2006 Summer Internship Projects
Boys and Girls Club of Boston (BGCB) – Boston,
MA – www.bgcb.org
Project Type: Survey Research & Evaluation
Intern: Ankita Kumar, MBA '06
With five Clubs located in Charlestown, Chelsea, Dorchester, Roxbury and
South Boston; four Boston Community Learning Centers; and licensed social
workers located in six local police stations and three citywide units through
the Youth Service Providers Network, BGCB touches the lives of 12,000 young
people each year, nurturing their self-esteem by instilling in them a sense
of belonging, usefulness, influence and competence.
The intern will analyze data gathered through BGCB's MIS system using
a "theory of change" framework to articulate a shared vision while
developing overarching measures applied to the organizational structure. The
intern will analyze the aggregate member data and develop recommendations
for a more integrated strategy and application of the findings.
Donor: J. Ira & Nicki Harris Family Foundation and Mark
& Erin Epker
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Cook Center for Sustainable Agriculture in the
American West - Bozeman, MT - www.cookcenter.org
Project Type: Assessing Economic Development Opportunities
for Family Ranchers and Native American Ranchers in Montana
Intern: Greg Shopoff, MBA '07
The organization is committed to creating economic sustainability for Montana's
family ranchers through the provision of educational resources and support
in identifying and creating revenue opportunities for their land.
The project will focus on assessing entrepreneurial economic development
opportunities and initiatives in Montana. The intern will research alternatives
for economic development for both family ranchers and Native Americans and
will conduct interviews and focus groups to assess opportunities for future
growth and expansion of product offerings at the Cook Center.
Donor: James B. Wolf Jr. and the Zell Lurie Institute for
Entrepreneurial Studies
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Project Type: Finance
Intern: Ram Kapadia, MBA '06
Every Child Succeeds (ECS) is an evidence-based prevention program for at-risk,
first-time mothers and their children in southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky.
Serving more than 8,400 families with close to 166,000 home visits since 1999,
ECS has exceeded measurable benchmarks when compared to similar populations.
The existing community need would require ECS to increase their program delivery
at a cost of $22M.
In order to address plans for future growth and expansion, ECS requested
that an intern create a report that analyzes other types of organizational
funding models, public policy requirements and pending legislation with regard
to capitalization, unbundled visit payments, incentives for quality and/or
productivity and payment tied to outcomes.
Donor: Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc.
A Johnson & Johnson Company
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Exchange Club Family Center – Oxford,
MS
Project Type: Organizational review, Web site Development
and Marketing/Fundraising Plan
Intern: Liz Peng, BBA '07
The Exchange Club Family Center's mission is to break the cycle of
child abuse and neglect through prevention, intervention and educational services,
and to replace abusive behavior with effective skills for responsible parenting.
The intern will review agency policies and procedures in preparation for
filing for accreditation as well as create a Web site and a marketing/fundraising
plan for the organization's primary fundraiser, the Birdie for Charity
Golf Tournament.
Donor: Whirlpool Foundation
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Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation
- Detroit, MI - www.grdc.org
Project Type: Promotions and Marketing
Intern: Denise Linton, BBA '06
The mission of the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation is to preserve
and improve the physical environment of the Grandmont/Rosedale area to create
a stronger and more vital community for all who live and work there.
The intern will follow through with a committee that has initiated research
on the creation of a neighborhood farmers' market as a periodic event.
The intern will research the feasibility of such a venture and will work with
the Corporation to develop the business strategy required to organize all
aspects of the kick-off.
Donor: Michigan AmeriCorps Partnerships and Ross School
of Business Annual Fund
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Gratiot Avenue Business Alliance - Detroit,
MI
Project Type: Strategic Business Plan
Intern: Cathy Zheng, BBA '07
The Gratiot Avenue Business Alliance serves the community along Gratiot
Avenue from downtown Detroit to Eight Mile Road. Formed to act as an advocate
for economic development along Gratiot Avenue, the organization's role
is to convene the business and property owners along Gratiot's commercial
corridor to formulate an agenda for economic development.
The Alliance is ready to focus on the development of a business plan and
a survey of Gratiot Corridor economic development planning. The intern is
needed to work with the Alliance Board members on the preparation of this
plan addressing the following: organizational mission, five-year work plan,
management structure, economic development objectives, financial requirements
and related issues.
