UC Davis business students are learning management techniques by studying and working in private nonprofit organizations. Traditionally, business schools have not offered management-analysis courses in the nonprofit sector, because it has not been seen as a popular career path, according to instructor Richard Dorf, a professor in the Graduate School of Management. "The nonprofit sector continues to grow in popularity because 'volunteerism' is on the upswing in this country," says Dorf. "Business students can learn a lot about management philosophy by investigating nonprofit organizations the same way as they look at for-profit corporations." An important distinction between the two sectors, says Dorf, is that nonprofit organizations are very mission-oriented, whereas for-profit companies are driven by financial gain. The course helps students to recognize that the nonprofit sector is growing in its responsibilities and that an increasing number of people are turning to philanthropy.