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: 2015-16 Projects | 2014-15 Projects | 2013-14 Projects | 2012-13 Projects | 2011-12 Projects | 2010-11 Projects | 2009-10 Projects | 2008-09 Projects | 2007-08 Projects | 2006-07 Projects
2016–17 Projects for Nonprofit Boards
Friends of the Children NY, Miah Brown, ’18BUS
Miah Brown, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Joan Rosenthal and Friends of the Children NY to develop additional metrics to track success, beyond simple rates of participation. Friends of the Children NY is a nonprofit organization that provides salaried, professional mentors to at-risk youth in Harlem and the South Bronx.
The Support Center/Partnership in Philanthropy, Eugene Chai, ’17BUS
Eugene Chai, ’17BUS, worked with mentor Keith Timko, ’02BUS, executive director of The Support Center/Partnership in Philanthropy. Eugene created a dashboard for use in strategic planning for the organization.
New Women New Yorkers (NWNY), Cristabel Choong, ’17BUS
Cristabel Choong, ’17BUS, worked with mentor Shauna Ruda at New Women New Yorkers (NWNY), an organization dedicated to empowering young women immigrants in New York City, to develop a fundraising strategy to fund their outreach programs. Cristabel analyzed approaches taken by similar nonprofits and identified potential organizations to diversify funding sources. Finally, she developed a roadmap for the implementation of the fundraising strategy.
Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY), Shagun Chopra, ’18BUS
Shagun Chopra, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Nora Murphy, ’08BUS, at Creative Alternatives of New York (CANY), a nonprofit that has pioneered the use of drama therapy as an effective treatment intervention for trauma-affected populations that include at-risk youth, refugees, veterans, and domestic violence survivors among others. Shagun focused on developing strategies to identify and recruit new board members for CANY and worked with the executive committee to increase the size of the CANY Board.
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), Melanie Chow, ’17BUS
Melanie Chow, ’17BUS, worked with mentor and center advisory board member Melissa Berman, CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA). Melanie worked with RPA to evaluate its existing pricing structure. She conducted market research on competitive pricing models, analyzed RPA’s historical pricing data, and built a pricing model to understand how certain variables would impact margins across its service lines and provide potential for long-term funding of innovative ideas and thought leadership work.
CaringKind, John Clarke, ’17BUS
John Clarke, ’17BUS, worked with mentor and center advisory board member Mark Zurack and CaringKind, a nonprofit health organization focused on Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving in New York City. John analyzed CaringKind’s annual Alzheimer’s Walk to evaluate its fundraising potential, recommend strategic changes, and ensure alignment with CaringKind’s organizational structure.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Joe Cosentino, ’18BUS
Joe Cosentino, ’18BUS, worked with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to help develop an internal audit function for the first time. Joe took an external view of the project, and conducted several interviews with internal auditors in national nonprofits to identify best practices and pitfalls to avoid when creating an internal audit function, and worked with management to develop an implementation plan.
Horizons at Sacred Heart University, Charles Eberly, ’17BUS
Charles Eberly, ’17BUS, worked with mentor Brad Evans, ’70BUS, and Horizons at Sacred Heart University, a summer enrichment program located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Charles conducted an analysis of Horizons’ current and potential funding sources. He identified local sources of government funding and provided a roadmap for Horizons to obtain the potential government grants.
Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, Bill Fields, ’17BUS
Bill Fields, ’17BUS, worked with the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and center advisory Board member Mimi Boublik, ’90BUS, to research and target potential corporations to sponsor the center’s Awards Breakfast.
Pioneer Works, Maria Fillas, ’18BUS
Maria Fillas, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Marcia Santoni, ’89BUS and Pioneer Works, a center for research and experimentation in contemporary culture that seeks to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries, foster community, and provide a space where alternative modes of thought are supported and activated in tangible ways. Maria worked with the founder, CEO, COO, and head of advancement to design a membership program for the four-year-old organization. Maria surveyed the landscape of comparable cultural institutions, analyzing programs and identifying best practices in membership cultivation. She integrated these findings with analysis of Pioneer Works’ historical data regarding donors and visitors to craft a strategy uniquely tailored to Pioneer Works’ needs and ethos.
The Blue Card, Alexis Goldstein, ’17BUS
Alexis Goldstein, ’17BUS, worked with mentor Gia Machlin, ’91BUS, and the The Blue Card, an organization that works with Holocaust survivor households. Alexis helped create metrics for new marketing materials.