Donor: Michigan AmeriCorps Partnerships and Ross School
of Business Annual Fund
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Habitat for Humanity International - Benton
Harbor, MI
Project Type: Marketing
Intern: Amy Chung, BBA '07
This project will be a joint venture between Habitat for Humanity International
and Whirlpool Corporation.
Habitat for Humanity International develops communities with people in need
by building and renovating houses. Habitat for Humanity mobilizes local leadership
and resources to expand access to affordable shelter for all people.
The Benton Harbor Marketing intern will cultivate relationships with local
community leaders, Habitat for Humanity affiliates and staff, and Whirlpool
Corporation. They will help develop and implement Whirlpool's Habitat partnership
vision and support Whirlpool's sponsorship activities around the 2006 Jimmy
Carter Work Project, Home Builder's Blitz 2006, Harbor Habitat and other
projects.
Donor: Whirlpool Corporation
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Harbor Habitat for Humanity and Citizens for
Progressive Change - Benton Harbor, MI
Project Type: Community Leadership and Development Assessment
Intern: Jomo Thorne, MBA/MPP '08
Harbor Habitat for Humanity, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International,
is a Christian nonprofit housing organization that seeks to eliminate substandard
housing in Benton Harbor, Michigan, by engaging the community and partnering
with families to provide them with a decent place to live.
The mission of Citizens for Progressive Change Inc. is to implement the
recommendations of Governor Jennifer M. Granholm's Benton Harbor Task Force.
Implementation of these recommendations will occur through a process of advocacy,
education and collaboration.
The project specifically calls for the assessment of community leadership
and the development of potential collaboration strategies. In addition, the
project calls for the initiation of a process leading to the creation of a
unified and comprehensive master plan for development. Critical to the success
of this project will be the ability to generate both a memorandum of understanding
and a community benefits plan agreeable to a large cross-section of community
stakeholders. These should address community needs in the areas of education,
workforce development, housing, land-use and leadership development. In addition,
a strategy for communicating this benefits package to the entire community
must be developed.
Donor: Whirlpool Foundation
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Harlem Children's Zone – New York
City – www.hcz.org
Project Type: Strategic Business Plan and Marketing/Development
Plan for Medical/Dental Clinic
Intern: Soma Ramasubramaniam, MBA '06
Founded in 1970, Harlem Children's Zone Inc. (HCZ) is a pioneering, nonprofit,
community-based organization that works to enhance the quality of life for
children and families in some of New York City's most devastated neighborhoods.
HCZ's CEO, Geoffrey Canada, has created a partnership with Irwin Redlener,
visionary president of the Children's Health Fund, to operate a medical/dental
clinic that will serve the children and families in a 60-block area of Central
Harlem.
The intern will create a strategic business plan to address the complexities
of the operation, development and branding of the new clinic, which will serve
a poor urban community where many people have little or no health insurance
or no doctor.
Donor: J. Ira & Nicki Harris Family Foundation
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Henry Ford Learning Institute – Dearborn,
MI – www.hfli.org
Project Type: Best Practices Research and Creation of Financial
Plan
Intern: Neal Uppal, BBA '07
The Henry Ford Learning Institute (HFLI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated
to creating small schools and innovative methods of teaching and learning
to improve educational opportunities for all students.
HFLI is continuing with an aggressive plan for expansion of their charter
school system into other targeted locations. The intern will build on last
year's project that includes: benchmarking and completing best practices
research of other innovative public high schools, creating a financial model
and preparing data to be included in a charter application. The intern also
will work with staff to develop a site map for a future Web site.
Donor: Ford Foundation
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Intertribal Council on Utility Policy (COUP)
- Lower Brule Reservation, South Dakota - www.nativewind.org
Project Type: Feasibility Analysis
Intern: Mark Shahinian, MS/JD '08
Intertribal COUP is the leading Native American company focused on bringing
wind energy to the marketplace so that tribal nations will benefit from the
harnessing of wind energy to sell and bring revenue to tribal members.
The intern will study the economic feasibility of bio-fuels and landfill
gas generation on the Intertribal COUP reservations, examining transportation
costs vs. local refining and usage toward firming wind power; and following
on last summer's project of researching the comparative economics of several
potential business structures or models.
