Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2026

Fundraising and Event Planning (Face-to-Face)

AA 6220-01

Course: AA 6220-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2026
Department: Theatre, Dance, & Arts Admin
CRN: 33698

Course Description

This course engages students in the theory and practice of project management, developing in them the skills to create and host successful projects, including fundraising events.

Required Texts

  • The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters by Priya Parker, Riverhead Books; Reprint edition (April 14, 2020) Amazon Link
  • Additional readings will be listed in the Assignments section of the course.

Learning Outcomes

AA62210 has four Learning Outcomes that build upon the Learning Outcomes of the Arts Administration Program, CPVA, and SUU

Students will:

  • Understand the theories, principles, and techniques of fundraising, event planning. and project management.
  • Develop the skills to critically examine events, discovering what worked, what didn't, and how to fix the problems
  • Advocate and communicate effectively and persuasively through focus groups, proposals, presentations, and guest lectures
  • Apply theory by creating a pitch presentation to assist a nonprofit organization with fundraising and event planning.

Course Requirements

Classwork is broken down into five areas: Attendance & Contribution, Accumulating Assignments, Situational Analysis, Event Participation, and Final Project.

  • Discussions on assigned readings led by Groups: Students are expected to complete assigned readings and discuss key information from readings in class. Discussions will be led by students and will give an overview of the topic(s) covered in the readings and initiate a discussion by asking a series of appropriate questions.
  • Summary Report on Perceptions of Nonprofit Fundraising: Interview three individuals about their perceptions of how nonprofits engage in fundraising and what fundraisers do.
  • Fundraising Case Statement: Develop a case statement that forms the foundation of fundraising efforts of the nonprofit chosen for the course project. This statement makes the support case and persuades potential donors to contribute to the nonprofit.
  • Donor Research File: Develop a donor research file, identifying potential donors for the chosen nonprofit’s programs/projects.
  • Report on grant-making Foundations: Conduct basic research to identify foundations (local, national, or international) that can provide potential funding for the chosen nonprofit.
  • Report on a Survey of a Professional Fundraiser: Conduct an interview with a professional fundraiser or a person designated as a fundraiser within a nonprofit (not SUMA or USF), and write a report on her/his fundraising strategies, experience, and recommendations.
  • Membership Focus Group: You will create and lead focus groups for SUMA’s membership program and complete a full report synopsis and results of the focus groups
  • Participation in Planned Events: Students are required to volunteer for at least one nonprofit organization event during the course of the semester. Proof of volunteer work is necessary and can be submitted to the instructor in the form of photos, event agenda, and/or volunteer training outline.
  • Final Project: Fundraising Plan for a Nonprofit Organization: Develop a fundraising plan for an existing nonprofit organization. Choose a local nonprofit organization (not SUMA or USF) and develop a fundraising plan for that organization. There will be two parts to this fundraising plan: i) the written plan and ii) presentation of the plan.

All assignments and readings are expected to be completed by the due date/time listed on Canvas.

Please submit all writing assignments in single-spaced, 12-point font, uploaded to Canvas.

Grading Policy:

A = 94-100% B- = 80-83% D+ = 67-69%
A- = 90-93% C+ = 77-79% D = 64-66%
B+ = 87-89% C = 74-76% D- = 60-63%
B = 84-86% C- = 70-73% F = 0-59%

Course Outline

DatesTopicsReading & Assignment Due Dates
Week 1
Sept 4 (Friday)
Introduction and course overview & Nonprofit Sector in the USANon-Profits in Cedar City - options
Introduce: Case Study and Text
Week 2
Sept 8
Arts Organizations, The Government, Funding, and OptionsDiscussion: Article: How the United States Funds the Arts and Case Studies
Week 3
Sept 15
Who is attending and why?Discussion: Article: Arts Attendance, Art-making, and Social connectedness + Case Studies + Focus Groups
Assignment: Case Study Due Sept 13, present in class
Week 4
Sept 22
Book Club: Into + Chapter 1Discussion: Why we gather, why it matters + Focus Groups
Assignment: Sign up for a non- profit you will study the remainder of the course - not USF or SUMA
Week 5
Sept 29
Book Club: Chapter 2Discussion: Consider purpose, density, inclusion, and fear of offence. + Summary Report + Focus Groups
Assignment: Summary Report
Week 6
Oct 6
Book Club: Chapter 3Discussion: Hosting, authority, and the guests, best events, + Focus Group report
Assignment:
Week 7
Oct 13
Focus Groups: Script buildingDiscussion: Focus Groups: Script building + Case Studies
Assignment: Fundraising Case Study
Week 8
Oct 23 (Friday)
Book Club: Chapter 4Discussion: Rules, Story, Behavior, and distractions + Case Study + Focus Groups
Assignment: Donor Research File
Week 9
Oct 27
Guest: Kayo JermanDiscussion: presenter + focus groups + Grant Making Report
Assignment: Grant Making Report
Week 10
Nov 3
Book Club: Chapter 5Discussion: Preparing, Priming, building the event, and missed opportunities + Talk Final Project
Assignment: Professional Fundraiser report
Week 11
Nov 10
Book Club: Chapter 6Discussion: Suck Less! + Focus Group
Assignment: Focus Groups
Week 12
Nov 17
Book Club: Chapter 7Discussion: Sex, Politics, and Religion, oh my.
Assignment: Focus Groups
Thanksgiving
Week 13
Dec 1
Book Club: Chapter 8Discussion: We need to break up and move on. + Final Project
Assignment:
Week 14
Dec 8
FinalDiscussion: Present Final elevator pitch
Assignment: Final Due Dec 13 11:59 pm
Week 15
Dec 14 - 18
Finals Week

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

For assignments turned into the instructor, ten percent [10%] will be deducted for every 24 hours past the deadline. In the event of an emergency, students are required to obtain approval for a deadline extension before the due date of the assignment.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required.  If class falls on a holiday, class will be moved to the following Friday to not miss learning opportunities.  

Course Notes and Class Structure

This is a living document. Documents will be added for weekly reading rather than requiring a textbook. Schedules may change depending on availability for tours and guest speakers.
Class sessions are structured to include a combination of the following activities:
Book Club: We will open each class session with a book-club discussion of our required text, The Art of Gathering. Students are expected to keep up with minimal reading requirements and actively engage in group discussions.
Active Learning: The instructor will guide the class through discussions and materials for active learning on planning a range of events and fundraising opportunities.
Guest Q&A Sessions: A range of experts and colleagues from nonprofit arts organizations will be invited to class. Students are expected to actively engage with each guest.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.