Minds Matter NYC, Elsbeth Grant, ’18BUS
Elsbeth Grant, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Andrew Jacobi, ’12BUS, at Minds Matter NYC, a mentorship organization in New York City that provides high achieving low-income students with mentorship and college preparedness resources. Elsbeth researched methods for future growth and prepared recommendations for future partner schools that would allow Minds Matter NYC to double the number of students they serve in the 2017-2018 school year and be prepared for future growth in subsequent school years.
Fresh Youth Initiatives (FYI), Erwan Kerouredan, ’17BUS
Erwan Kerouredan, ’17BUS, worked with Fresh Youth Initiatives (FYI) and mentor Amit Jain to develop recommendations for new HR procedures to develop a talent pipeline for FYI. FYI provides a safe haven in Washington Heights for children and teens, grades K through 12, the majority of whom are immigrant and bilingual youth from the Dominican Republic and Central America.
The Alpha Workshops, Miriam Krule, ’18BUS
Miriam Krule, ’18BUS, partnered with The Alpha Workshops and mentor Steve Symonds, ’84BUS, to create a marketing brochure to emphasize impact and outcomes. The Alpha Workshops is the nation’s only nonprofit organization that provides creative HIV-positive individuals with industry-specific training and employment in the decorative arts.
Metropolitan Lighthouse Charter School (MetLCS), Samantha Lalli, ’17BUS
Samantha Lalli, ’;17BUS, worked with mentor Aryanne Ferranti, ’10BUS, and Metropolitan Lighthouse Charter School (MetLCS) to formulate a data dashboard for the education committee of the board. The dashboard will be used to assess how MetLCS is making progress towards meeting education-specific goals.
Partnership for After School Education (PASE), Sarah Lewis, ’17BUS
Sarah Lewis, ’17BUS, worked with executive director Alison Overseth, ’84BUS, and mentor Dr. Tanya Williams and the Partnership for After School Education (PASE) on a review of their marketing strategies and materials. Sarah focused on increasing external visibility and attracting sponsors.
Youth Represent, Federico Martino, ’18BUS
Federico Martino, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Joel Copperman and Youth Represent, an organization dedicated to improving the lives and futures of young people affected by the criminal justice system. Federico analyzed potential social media and website upgrades and ways for Youth Represents to implement additional social media products.
National Organization on Disability (NOD), Molly Magnusun, ’18BUS
Molly Magnusun, ’18BUS, worked with National Organization on Disability (NOD) and mentor Carol Glazer as well as chief external affairs officer Ilene Moskowitz, ’80BUS, to conduct analysis and research on a variety of industry sectors and their applicability to NOD. Molly helped identify potential target industry verticals for creating employment opportunities.
Bronx Arts Ensemble, Jordan McNulty, ’18BUS
Jordan McNulty, ’18BUS, worked with the Bronx Arts Ensemble and mentor and executive director David Nussenbaum ’81BUS, to redefine the core strategy of the Bronx Arts Ensemble and improve its marketing efforts. Jordan developed a competitive landscape of similar organizations and applied the learnings from this exercise to develop a strategy and marketing campaign that would allow BAE to serve more students and increase attendance at their musical performances for the broader Bronx community.
Classroom, Inc., Chris McVety, ’17BUS
Chris McVety, ’17BUS, collaborated with Jon Friedland, ’97BUS, at Classroom, Inc., a nonprofit that offers digital learning games to students in low-income communities to cultivate their literacy and leadership skills. To assist in the development of the organization’s positioning strategy, Chris completed a competitor analysis to map the industry landscape and identify market opportunities.
City Health Works, Jamie Meyerson, ’17BUS
Jamie Meyerson, ’17BUS, worked with mentor Josh Weisbrod at City Health Works, a nonprofit that bridges the gap between the doctor's office and the everyday lives of patients diagnosed with life-threatening chronic illnesses. Jamie worked on business development efforts, creating a framework to identify and prioritize customer opportunities to support future growth.
Environmental Advocates (EA) of New York, Clare Murray, ’17BUS
Clare Murray, ’17BUS, worked with executive director Peter Iwanowicz and center advisory board member Lise Strickler, ’86BUS, of Environmental Advocates (EA) of New York. EA is the leading environmental government watchdog in Albany. Clare interviewed current members of the board of directors to understand their current structure, individual responsibilities, and future vision for EA. She also researched peer organizations and industry best practices to form a development strategy. The findings will help environmental advocates explore additional funding opportunities and partnerships.
