Financial Development of Nonprofit Organizations
Course Taught by Dr. Ruth Bernstein
Department: Business Administration, Seaver College

Dr. Ruth Sessler Bernstein is an Associate Professor of Nonprofit Management at the Pepperdine University. She earned an undergraduate degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and MS from Brown University both in Geology. Subsequently she received a MA in Philanthropy from Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy and a Doctorate of Management from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management. She was an Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Studies at the University of Washington Tacoma (2015-2020). Her publication and research interests focus on (1) inclusive interactions in teams and workgroups and (2) nonprofit governance. She is a regular presenter at ARNOVA and the Academy of Management. Her publications have appeared in numerous nonprofit and management journals, including NVSQ, NML, EDI, and JBE. She has written four books. Performance through Diversity and Inclusion: Leveraging Organizational Practices for Equity and Results (Routledge, 2022) with Paul Salipante and Judith Weisinger; Diversity and Inclusion in Nonprofit Governance—No More Excuses! (Sagamore-Venture, 2021) with Chris Fredette; Sustainable Diversity through Performance-Driven Practices; An Evidence-Based, Dynamic Systems Framework (Cambridge University Press) with Paul Salipante; and How to create high-performance student teams: Techniques and strategies for cultivating inclusive teams in higher education (Edward Elgar Publishing, forthcoming 2026) with Amy Johnson and Regan Schaffer.

• Introduction to philanthropy – topics include history of philanthropy, the role philanthropy and nonprofit organizations play in our economy and culture, and career opportunities in fundraising, philanthropy, and grant management
• Class invites/declines organizations to come pitch org to class – orgs need to convince class to move to next level.
  • Orgs who make it past pitch day but not to semi-finals are given $500
• Class creates their own giving criteria, mission, vision, and values. Decides who to invite to final awards ceremony
• Interesting guests: Guest speaker to discuss Form-990; Advancement professional to give tour of Pepperdine