English 398N: Writing for Non-Profit Organizations
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Course Description
While academic writing courses are designed to prepare you for the writing required of a university student, this course prepares you for writing and communication beyond the university. In particular, we focus on the specific demands of communicating primarily in the world of non-profit organizations. We study the audiences you may encounter in the field and the varied writing tasks that you may be asked to complete. The numerous writing workshops and peer group tasks make this course a collaborative endeavor and should prepare you for the group or committee work that exemplifies most non-profit organizations’ endeavors. The course will operate, as much as is possible, as a non-profit writing consultancy with instructor as a supervisor and classmates as colleagues.
By the end of the semester, you should have gained the following knowledge and skills:
· understanding of the diverse genres of writing required in the non-profit sector
· competence to analyze and effectively address varied audiences
· familiarity with the basic forms of professional documents, including letters of inquiry, internal memos, and grant proposals
· ability to write, analyze, and revise your own writing as well as the writing of your peers
· ability to use evidence convincingly and with appropriate documentation to construct a persuasive document
· facility to work collaboratively with your peers in analyzing and revising varied modes of communication
To accomplish these goals, you will do a significant amount of writing in a short amount of time. You will have to put time and effort into this class to be successful and to get the most out of the course. This hands-on studio course requires your attendance.
Required Text/Materials
Barbato, Joseph and Danielle S. Furlich. Writing for a Good Cause: The Complete Guide to Crafting Proposals and Other Persuasive Pieces for Nonprofits. New York: Fireside, 2000.
(ISBN 978-0-6-8485740-4)
Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die. New York: Random House, 2007.
(ISBN 978-1-4-0006428-1)
Both books are available at the University Book Center but can be found for less online.
1. One two-pocket folder, labeled with student name, course number, term and professor’s name for portfolio.
2. Flash drive to use in computer lab for your work
3. An email account (BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS UPDATED)
4. Terrapin Express account (for printing in the lab)
Keep in mind that you will have to make multiple copies of your paper drafts for workshops and budget accordingly.
Recommended Text
A style/writing manual
Grading Procedures
The assignment breakdown follows. Note that for each assignment, required preparatory materials are considered in the final grade (* indicates linked assignments). Over the course of the semester, expect to write a minimum of 6,250 words.
Assignment 1: Resume/Cover Letter (10%)
This application packet will be written for an open job that you are currently qualified for in the nonprofit sector.
Assignment 2: Group Presentation (10%)
In this 30-minute small group presentation, you and your small group will make an interactive presentation to the class on a non-profit organization that focuses on your group’s topic and has a local office. Your group will be required to interview someone from the NPO and will present on topics relevant to the class’s current assignment.
Assignment 3: Letter of Inquiry* (10%)
This letter will be the first of your linked assignments. You will write a formal letter inviting someone to join the board of the nonprofit organization you have chosen to use for your work in this class.
Assignment 4: Internal Program Proposal Memo* (15%)
You will write an extensive, well-researched memo to the Executive Director/Board of your chosen NPO proposing a new program that you have designed. The program you propose where will serve as the basis for the rest of your work for the semester.
Assignment 5: Press Release/PSA (Public Service Announcement)* (10%)
This press release and PSA will announce to relevant audiences some aspect of the program you proposed in the previous assignment.
Assignment 6: Grant Proposal* (25%)
You will find an appropriate, real grantor and write a full grant proposal, following the outline in our text, seeking support for the program you proposed in Assignment 4.
Peer Critique Packet and Group Review Memo (due in final portfolio) (5%)
You will write critique worksheets, letters, and comments for your peers throughout the semester. Keep all of this work as it is returned to you as you will be required to turn in copies of the critiques— both those with and without my comments—at the end of semester. You will also write a memo to me that evaluates both your own editing work and the work of your group members.
Professionalism (15%)
This course is designed to help prepare you for a professional workplace; thus, you must treat the classroom as a professional environment and your peers as professional colleagues. Being professional means coming to class on time and prepared for the day’s work as well as being an active member of this professional writing group. The notion of professionalism further extends to the appropriateness of your commentary in class as well as your attentiveness during class time. Also included in this grade is your performance on reading reviews, in-class work, and required in-class presentations.
Keep in mind that here, as in the workplace, you are always making an argument about what kind of recognition, “bonus,” or grade your overall work merits. Your attitude, work ethic, attentiveness to detail, self-motivation, ability to follow directions and meet deadlines, as well as the end products you submit, all affect your evaluation.
Remember that you must turn in all required elements of an assignment.
A+ to A- (90-100): An A paper excels in all areas. It demonstrates original and creative thinking as well as superior writing skill. Your supervisor would not hesitate to forward this document to his or her supervisor, client, or donor. (In other words, your supervisor will have to put little or no time in on this document to make it ready for the intended audience.) The document fulfills its purpose by accommodating itself well to its intended audience, easily meeting or surpassing its audience’s expectations. You anticipate and respond to possible reader questions, using a wide range of supporting evidence and rhetorical strategies in a creative manner. The writing itself is clear, fresh, and a pleasure to read. An A grade can be considered a recommendation for a bonus or a promotion.