Donor: U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Indian
Energy and Economic Development
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Jefferson East Business Association –
Detroit, MI – www.jeffersoneast.org
Project Type: Fundraising
Intern: Brandis Johnson, BBA '07
The Jefferson East Business Association (JEBA) is committed to the revitalization
of the East Jefferson Commercial Corridor. They provide a variety of services
to the community including Business Development, Physical Planning & Development
and Clean & Safe Initiatives.
The intern will spearhead the production of JEBAs' third annual event, "Jazzin
on Jefferson," which will market and promote the East Jefferson Commercial
Corridor. The student will be responsible for marketing the event, coordinating
volunteers, securing sponsors and coordinating municipal/government relations
related to the event.
Donor: Michigan AmeriCorps Partnerships and Ross School
of Business Annual Fund
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Jewish Child Care Agency New York - New York,
NY - www.jccany.org
Project Type: Finance
Intern: Ciprian Vilcu, MBA '07
The Jewish Child Care Agency of New York's mission is to meet the
child welfare and mental health needs of all children and their families in
the New York metropolitan area.
They are committed to providing services to Jewish children and their families
in support of the Jewish continuity. Their highly trained, dedicated staff
works collaboratively with families to build on their strengths, preserve
the family when possible and help create new families when necessary, so that
all children may thrive by having a sense of family, culture and community.
The organization is facing increased demands for accountability and documentation
by governmental contractors. The intern will review and analyze current financial
systems, including a financial analysis of contracts and reimbursements and
assess gaps in its financial practices. The intern will create an analysis
of their financial systems, make recommendations and assist with implementation.
Donor: JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the Dayle H. and Michael
Katz Family Foundation
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Lenawee County Chamber of Commerce - Adrian,
MI - www.lenaweechamber.com
Project Type: Land Development and Job Industry Creation
Intern: Nie (Michael) Deng, MBA '06
Lenawee County is seeking to develop corporate and industrial parks to attract
new businesses to the area. The intern will generate industry-specific targets
that represent the best potential for attraction - and consequently job creation
- for up to eight publicly owned sites. The intern will create a detailed
proposal for each site and a list of companies in each sector that the Lenawee
Chamber staff and local community can approach about a potential job creation
project.
Donor: Lenawee County Chamber of Commerce
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Little Rockies Meat Packing Co - Malta, MT
Project Type: Marketing Strategic Plan
Intern: Radu Cojocaru, MBA '07
Ft. Belknap, the home of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes, is along
the trail of the historic Lewis and Clark Expedition. Local Native American
entrepreneurs have launched meat packaging businesses; and one of the companies,
Little Rockies Meat Packing Co., is in need of a marketing strategy to create
awareness and increase demand for their product lines. Providing custom butchering
and processing services for wholesale and retail companies, they are considering
niche markets in specialty areas including smoke house products and specialty
cuts to sell to high-end restaurants and retail establishments.
The intern will complete an assessment of business practices based on a competitive
analysis and, using the existing business plan, write a strategic marketing
proposal.
Donor: U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Indian
Energy and Economic Development
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Mexicantown Community Development Corporation
- Detroit, MI - www.mexicantown.org
Project Type: Economic/Organizational Development
Intern: Jiboye Adeoye, MBA '07
The mission of the Mexicantown Community Development Corporation is to advocate
for and build a stronger, more prosperous future for the historic, vibrant
and diverse Mexicantown community of Southwest Detroit through economic, business
and cultural development.
The intern will be responsible for working with Mexicantown staff and the
Mexicantown Mercado Committee to complete the Property Management Plan for
the Mexicantown Mercado. This includes completing a feasability analysis for
a property development project.
Donor: Michigan AmeriCorps Partnerships and Ross School
of Business Annual Fund
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National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship
(NFTE) - NYC - www.nfte.com
NFTE teaches entrepreneurship to young people from low-income communities
to enhance their economic productivity by improving their business, academic
and life skills through partnership with schools, universities and community-based
organizations and innovative, experiential curricula. The award-winning program
offers training and support for teachers and youth workers and cultivates
graduates through their alumni services. Since 1987, NFTE has educated more
than 120,000 low-income young entrepreneurs and trained more than 3,700 Certified
Entrepreneurship Teachers in 31 states and 13 countries. In 2005, NFTE educated
22,000 young entrepreneurs.
