This course focuses on the internal deliberations of social change organizations and how they struggle with the competing values of staff and supporters. Often, we think of non-profit groups as having a monolithic point of view. To the contrary, within each group, there are many different viewpoints regarding the mission of the organization, how that mission should be achieved and over what timeframe, how the group should engage with other groups- both those with similar objectives and those with diametrically opposed positions.



The course format will include lectures on overcoming organizational intractability, negotiating the group mission and strategy, and mediation of intra and inter-group negotiations. There will also be a series of role-play exercises about two hypothetical social change organizations that are preparing to initiate a major new campaign and how they engage with other interest groups.