Nonprofit Advisory Committee Meeting Notes

Summary of Inaugural Meeting of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences
Nonprofit Advisory Committee
September 11, 2007

Welcome/Introduction of new committee members

Update on progress since March meeting

Professional Pathways in Nonprofit Organizations was taught spring 2007 by Jackie Royster, Mindy Wright and invited speakers from this committee: Dianne Radigan, Children's Hunger Alliance; Tammy Wharton, Columbus Literacy Council; Janet Jackson, United Way; and David Chesebrough, COSI (Course syllabus). This course's goal is to introduce undergraduate students to the kinds of work done in nonprofit organizations. Guest speakers talked about their organizations' missions, the kinds of work done there, and their own paths to their positions in the nonprofit world. Of 11 students, two graduated and moved into nonprofit positions (Habitat for Humanity and 4-H), and one took a summer internship at the Women's Fund of Central Ohio. This course will be taught again in spring 2008.

Courses in development that may partner with a broad range of nonprofits or community organizations include:

• Freshman Seminar in Community Service Autumn 2007. Karen Hutzel, Art Education, will work with first-year students to learn about Columbus and its community service opportunities.
• Professional Pathways in Civic Engagement in Spring 2008. Julie Graber will take students to Columbus Metropolitan Club's weekly forums.

One-time projects or resources

• Meeting between Debra Rosenthal, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and Duffy Adelson, Merit School in Chicago, to consult on beginning an after-school music instruction program (ASC and School of Music)
• Women's Fund of Central Ohio held an August workshop for grant awardees, hosted by Glenn School of Public Affairs.
• Writing workshop for staff of Community Shelter Board (ASC Community Partnerships and Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing)
• Spring visit by Rima Salah, Former UN Assistant Secretary General and UNICEF Deputy Director

Inventory of Ohio State and nonprofit partnership projects. This inventory is in draft form—on the committee web site and in hard copy in your folders. We'd like to your suggestions for making it clearer and easier to use.

Discussion:

Expertise Exchange: Share centers of excellence across organizations.

Actions:

• Query committee members on their strengths they believe are “sharableâ€� and what is needed
• Look at Ohio State for resources to meet needs
• Match resources with needs to develop an inventory
• Recruit student interns to collect research on best practices or issues that cross organizations, regardless of mission
• Explore creation of professional pathways courses for nonprofit staff.

Work together to address issues that cross organizations

Actions:

• Evaluation. Work with Community Research Partnerships and their programs to explore ways to connect evaluation, Ohio State faculty, CRP
• Advocacy with public/government officials in central Ohio. Telling the story of the non-profit community
• Possible festival to connect downtown with Ohio State (literacy, performing arts, visual arts, etc.)

Explore mechanisms for connecting faculty or graduate student researcher with nonprofit projects.

Explore possibility of creating an interdisciplinary graduate student seminar to train students in developing community partnership research and match students with organizations.

• Query committee members about possible partnering opportunities.
• Work with sub-committee to develop curriculum

Work with other units on campus through that offer graduate student internships with community organizations (ex: Fisher College of Business, Glenn School of Public Affairs)