Each year, approximately 30 MBA students and alumni participate in this program. Students are selected through a rigorous application process and matched with an alumnus based on experience and interest. Project topics have included:
- Community Development: Develop a business plan to create new revenues relating to a business involving labor from assisted program participants.
- Education: Rebuild the organization’s financial model to reflect changes in the way they provide services to charter schools; conduct competitive mapping to determine primary competitors and how to measure success.
- Public Radio: Assist a brand development project and a customer experience comparison across five key markets to determine differentiating aspects and what works in each area.
- Young Women: Conduct thorough board of directors evaluation on effectiveness and underlying metrics used to judge success; Recommend more effective ways to communicate and simplify evaluation metrics.
- Healthcare: Conduct an ROI analysis of all fundraising activity including gala events, mailings, phone drives, etc; benchmark against comparable organizations.
Past Projects: 2017-18 | 2016-17 | 2015-16 | 2014-15 | 2013-14 | 2012-13 | 2011-12 | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07
2018–19 Projects for Nonprofit Boards
National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), Praveen Aanur ’19 and Michael Alfieri ’20
Praveen Aanur ’19 and Michael Alfieri ’20 worked with mentor Michael Bogdonoff and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) to conduct a return on investment analysis to assist leadership and support the business case for its new constituent relationship management system. The NMSS is a nonprofit that works to empower those impacted by MS and further its vision of a world free of MS.
The New York Women’s Foundation, Cynthia Allum ’19 and Jessica French ’19
Cynthia Allum ’19 and Jessica French ’19 worked with The New York Women’s Foundation and mentor Rachel Melroy ’09 to developing a corporate engagement strategy. The New York Women’s Foundation creates an equitable and just future for women and families by uniting a cross-cultural alliance that ignites action and invests in bold community-led solutions across the city.
Year Up New York (YUNY), Karla Bailleres ’19 and Cristian Lopez ’20
Karla Bailleres ’19 and Cristian Lopez ’20 worked with Year Up New York (YUNY) leadership to develop a strategic marketing plan to increase its local market awareness. YUNY provides job training and career opportunities for young adults without a college degree and helps companies fill the skills gaps in entry-level jobs that can ultimately be gateways into profitable careers.
The Calhoun School, Peter Brown ’19
Peter Brown ’19 partnered with mentors Michael Conboy and Steve Solnick, head of school at The Calhoun School, to create a data dashboard for board oversight. The Calhoun School is a co-educational, progressive independent school on Manhattan's Upper West Side serving students from preschool through twelfth grade.
Bronx Community Charter School (BCCS), Siwol Chang ’20 and Richard Peng ’20
Siwol Chang ’20 and Richard Peng ’20 provided a project for Bronx Community Charter School (BCCS) and mentor Ariel Behr ’05 to analyze their current data and develop a data roadmap to support BCCS’s charter renewal process.
The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco), Justine Chausson ’20 and Jamie Landsman ’20
Justine Chausson ’20 and Jamie Landsman ’20 partnered with The Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) to analyze potential revenue streams for a new Bronx Music Hall. WHEDco is a community development organization founded on the radically simple idea that all people deserve healthy, vibrant communities. WHEDco’s mission is to give the South Bronx access to all the resources that create thriving neighborhoods: from high-quality early education and after-school programs, to fresh, healthy food, cultural programming, and economic opportunities.
Bronx Arts Ensemble, Christopher Chi ’20 and Jason Segal ’20
Christopher Chi ’20 and Jason Segal ’20 partnered with David Nussenbaum ’81, executive director of Bronx Arts Ensemble, to research new fundraising strategies in the corporate sector. Bronx Arts Ensemble is a New York nonprofit dedicated to bringing art classes to public school classrooms and professional concerts to nearby community venues throughout the Bronx.
Friends of the Children NY, Caitlin Gallagher ’20 and Shayna Johnson ’20
Caitlin Gallagher ’20 and Shayna Johnson ’20 worked with mentor Joan Rosenthal and Friends of the Children NY to calculate the return of investment (ROI) for program prevention for students in the foster care system. Friends of the Children is a nationwide organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through salaried, professional mentoring.
