complex." Atlantic. LINK
Read: Meyler, K. (2018) “How the “white-savior industrial complex” failed Liberia’s girls”. LINK
After reading the above articles, browse the Instagram profile “Barbie Savior” (LINK). This profile provides a satirical depiction of often White international volunteers. Select one image that caught your attention or you find especially interesting. Upload this before class to the class dropbox.
All students should bring a laptop to class. If students do not have access to a laptop they should let the instructor know ASAP so alternative plans can be made.

Learning Activities:

Warm Up (10 minutes)

Show selected photos from the Barbie Savior account that students submitted.

After each photo ask students to discuss in pairs discuss their reactions to the photo and to explain what the photo is criticizing. Keep a running list of the processes, perspectives, and ideas that students identify in the photo.

Collaboration Annotation (40 minutes)

Students will be assigned to work in small groups. These may be the same groups you use throughout the semester or can be mixed up. Students will participate in a collaboration annotation of the two texts read for today’s class with the goal of engaging, analyzing and critically interpreting texts See Dean & Schulten (2015) for details on classroom annotation practices and learning.

Each group will have access to a Google Doc with the two articles included. To ease discussion, the instructor should divide each article up into at least as many passages as students per group.

Students will each begin reading a different passage in the Google Doc. They should annotate the article using “Comments”. Designate a certain amount of time for students to read and annotate each passage (Suggested, 5 minutes).
- Provide students with “Annotation Techniques” sheet (Appendix H)
After each segment of time, students should switch to a different passage and respond to other students’ annotations or add new annotations. Note, students should be allowed to ask for clarification from other students but the focus should be on their own work.
- Instruct students to work for the full amount of time reading and making exhaustive annotations.
- Note: The instructor will be able to evaluate student participation by looking at the comment history of the document.

Homework:

Based on your collaborative annotation and class discussions, submit a 1-page reflection on the White Savior Industrial Complex. What is the complex, and how can someone who is interested in “helping” others, avoid its pitfalls?

Lesson 8: Unit Summary Flash Talks

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to articulate their own theory of international philanthropy and nonprofits and compose their personal approach.

Learning Activities:

Students will each share a 2-minute timed presentation summarizing their key takeaways from the unit. Students are encouraged to be creative in their presentations and approach to this assignment. Scaffolding earlier in the semester will help students build the skills to be successful in this assignment. Students should be provided with the following prompts. Students are not expected to respond to each prompt but instead should use one or more to inspire their presentation. The goal is for students to showcase their learning but also to learn from each other’s perspectives. See Appendix Ifor the student instruction sheet and prompts.

As students listen to each other's presentations, instruct them to keep a running sheet where they write down one quick take away from each presentation. This can be done while the next student is preparing to share.

References

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