Nonprofit Education: Course Offerings and Perceptions in Accredited U.S. Business Schools

Abstract

Given the continuing need for professional nonprofit managers, a trend toward more businesslike models for administrating nonprofits seems likely. However, the level of business school involvement in the education of future nonprofit managers is largely unknown. Given direction from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB; the premier accreditation body for U.S. business schools) for an education that not only enhances a student's ability to contribute to an organization but to the greater society as well, it seems likely that an increased attention to a curricular focus on business educations that aids the training of future professional nonprofit organization managers might be likely. This study examines the status of nonprofit management, marketing, finance, accounting, social entrepreneurship, social marketing, fundraising courses, programs, and faculty in a sample of U.S. AACSB-accredited business schools. The perceptions of these business schools' leaders with regard to offering or not offering to participate in nonprofit management education are also explored.