B+ to B- (80-90): The document fulfills the assignment and demonstrates a strong sense of purpose and an awareness of its intended audience. It is an effective example of workplace writing and thinking. Such a paper is well supported and has few writing errors. It demonstrates some original ideas or support and reads smoothly throughout. It differs from the A paper in that it may have several minor flaws, a glitch in organization, or is simply not as impressive as the A paper. Your supervisor would have to spend some time polishing this document before he or she sends it on to its target audience. Still, B work marks you as a valuable member of the team.
C+ to C- (70-80): The document meets the basic requirements of the assignment and demonstrates that you have put some time and thought into communicating your ideas. It has a stated purpose, presents support for that purpose, and follows a coherent organization. Overall, however, it represents average college-level writing and will require your supervisor to work with you extensively in order to produce a piece that is acceptable for distribution. The piece may begin well, but fails to follow through. It may be poorly organized so that the key points are difficult for the intended audience to uncover. It may contain numerous errors that require your supervisor or someone else to edit it extensively. Turning in this document to your employer may lead him or her to question your value to the organization and certainly won’t put you in line for promotion. However, such work does not mean dismissal from the organization.
D+ to D- (60-70): The document shows an effort to follow form but may have no clear purpose or a strong sense of its intended audience. It may have significant errors in form, content, or execution. The writing itself is understandable but the evidence is incomplete or fails to communicate its purpose to the audience. There may be a loose structure, but it is difficult to follow the reasoning and uncover the logic behind the paper as a whole. Your supervisor will most likely assign someone else to the project immediately. Submitting sub-par work indicates a lack of good judgment on your part and may put your job at risk.
F (59 or below): The document fails to fulfill its purpose for any of a number of reasons: purpose is unclear; evidence is virtually non-existent or makes no sense; organization seems arbitrary; and/or numerous errors in mechanics and style make the document difficult to read. Your supervisor may find it easier to replace you than to put in the time necessary to get you up to speed.
Communication
The best way to get in touch with me is via email. Include ENGL 398N in the subject line and keep e- mails brief. Emailing me gives you a chance to practice professional email etiquette.
Course Policies
Attendance
To succeed in this course, regular attendance is required. Classroom discussions and in-class work account for a significant part of your grade, and class participation, once missed, cannot be restored.
Below are the policies on unexcused and excused absences, as well as tardiness. Please note that missing more than two weeks’ worth of class for any reason may result in a zero for the participation/professionalism portion of your grade and may jeopardize your overall course grade. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you’ve missed. Missing more than two weeks of class will make catching up difficult, if not impossible.
Unexcused Absences. You may take up to one week’s worth of no-questions-asked absences per semester for both the expected (i.e., being the best man in your brother’s wedding) and the unexpected (i.e., a flat tire).
If you take a no-questions-asked absence, however, you are still responsible for whatever material was covered in class. If a major scheduled grading event (assignment due, in-class workshop/peer review, presentation) is scheduled for that class period, and you don’t show up and don’t have a university-sanctioned excuse (see below) then you will lose the points for that activity.
Excused Absences.The University excuses absences for your own illness or the illness of an immediate family member, for your participation in university activities at the request of University authorities, for religious observance, and for compelling circumstance beyond your control.Documentation is required for all excused absences. If you have an anticipated excused absence, you must let me know in writing by the end of the schedule adjustment period or at least two weeks in advance.
Absence for one class due to your own illness: The university requires that you provide me a self-signed note attesting to the date of your illness, with an acknowledgment that the information provided is true.Providing false information to University officials is prohibited and may result in disciplinary action. The Health Center has an online form (http://www.health.umd.edu/sites/default/files/Class%20Excuse110.pdf).
Absence from more than one class because of the same illness: You must provide written documentation of the illness from the health care provider who made the diagnosis. No diagnostic information shall be given. The provider must verify dates of treatment and indicate the time frame during which you were unable to meet academic responsibilities.
Non-consecutive medically necessitated absences from more than a single class: Such absences may be excused provided you submit written documentation for each absence as described above, verifying the dates of treatment and time frame during which you were unable to meet your academic responsibilities. However, as also noted above, if you miss too many classes—even if excused—though you are technically eligible to make up the work, in practice students are rarely able to do so.
Tardiness.In the professional world tardiness is not tolerated.However, this campus is large, and another instructor may keep you late.So if you do arrive late on occasion, do not disrupt class, and let me know by the end of the schedule adjustment period if you anticipate ongoing conflicts.Remember that it is your responsibility to catch up on your own time, not the class’s. Thus, 2 late arrivals (or unexplained early departures) will convert to 1 absence.
Electronics/Food
Cell phones and other electronic equipment MUST remain turned off during class time. If you have a special situation (such as illness in the family or babysitters that may need to contact you in case of an emergency), let me know.