21731 Resource Management: Non Profit

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

This subject provides a foundation knowledge of resource management in community (nonprofit) organisations. It provides the opportunity to develop basic skills and knowledge of accounting and finance, but also critically analyses the issues that arise from applying conventional financial management control to a nonprofit, voluntary organisation. Topics include costing, budgeting, and the preparation and analysis of financial statements.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of basic accounting functions
2. describe and apply basic skills in budgeting, cash management and costing nonprofit organisations
3. analyse financial statements
4. define and critically evaluate financial management controls in nonprofit organisations.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject along with the subject Developing Financial Resources (21778), provides foundation knowledge of resource management in nonprofit community organisations. It provides the opportunity to develop basic skills and knowledge of accounting and financial functions, but also critically analyses the issues that arise from applying conventional financial management control to a nonprofit community organisation.

Teaching and learning strategies

The Learning Guide will be supplemented by intensive workshops, lectures, individual assessment tasks, group work and UTS Online. Students, following the Learning Guide, will keep up with the pace of the subject, present assessment tasks when required and study the subject in a logical and ordered way. The teaching strategies will see students develop skills in critical reflection and reflective practice, teamwork, the ability to understand issues through theoretical frameworks and conceptualising within a conceptual framework.

Content

• Budgeting within a nonprofit community context.
• Cash management.
• Cost analysis for nonprofit community organisations.
• Preparation of financial statements: income/expenditure/balance sheet.
• Identification of distinctive features of nonprofit community organisations (non-distribution of surplus funds; uncertain funding sources, voluntary nature of the organisation) and their implications for financial management and control.
• Financial information needs of staff, boards, funding authorities and sponsors; project evaluation and the use of spreadsheets.

Recommended text(s)

Reading Guide: Resource Management (Nonprofit).

Indicative references

Dropkin, M and La Touche, B. (1998) The Budget-Building Book for Nonprofits. Jossey-Bass

Freeman, R. (2002) Governmental and Non-Profit Accounting 7th Edition, Prentice Hall

Ruppel, W. (2002) Not-For-Profit Accounting Made Easy. Wiley

Shim, J. K. and Siegel J. (1997) Financial Management for Nonprofits: The Complete Guide to Maximizing Resources and Managing Assets. McGraw-Hill

Wilson, E. R. (2000) Accounting for Governmental and Nonprofit Entities 12th Edition, McGraw-Hill College.