Bottomless Closet, Kelly O'Connell, ’18BUS
Kelly O'Connell, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Sheila Lambert and Bottomless Closet, an organization that provides professional clothing and job readiness for disadvantaged women in New York City. Kelly analyzed the inventory management system and identified opportunities to systematize efficiency and maximize donations.
Literacy, Inc., Ted Ogden, ’17BUS
Ted Ogden, ’17BUS, worked with mentor Shari Levine, ’87BUS, at Literacy, Inc., an organization that creates a sustainable culture around reading through interconnected programming designed to mobilize existing resources. Ted reviewed LINC’s existing marketing materials, compiled a comparative study of peer organizations’ strategies, and helped LINC to shape a new pitchbook and portfolio of marketing materials reflecting best practices and designed to increase engagement and fundraising capacity.
PowerPlay NYC, Lauren O'Meara, ’18BUS
Lauren O'Meara, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Kimberly Doyle, ’11BUS, and PowerPlay NYC, an organization dedicated to inspiring and educating girls through one-of-a-kind sports and academic enrichment programs. Lauren’s project focused on fundraising and marketing for PowerPlay.
Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, Divya Raj, ’18BUS
Divya Raj, ’18BUS, worked with mentor and center advisory board member Mimi Boublik, ’90BUS, and the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise to conduct a feasibility analysis on the potential for a corporate social responsibility training program for mid-size firms.
Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS), Jeannie Rumsey, ’17BUS
Jeannie Rumsey, ’17BUS, is worked with mentor Regina Lee Fechter, ’13BUS, at Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS), a relatively new charter school in District 15. BUGS is still establishing itself in the local community as a high-quality middle school that focuses on environmental sustainability and systems thinking. Jeannie partnered with BUGS to create a strategic marketing and recruiting plan for the 2017-2018 school year.
Coalition of Rainforest Nations, David Schreiber, ’17BUS
David Schreiber, ’17BUS, worked with the Coalition of Rainforest Nations, an organization that seeks responsible stewardship of the world's last great rainforests through innovative strategies that integrate social, economic, and scientific rationales to achieve environmental sustainability. David worked with mentor Professor Geoffrey Heal to suggest a potential platform for trading existing carbon credits.
Pratham USA, Charu Singhall, ’18BUS
Charu Singhall, ’18BUS, worked with Pratham USA, the local affiliate of the India-based organization that provides education, specifically literacy programs, to children in India. Charu worked with mentor Raman Kapur, ’73BUS, to research potential corporate sponsors for Pratham.
Film Society of Lincoln Center, Jeff Snop, ’17BUS
Jeff Snop, ’17BUS, worked with the Film Society of Lincoln Center and center advisory board member Ronnie Planalp, ’86BUS, to investigate new sponsorship opportunities. By evaluating current sponsorship partnerships as well as conducting peer analysis, Jeff and the Film Society of Lincoln Center unlocked new revenue opportunities that fit well aesthetically within the organization.
Partnership Schools, Matt Taylor, ’18BUS
Matt Taylor, ’18BUS, worked with Partnership Schools and mentor Jane O’Connell to design a process for aligning school outcomes against the organization’s mission. Matt worked with the Partnership Schools team to develop essential questions and measures of success for assessing organizational health and performance.
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), Elina Tunyan, ’17BUS
Elina Tunyan, ’17BUS, partnered with mentor Diron Jebejian and the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), a nonprofit organization that uses community-led approaches to reducing rural poverty, with a particular focus on children. Elina provided summary recommendations and sample templates for internal budgeting, reporting, KPI metric tracking and external presentations.
Friends of WHEELS, Kimlee Wong, ’18BUS
Kimlee Wong, ’18BUS, worked with mentor Amanda Cahn, ’10BUS, and Friends of WHEELS to conduct a peer analysis of similar organizations in the education space, with a special focus on how other organizations communicate their missions and successes. The results with help Friends of WHEELS formulate a more effective marketing strategy.
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ellen Yang, ’17BUS
Ellen Yang, ’17BUS, worked with mentor Mike Bogdonoff at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, a national organization dedicated to empowering those affected by MS and supporting MS research, to explore market expansion opportunities in the NY and DC metro area. As part of the project, Ellen worked with the MS Society national development lead and conducted revenue analyses and stakeholder and donor research to craft recommendations for increasing revenue in the target markets.
