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: 2019-20 | 2018-19 | 2017-18 | 2016-17 | 2015-16 | 2014-15 | 2013-14 | 2012-13 | 2011-12 | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-07
2020–21 Projects for Nonprofit Boards
Blue Engine: Michelle Jastrzab ’22 and Rinol Pereira ’21
Michelle Jastrzab ’22 and Rinol Pereira ’21 worked with Blue Engine to support a pivot in business strategy from in-person with an NYC focus to codified programming and out-of-state expansion by providing an implementation framework for their business, talent, fundraising, and marketing plans, with a research focus on growth and monetization best practices. Blue Engine optimizes how educators work together to create engaging, individualized learning experiences for students marginalized by racism and bias.
Bottom Line: Nicoline Bach ’22 and Daksh Khullar &rsquo21
Nicoline Bach ’22 and Daksh Khullar ’21 worked with Bottom Line NYC to develop a strategic improvement plan to increase student participation, engagement, and outcomes focused on achieving employment within six months of graduation from the program. Bottom Line is an education nonprofit that serves over 8,000 students from three regional offices in Boston, Chicago, and New York City to address the low college graduation rates for first generation students from low income-income backgrounds.
Bronx Arts Ensemble: Giovanna Vera ’21 and Sihe Zhai ’21
Giovanna Vera ’21 and Sihe Zhai ’21 worked with Bronx Arts Ensemble to research how similar organizations, locally and internationally, are coping with the adverse effects of the COVID-19 crisis, and to identify potential opportunities to expand their impact despite physical constraints and lockdown regulations. Bronx Arts Ensemble is a nonprofit based in New York that brings music and related arts to Bronx schools and neighborhoods.
CaringKind: Barrie Ginsberg ’21 and Anne Troy ’21
Barrie Ginsberg ’21 and Anne Troy ’21 worked with CaringKind to develop and scale a new national fundraising program called “Caregiver Champions.” CaringKind is a New York City-based nonprofit focused on supporting Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving.
Equality New York: Alice Ou ’22
Alice Ou ’22 worked with Equality New York (EQNY) to conduct user and market research to optimize marketing efforts and iterate core product offerings, and to further drive the user outreaches and branding awareness. EQNY is a largest New York State-wide advocacy organization dedicated to advancing equality and justice for LGBTQI New Yorkers and their families.
Food Equality Initiative: Benjamin Best ’22
Benjamin Best ’22 worked with Food Equality Initiative (FEI) to research the online nutritional counseling landscape and create a recommendation on how to incorporate telehealth into FEI’s existing online food marketplace. Food Equality Initiative is a nonprofit that seeks to improve health and end hunger in individuals diagnosed with food allergies and celiac disease through access to safe and healthy food, nutrition education, and advocacy.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History: Jennifer Golden ’22
Jennifer Golden ’22 worked with mentor Susan Zuckerman to collect and analyze data about Gilder Lehrman Institute’s individual donors to develop a strategy to further engage those donors. Gilder Lehrman Institute is an education nonprofit that provides engaging historical resources to teachers and students to make history come alive in the classroom.
Good Shepherd Services: Becca Manning ’22 and Nicole Ziegler ’22
Becca Manning ’22 and Nicole Ziegler ’22 worked with Good Shepherd Services to cultivate a marketing strategy to target potential volunteers and/or board members and sustain involvement. The marketing plan is constructed via counterpart analysis, the design of an enhanced data tracking system to better match volunteer programs and point of entry analysis, identifying potential corporate sponsorships, and SWOT Analysis of GSS’s junior board initiative called Spring Board. Through educational, residential, and child welfare programs, Good Shepherd Services creates opportunities for New York City's children and families who have been historically marginalized and impacted by systemic racism. Since 1857, the organization's mission has been woven into the fabric of New York City, serving more than 30,000 participants in more than 90 programs.
Good Shepherd Volunteers: Calvin Yu ’22
Calvin Yu ’22 worked with Good Shepherd Volunteers (GSV) to research and quantify characteristics of volunteer applicants and impact of volunteer efforts. GSV recruits, educates, and supports full-time volunteers who use their God-given talents to serve women, adolescents, and children affected by poverty, violence, and neglect in domestic and international placements.
The Harlem Chamber Players: Katherine Boorstein ’22
Katherine Boorstein ’22 worked with The Harlem Chamber Players to scale its funding strategy by identifying best practices for private donor cultivation, board development, and foundation relations. The Harlem Chamber Players is an arts nonprofit dedicated to bringing live classical music to the Harlem community, building a next-generation audience for classical music, and creating opportunities for classically trained musicians of color.
Harlem Wellness Center: Kathryn Savasuk ’21 and Josephine Wei ’21
Kathryn Savasuk ’21 and Josephine Wei ’21 worked with Harlem Wellness Center (HWC) to design and build an effective junior board for the organization, creating an additional revenue stream and a more effective organization with the potential for greater impact. HWC is a nonprofit based in New York City that aims to foster healthier communities by educating, supporting, and engaging populations most vulnerable to adult-onset disease in healthy lifestyle behaviors.
