Students will write business plans for nonprofits

Wayne Tanna, professor of Accounting at Chaminade University, hopes to match up some of his students with nonprofits for the spring semester. "Typically two or three students are put into a team and assigned to a nonprofit that is looking for either a business plan … or to work on a special project of the nonprofit's choosing," he said.

Tanna cautions: "Fundraising is not something they are taught prior to this course and we are not fund-development professionals. Basically what we have been doing is helping nonprofits either draft a business plan or plan and implement a special project."

The students complete their work in one semester, between late January through April, and make a final presentation to the school and the nonprofit organization during the first week of May. "Students will need to work with the staff of the nonprofit to get a feel for what the work or mission of the nonprofit is all about," Tanna said.

Students are not to be assigned clerical or other operational maintenance activities, despite how much the organization may be in need of free labor. The experience must be meaningful for both the nonprofit and the student. The students should actually get involved in the work of the nonprofit and learn about the management and development of the nonprofit. "I see the role of the nonprofit executive director and staff as that of co-teachers," Tanna said.

The course description: “This course is designed to connect students’ coursework in business to the operations of a real-world organization and to facilitate the transition from student to professional. Student teams function as consultants, with the guidance of a faculty supervisor, to analyze an organizational situation, develop recommendations, and implement an appropriate project in a sponsoring community organization. Teams accomplish their project, complete a project report and group process assessment and present their results.

“Your project will assist an organization to better serve the community, or a business further its bottom line. In either situation you will be utilizing all of your previous course work to complete your assigned task. In order to better mirror the realities of a real world organization, student groups may also receive an emergency or unplanned rush project during the semester that you will need to complete in addition to your initial semester-long project.”

For more information or to participate in this program, call Tanna, (808) 739-4606.