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Nonprofit Interviews
  1. Strand PHIL.I Definitions of Philanthropy
    1. Standard DP 02. Roles of Government, Business, and Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark HS.6 Describe how the civil society sector is often the origin of new ideas, projects and innovation and social renewal.
    2. Standard DP 04. Operational Characteristics of Nonprofit Organizations
      1. Benchmark HS.1 Identify the major operational characteristics of organizations in the civil society sector.
  2. Strand PHIL.III Philanthropy and the Individual
    1. Standard PI 01. Reasons for Individual Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark HS.11 Discuss the concept of corporate citizenship and corporate responsibility for the common good.
    2. Standard PI 02. Careers In The Nonprofit Sector
      1. Benchmark HS.1 Identify and explain how career options in the civil-society sector benefit communities.
      2. Benchmark HS.2 Explore requirements and motivations for a career in the civil society sector.

Learners will visually present their findings from Lesson One. They investigate a local nonprofit through an interview with an employee and orally present this information. 

Duration: 
PrintTwo- Fifty-Minute Class Period
Objectives: 

The learner will:

  • visually present their findings regarding a career opportunity listed in Idealist.org web site, www.idealist.org (Handout One: Lesson One).
  • identify and name a local nonprofit organization.
  • identify careers as for-profit or nonprofit and the skills needed in the careers.
  • interview a spokesperson from a local nonprofit organization.
  • orally present information obtained from the interview.
  • reflect on new learning concerning nonprofits.
Materials: 
  • the listing of fifteen to twenty organizations in the community and/or the world (created in Lesson One)
  • telephone books (Yellow Pages), local periodicals, Chamber of Commerce listings of local businesses/organizations (can be obtained by request from your local Chamber)
  • construction paper, scissors, markers, misc. art supplies
  • Interview Questions (Handout One)
  • Idealist.org web site, www.idealist.org
  • The Importance of Employment in the Nonprofit Sector." (Handout Two)
Bibliography: 
Instructions: 
Print

  1. Anticipatory Set:

    Begin the lesson by having the learners share the findings of their Interviews conducted in Lesson One (Handout Four). From their Interview sheets, have them share whether or not their interviewees represented for-profit or nonprofit organizations. Tally the total in each category and have the learners draw some conclusions. Then ask those learners, who interviewed at least one person representing a nonprofit organization, whether or not they were surprised by anything they found. Also, ask them to compare what they learned from their interviewees with what they learned from their internet search in Lesson One So What Is It All About and What Does It Require?(Handout Three). Remind the learners that during the previous class they identified fifteen to twenty local and national organizations (listed on the display board) and circled those that are nonprofits. Have the learners recall their investigation of a career opportunity in a nonprofit and tell them that they will now be taking a closer look at nonprofits and careers in their own community.

    Day One

  2. Return the So What Is It All About and What Does It Require? (Handout Three- Lesson One) assignment to the learners. Give them 15-20 minutes of this class period to begin to plan and prepare a creative visual of their findings for display. Ask the learners to be sure their visuals include all the information they were able to identify in their online career opportunity investigation and indicate that these visuals will be displayed in the classroom. (Teacher Note: Set a date by which they are to be completed and handed in for display.)

  3. After 15-20 minutes of ‘getting started,’ have the learners set aside their visual display planning and preparation, and revisit with them the list of nonprofits (circled) they previously identify and ask if any of them might be considered local nonprofits, or have ties to the local community. Review and reach a class consensus about which of the nonprofit organizations listed in Lesson One are or have ties to the local community.

  4. Assign the learners to groups of three and give each group a local telephone book with Yellow Pages (look under human and/or social services organizations), a local newspaper, and local Chamber of Commerce listing of member businesses and organizations. This listing of local organizations can easily be obtained by contacting the local Chamber of Commerce. Give each group 10 minutes to locate and identify additional local nonprofit organizations and add these to the list already on display from yesterday.

  5. From this revised list of local nonprofits have each of the groups decide on one of the local nonprofit organizations to contact and make arrangements with a spokesperson from the organization to conduct a phone or e-mail interview using Handout One Interview Questions.

  6. Allow the learners time to carry out the interview, record the information, and orally present this information.

  7. If time permits and phones are accessible they may begin to make their calls or send e-mail interview questions, and/or continue their individual work on their visual display. Interviews can also be considered a homework-assignment.

  8. Day Two (two or three days after the assigning the interview)

  9. Allow the groups 10-15 minutes to review their phone interviews and plan for a 4-5 minute oral presentation to summarize the interview.

  10. Have each of the groups present their interview findings to the rest of the class.

  11. Instruct the students that taking everything they have now learned about nonprofits into consideration, they are to write a one page persuasive response to this prompt, "The Importance of Employment in the Nonprofit Sector…." (Handout Two). The essay should address the importance of being employed in the nonprofit sector: to the sector, the individual, and for the public good.

  12. At the conclusion of this unit and on the assigned due-date, have the learners display their visual of the career opportunity in a nonprofit, allowing time for a "walk about" to give learners an opportunity to observe each others displays.

Assessment: 

Determine the extent to which the learners completed the School/Home Connection Interviews, assigned in Lesson One and discussed in Lesson Two. Observe learners involvement in the discussions, the information and creative display of their visual, their involvement in the group assignment/interview and oral presentation, the depth of their learning and the extent of their persuasiveness reflected in the response to the prompt.