HELP USA: Chris Franzi ’21 and Chris Waterman ’21
Chris Franzi ’21 and Chris Waterman ’21 worked with mentor Stephen Mott and HELP USA to develop a public relations plan that supports HELP USA’s recently completed five-year strategic plan. HELP USA works to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home; HELP USA runs over 50 programs and residences and has served 500,000 people.
Jericho Project: Blake Garcia ’21 and Daniel Vasserman ’22
Blake Garcia ’21 and Daniel Vasserman ’22 worked with mentor Mimi Boublik ’90 and Jericho Project to support the organization’s finance team. Blake and Daniel partnered with key members of Jericho Project’s leadership team to implement their online banking needs by researching best practices and streamlining the processes needed to effectively implement their digital strategy.
Literacy Inc.: Caroline Ostrover ’22 and Farrin Ripp ’21
Caroline Ostrover ’22 and Farrin Ripp ’21 worked with mentor Shari Levine ’87 at Literacy Inc. (LINC) to research and design a marketing plan for the 25th anniversary of Literacy Inc. with the goal of celebrating the organization’s history and increasing the visibility of the critical importance of early literacy. LINC mobilizes resources in high-need communities in New York City to surround children with a literacy-rich environment at home, school, and in their neighborhood.
The Meeting House: Justin Terry ’21 and Danielle Yanai ’22
Justin Terry ’21 and Danielle Yanai ’22 worked with The Meeting House to research market opportunities, establish a clear brand identity, and develop a comprehensive marketing strategy to expand the reach and impact of their programming and achieve a sustainable growth model. The Meeting House is a nonprofit providing social and emotional education programming to children and adults in the New York City area. Their innovative curriculum focuses on empathy, self-awareness, flexibility, self-regulation, resiliency, friendship, and conflict management, through an active participatory environment of fun, friendship and community.
Nantucket Boys and Girls Club: Elizabeth Bielen ’22 and Robin Mesiro ’22
Elizabeth Bielen ’22 and Robin Mesiro ’22 worked with the Nantucket Boys and Girls Club to expand the organization’s annual fundraising efforts and identify potential grant opportunities. The Nantucket Boys and Girls Club is a nonprofit whose mission is to empower the youth of Nantucket to realize their full potential.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Cynthia Mantassas ’21
Cynthia Mantassas ’21 worked with The National Multiple Sclerosis Society to research geographic, generational, demographic and lifestyle trends of Society’s constituent groups and recommend effective ways to build volunteer and community engagement efforts to achieve maximum impact. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a nonprofit based in New York City whose mission is to ensure people affected by MS can live their best lives as we stop MS in its tracks, restore what has been lost, and end MS forever.
Qualitas of Life Foundation: Laura Tulchin ’21 and Andrea Sordia Zanella ’22
Laura Tulchin ’21 and Andrea Sordia Zanella ’22 worked with Qualitas of Life to review the organization's financial model, board structure, and growth opportunities. Qualitas of Life is a financial literacy nonprofit based in New York City that provides educational resources to Hispanic individuals and families in order to foster financial literacy and improve standard of living.
The Reading Team: Thilini Ariyawansa ’21 and Anna Houseman ’21
Thilini Ariyawansa ’21 and Anna Houseman ’21 worked with The Reading Team to create a metrics framework with recommendations on (1) necessary data points to track and (2) a sustainable infrastructure to measure and track the data. The Reading Team is an education nonprofit in New York City that provides daily reading and writing instruction to help young children at high risk of reading failure develop the skills, habits, and behaviors that will support their success in school and in life.
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: Charlotte Keys ’22, Laura Miller ’22, and Rola Saleh ’21
Charlotte Keys ’22, Laura Miller ’22, and Rola Saleh ’21 worked with Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to research norms and trends in European philanthropy and assess the market for the organization’s services in Europe. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is a nonprofit based in New York City that aims to create thoughtful, effective philanthropy throughout the world by offering their clients various forms of support in organizing their philanthropic initiatives.
SoHarlem: Douglas Dutton ’1 and Katie Schneider ’21
Douglas Dutton ’21 and Katie Schneider ’21 worked with SoHarlem to develop metrics to quantify the effectiveness and success of the organization's trainee and apprenticeship, and designers in residence programs. SoHarlem is a place-based social enterprise that partners with artists, artisans, creative entrepreneurs, Manhattanville residents, and public and private partners to connect under-employed and unemployed local people with cultural industries opportunities, enabling them to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
University Settlement: Mary Myles ’22 and Peter Sun ’21
Mary Myles ’22 and Peter Sun ’21 worked with University Settlement to develop a robust marketing strategy for its Connection Circles initiative that included recommendations for sales enablement, marketing toolkits, customer journey mapping, and digital community and customer relationship management. In the climate of COVID-19, University Settlement worked to amplify the awareness, engagement, and advocacy around Connection Circles in order to widen their impact on an individual and collective level. University Settlement tackles multidimensional challenges created by systemic racial and economic inequalities by providing integrated services that strengthen families.