Project Type: Organizational Preparedness for Planned Growth
and Expansion
Interns: Janicke Falkenberg, International Exchange Student, MBA '07
Alison Leff, MBA '07
The organization
has yet to standardize a procedure for opening new program offices. NFTE's
Board of Directors and field staff have requested such a "how-to"
manual. The standardized expansion manual will codify and disseminate best
practices and standards. The manual will consist of two parts, one for staff
at NFTE headquarters and one for the local field staff working to establish
a program office. The two MBA interns will map NFTE’s knowledge and
procedures against what other organizations do, and emulate successful
practices. They
will create an interview guide that will allow them to access and organize
the relevant information from the NFTE staff. The final step of the project
will be the actual writing of the manual which will be written it up
in a simple, yet detailed manner structured around all the information the
interns researched, compiled and filtered.
Project Type: Alumni Association Marketing Plan
Intern: Alzeira Pereira, BBA '07
The BBA intern will work with NFTE Alumin Services Club to provide more
opportunities and resources to alumni by creating a business model to
establish 5 new clubs in four New York City burroughs. The intern will
research similar program and donor funding models to support her plan.
Donor: Lew and Bobbie Frankfort Family Foundation, J. Ira
& Nicki Harris Family Foundation and JPMorgan Chase Foundation
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Navajo Nation Division of Economic Development
- St. Michaels, AZ - www.navajoadvantage.com
Project Type: Strategic Business Plan
Intern: Omurhu Onokpise, MBA '07
Project Type: Industrial Development Plan
Intern: Ramin Taleghani, BBA '06
Navajo Intern: Joseph Kaulaity, Dine`College, MBA '07
Honoring its unique and enduring values, the Navajo Nation approaches the
21st century with a philosophy not of expenditures, but of investments in
its people, resources, infrastructure and the environment. The Navajo Nation
Division of Economic Development is planning for the growth and delivery of
their agricultural product line by developing a business plan which will
effectively bring their products to the marketplace. As part of that
initiative, the interns will analyze the infrastructure for two industrial
parks located on the reservation and create a strategic plan for industrial development in the
Four Corners region of the Navajo Reservation.
Donor: Union Pacific Foundation
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Our Michigan - Lansing, MI
Project Type: Feasibility study of an environmental civic
engagement initiative
Interns: Elizabeth Eagan, MPP '06
Our Michigan is a program developed by Domestic Corp (DC) interns in 2005-2006,
under a grant from the GM Foundation. After conducting an analysis of SOLV,
an organization in Oregon that is a leader in building service-learning strategies
through volunteerism and environmental cleanup projects, DC interns are ready
to take this project into the next phase: developing a pilot program to apply
the lessons of SOLV's success to a program in the state of Michigan.
In conjunction with the Michigan Community Service Commission, the DC intern
will conduct a 14-week assessment of implementation strategies for this project,
and will write a business plan, build statewide support, and present the MCSC
with several options for pursuing the goals of a service learning civic engagement
organization---Our Michigan.
Donor: General Motors Foundation
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Project Type: Organizational Impact Analysis
Intern: Diana Bartlett, MPP, '06
SOLV organizes, coordinates and fills an average of 85,000 volunteer opportunities
each year, through a dozen programs focused on cleanup, restoration and enhancement.
Programs include semi-annual Great Oregon Beach Cleanups, Down by the Riverside,
SOLV IT, Oregon Adopt-A-River, Volunteer Action Training and K-12 Service-Learning,
among others.
The intern will create an impact index survey to identify all major value
drivers related to SOLV's success in building community through the
preservation of the lands and beaches of Oregon. The intern will develop and
conduct the survey, complete the statistical analysis and create an ongoing
measurement tool that will quantify the impact of SOLV in the areas of financial,
environmental and community impact in the state of Oregon.
Donor: General Motors Foundation
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Southwest Detroit Business Association - Detroit,
MI - www.southwestdetroit.com
Project Type: Event Planning & Management
Intern: Loren Steinke, BBA '07
Southwest Detroit Business Association (SDBA) implements a comprehensive
economic development strategy to revitalize the Southwest Detroit community
by fostering innovation, drive and commitment.
