This course introduces students to the conceptual frameworks, ethics, and practice associated with social marketing. This course explores how classic marketing techniques can be effectively applied beyond traditional corporate settings, in non-profit organizations. Students will gain an understanding of the basic principles of social marketing, and then will address fundraising and resource development as well as social communication campaigns. Fundraising is the application of marketing principles to generate funds that enables the non-profit organizations to achieve its objectives and cover its expenses. Social communication campaigns deal with creating awareness of the non-profit organization’s mission and services, and influencing specific target audiences to behave differently for a social purpose. At the end of the course, students will gain an understanding of the financial analysis for program management and performance review. The course offers students a valuable opportunity to implement the marketing concepts in an original and growing sector, where the objectives are broader than simple profit maximization, and social, ethical and political factors play a major role.

As part of their group assignment, students will plan and design a fundraising campaign or a social marketing campaign for a real-life project.  Generally, the project is based in a lesser-developed country, and implies a direct involvement with an organization that deals with development issues. In proposing their campaign, students must assess the economic, ethical and cultural factors involved.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1)     Analyze the importance of the non-profit sector in our society

2)     Apply the classic marketing principles and strategies they have explored in lower-level courses, to the non-profit sector

3)     Develop practical and creative skills to solve real life problems encountered in NFPs.

4)     Identify and assess the impact of a social marketing policy on individual behavior in society

5)     Delineate the opportunities for a non-profit organization in terms of funds and collaboration with the business sector

6)     Improve their written and oral presentation skills

Class attendance is absolutely mandatory and critical to the success of class discussions. After the first two unexcused absences, the students will lose 5 percentage points of their overall weighted average for the each successive absence.