National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), Charles Gariepy ’20
Charles Gariepy ’20 worked with David Johns and the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) to develop a fundraising and engagement strategy with new donors and partners that will expand the organization’s current imprint to deliver a greater volume of advocacy work. NBJC, which empowers LGBTQ people of color in a variety of ways, is the only organization that addresses the intersectional concerns of this unique minority group on a national level.
Environmental Advocates, Adam Gravitt ’20
Adam Gravitt ’20 worked with Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates, to increase the organization’s current board diversity by conducting comparable organization board analysis and identifying potential new board members to fulfill its board diversity initiative.
Charter High School for Law and Social Justice (CHSLSJ), Sanvir Junnarkar ’20 and Ian Sukienik ’20
Sanvir Junnarkar ’20 and Ian Sukienik ’20 partnered with Charter High School for Law and Social Justice (CHSLSJ) to develop a plan to improve recruitment, enrollment, and retention of special education students and English language learners. CHSLSJ is a charter school in the Bronx that uses the theme of law and social justice to engage, inspire, and empower students and create a pathway to law school.
End Allergies Together, Ilay Karateke ’20
Ilay Karateke ’20 worked with End Allergies Together and mentor Elise Bates to create a tangible action plan to spread “Give and Go” messages across the nation to create awareness for children suffering from food allergies. Targeting allergists and pediatricians, the team will evaluate its current footprint and understand which gaps that they need to fill to create awareness.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), Meredith Kernan ’19 and Leeds Pierce ’19
Meredith Kernan ’19 and Leeds Pierce ’19 also worked with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) to determine factors that favor a culture of innovation. The findings were presented to leadership to help NMSS implement organizational best practices.
Literacy Inc. (LINC), Joycerine Lee ’19 and James Rosenberg ’20
Joycerine Lee ’19 and James Rosenberg ’20 each worked on independent projects regarding data and fundraising for Literacy Inc. (LINC), with mentor Shari Levine ’87, executive director. LINC’s mission is to engage families and community members to support young readers in high need neighborhoods.
Community Resource Exchange (CRE), Michael McCarter ’20 and Aishani Sheth ’20
Michael McCarter ’20 and Aishani Sheth ’20 provided a market map and peer analysis for Community Resource Exchange (CRE), a nonprofit consulting firm that provides the strategies and tools needed to build sustainable, high-performing organizations that improve people’s lives and drive social change. Michael and Aishani worked with Katie Leonberger ’08, president and CEO of CRE.
Corbin Hill Food Project, Alex Meyers ’20
Alex Meyers ’20 explored potential new revenue streams and fundraising best practices for Corbin Hill Food Project. Corbin Hill Food Project is a Harlem-based nonprofit and social enterprise that supplies fresh, local food to those who need it most.
Dancing Classrooms, Halle Morse ’20
Halle Morse ’20 worked with mentor Patricia Koyce and Dancing Classrooms to pursue a strategic partnership. By collecting donor data and conducting peer analysis, Halle helped scope out different scenarios that would maximize the potential for both organizations to merge and thrive.
LIFT (Legal Information for Families Today), Jitesh Patel ’20 and Agathe Roncey ’19
Jitesh Patel ’20 and Agathe Roncey ’19 worked with mentor Leslie Abbey and LIFT (Legal Information for Families Today) to design an action plan for the organization to undertake a rebranding project. This included a request for proposal (RFP) and an evaluation framework to select an external marketing agency for the rebranding. LIFT provides information, guidance, and counselling to underrepresented families in New York City’s family courts.
New York Common Pantry (NYCP), Tanya Rosenblut ’20
Tanya Rosenblut ’20 worked with mentor Shannon Tyree Brown ’08 and the New York Common Pantry (NYCP) to assess the feasibility of a new food pantry delivery alternative to address food insecurity in other areas of New York. NYCP is dedicated to reducing hunger throughout New York City while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency.
HELP USA, Brandon Rye ’19 and Sophie Zhang ’20
Brandon Rye ’19 and Sophie Zhang ’20 worked with HELP USA, an affordable housing developer providing quality and sustainable housing for low-income families and individuals, to evaluate the long-term financial viability of several new development opportunities, as well as related social enterprise ventures and programs.
American Composers Orchestra (ACO), Mercury Tin ’19
Mercury Tin ’19 worked with Tess Mateo ’97 and the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) to develop corporate partnerships for the organization. ACO is dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by American composers.
