Community-Engaged Scholarship Session 4: Understanding Nonprofits

Session 4:
This session provides an immersive introduction to the operational realities of nonprofit organizations. A panel (including Carin Bercowitz, Executive Director of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, Isabel Kasdin '14, Executive Director of NJ Cultural Trust, Skyler Gordon *24, Project Manager, Truth and Repair, and Liz Lempert, former mayor of Princeton, board member for a range of nonprofits and now Assistant Director in Princeton's Research Development Office) will share insights on governance, funding models, programming decisions, and the unique challenges facing small-to-mid-sized cultural institutions. Participants will gain fluency in the language and logic of nonprofit management.
Key Topics
•       Nonprofit organizational structure: Boards, staff, volunteers
•       Revenue models: Earned income, grants, individual giving, government support
•       Mission-driven decision making and strategic planning
•       The cultural nonprofit landscape in New Jersey
•       What cultural organizations need—and what they don't need—from academic partners
 

Series Overview:The Community-Engaged Scholarship Learning Cohort prepares Princeton graduate students to work effectively with nonprofit organizations through an interdisciplinary, experiential program that bridges academic expertise with community impact. Over eight sessions, participants will develop frameworks for ethical partnership, learn practical skills in nonprofit collaboration, and complete capstone projects with organizations that have a social impact mission.
This cohort synthesizes best practices from leading community-engaged scholarship programs nationwide—including Tulane's Mellon Graduate Program, the University of Michigan's Rackham Program in Public Scholarship, Rutgers' Public Humanities Initiative, and Princeton’s Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship—adapted to the unique resources of the Princeton ecosystem and the rich cultural landscape of greater Mercer County, and the state of New Jersey.