Social Entrepreneurship

This course provides the knowledge and skills to lead an entrepreneurial unit within an organization or when developing a new venture. Topics include identifying market opportunities, research and feasibility studies, strategic business planning, operations, sustainability, funding alternatives, marketing strategies and budgeting.

Social entrepreneurship and social enterprise are business models that utilize innovative ideas and the marketplace to help solve difficult social problems. Students in this course learn how to employ either a for-profit or nonprofit market-based solution. Students gain skills to identify, analyze, implement and assess potential enterprises that create and sustain social value while focusing on the needs of the intended target market.

Students examine the tools and techniques of marketing management and gain decision-making skills needed to recognize and solve marketing problems in both for-profit and nonprofit businesses. Students explore concepts including product positioning, development and policy, as well as pricing, distribution, effective communication, audience targeting, social media marketing and sales management methods.

This course explores grant writing, fundraising campaigns, giving, major gifts, resource development, philanthropy and the marketing of products and services. Uses of social media, telethons, importance of annual funds, donor outreach, networking and locating potential funding sources (such as local and national organizations) are also discussed.

This course explores the concept of strategic foresight (futures studies, futuring) and its specific application to the business world. Students explore strategic foresight as a field, including its origins and place in current business thinking. Basic terminology, concepts and theories are discussed. Common futures methods are described and practiced. Students learn how businesses and other organizations systematically explore the future and what major trends and emerging issues are impacting their world.

This course explores the theoretical and practical applications of creatively solving problems in a wide range of organizational settings, including health care, law enforcement, manufacturing and education. Students work collaboratively and cooperatively to learn the connections between innovation, creativity, visualization, memory, thinking, overcoming mental barriers, problem definition, idea generation, idea evaluation, solution implementation and improved communication.

This course prepares students to make data-informed decisions using research methods, research reports, analysis of financial statements and assessment measures. Students learn to develop and analyze strategic plans and budgets based on organizational competencies and direction. Methods of raising capital and a variety of fundraising methods are also discussed.