2007–08 Projects for Nonprofit Boards
Alix Goelet
'08 worked with Social Enterprise Program Advisory Board
member Lise Strickler '86, who is also on the
board of Environmental Advocates of New York
(EANY). EANY serves the people of New York as an effective and aggressive
watchdog and advocates on nearly every important state environmental issue.
Goelet worked on an analysis of funds raised by board members, individuals
and foundations. She benchmarked that information against other
nonprofits.
Paul Gorbaty ’08 worked with Professor Ray Horton, who is on the
Board of Directors of Community Resource Exchange (CRE), a
nonprofit consulting group that provides strategic advice and technical
services to more than 350 community-based organizations fighting poverty and
HIV/AIDS. While working with a senior manager at CRE, Gorbaty’s
project focused on streamlining the process of tracking when grants for
foundations that CRE currently has partnered with, as well as
improving their methodology of cost allocation.
Nicolas Lam ’09 worked with Mary
Jane Brock, a board member of Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Lam
engaged in researching and analyzing programs for young donors in other New York City
cultural/historical institutions. He also researched and analyzed policies
at select corporations to gain insight to what they do to encourage and support
“good citizenship.”
Brian Lavery
’08 worked with Project Renewal, an organization with a
mission to renew the lives of homeless men and women in New York City. Lavery embarked on an
assessment of operational effectiveness, via a survey of stakeholders both
internal (staff) and external (board members, donors, New York City government
liaisons).
Helen Rhim ’08 worked with Tess Mateo ’97, on a project that
benefits American Composers Orchestra (ACO), an
organization where Tess is a board member. ACO performs at Carnegie Hall and was
celebrating its 31st Anniversary. Rhim explored and evaluated
new potential sources of revenue for the organization.
Angie
Lessuise ’08 worked with Shari Levine
’86, a member of the board of Literacy Inc. (LINC), an organization
envisioning that every child should be reading well by age 8 and that the
strengths and resources of every community can be coordinated to provide
encouraging voices and a language-rich atmosphere to support early readers.
Lessuise identified target corporate foundations that could provide funding
to LINC, by researching the foundations’ missions, objectives, restrictions and
board members, then developing a strategic action plan.
Giselle Leung ’08 worked with Social
Enterprise Program Advisory Board member, Diana Taylor ’80,
also a board member of amfAR, an organization dedicated to
ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. Leung researched
and analyzed organizational structures that might fit best with hypothetical
strategic goals of the organization.
Casson
Masters ’08 worked with Deborah Jackson
’80, who serves on the board of Project Sunshine, an organization that
provides customized recreational, educational and social programs to children
facing medical challenges and their families by leveraging the time, skills and
resources of a diverse group of dedicated volunteers. Masters helped
Project Sunshine examine and prioritize the various growth efforts of the
organization.
Stacey McKeever
’08 worked with Mark Zurack,
who serves on the board of Alzheimer’s Association. McKeever researched the relationships between local chapters and national
organizations, with a focus on fundraising. She also researched board
development opportunities and best practices. Zurack is also an adjunct
professor and Executive in Residence at Columbia Business School, as well as a
Social Enterprise Program Advisory Board member.
Betsy Poirier ’08 worked with
Dan Cain ’72, member of the Board of Overseers,
who is also Chairman of the Board of the Norman
Rockwell Museum. Poirier worked on an analysis of online sales
and the development of an Internet marketing plan for the
Museum.