The intern will be part of the team to plan and implement key marketing
and outreach initiatives specifically for the Shop Your Block promotions event
along West Vernor Highway and Springwells Avenue. Activities will include
recruiting businesses, creating print collateral, public relations with local
media, developing strategies to attract customers, etc. The ultimate goal
would be to increase vendor participation and elevate the visibility of the
event to the general public. The student will create an evaluation report
providing key recommendations for improvement for following years.
In addition to Shop Your Block, the student will be involved in organizing
smaller community events including an annual Community Investment Breakfast
for 500 guests honoring significant community development accomplishments
and a Fall Forum for SDBA members.
Project Type: Investment Assets Research
Intern: Blake Heidenreich, BBA '08
In the past, SDBA has been funded by government grants and corporate donations.
Currently, SDBA has revenue, assets and real estate that are not needed for
its day-to-day operations. SDBA is interested in researching how best to manage
these assets in order to receive the highest return possible.
The intern will research and recommend the best option for investment of
their assets. All options will need to be analyzed for their potential benefit
and predicted risk before making recommendations. SDBA's mission and
future goals need to be factored in before any investment decision is made.
Donor for both projects: Michigan AmeriCorps Partnerships
and Ross School of Business Annual Fund
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Project Type: Finance
Intern: Felipe Landeo, MS Financial Engineering '07
Teach for America (TFA) is the national corps of outstanding recent college
graduates of all academic majors who commit two years to teach in urban and
rural public schools, and who become lifelong leaders in the effort to expand
educational opportunity. Their mission is to build the movement to eliminate
educational inequity by enlisting some of the nation's most promising future
leaders.
TFA's intern will refine the organization's accounting processes by
analyzing and evaluating the current Funder Budget methodology and
creating a new one to ultimately improve the way Funder Budgets are
developed and implemented. The outcome will be a more accurate, efficient
and easier system for all related departments and activities.
Donor: Lew and Bobbie Frankfort Family Foundation
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Urban Ecology Institute - Chestnut Hill, MA -
www.urbaneco.org
Project Type: Finance/Marketing and Organizational Analysis
Intern: David Moerlein, MBA '07
The Urban Ecology Institute connects the green infrastructure of a city
with the educational, economic, public health and quality of life needs of
urban residents. Through their work, residents connect their passion for their
neighborhoods with the daily demands of real life, including concerns about
crime, public health, community growth and change, and economic sustainability.
The intern will review and make recommendations for the improvement of the
marketing and financial systems. The intern will write a marketing plan
including action steps to achieve funding growth and research best practices
for nonprofit marketing. The
final aspect of this project includes the review of the Urban Ecology Collaborative
organizational structure.
Donor: J. Ira & Nicki Harris Family Foundation
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Interns: Elizabeth Huntley, MBA '07
Matthew Kaczynski, BBA '06
Vital Bridges provides food, housing, counseling, prevention and nutritional
education to very low-income individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS in the Chicago
metropolitan area. Vital Bridges has developed core competencies during their
15 years of running nonprofit grocery centers and is seeking to broaden its
funding mix by developing creative alternatives, specifically through turning
their existing grocery centers into revenue-generating operations.
Project Type: Financial Analysis/Business Plan
The MBA intern will complete an assessment of Vital Bridges' current nonprofit
grocery centers in order to determine the viability of a for-profit
venture via transforming existing centers into community grocery stores.
Donor: Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, J. Ira
and Nicki Harris Family Foundation and James B. Wolf, Jr.
Project Type: Marketing Analysis/Business Plan
The BBA intern will, through market research, analyze primary and secondary
market data for the purpose of forecasting sales and predicting related buyer
behaviors.
Donor: James B. Wolf, Jr., Boeing Foundation
and Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
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WHEDCo – South Bronx, New York City –
www.whedco.org
Project Type: Communications Plan and Implementation
Intern: Alex Dziadosz, BBA '07
The New York City-based Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation
(WHEDCo) is dedicated to eradicating poverty by providing people with the
tools and support they need to enter and succeed in the economic mainstream.
WHEDCo addresses the central challenges of everyday life---work, family, and
home---that affect us all, but can derail those most in need. At a time when
the gap between rich and poor is greater than ever, WHEDCo narrows the divide
by developing beautiful, award-winning housing and uniquely integrated programs
in the areas of childcare, education, job training and small business development.
WHEDCo's work is a local model for national and global equality.
Building on the work of past interns who developed materials to increase
brand and agency awareness, this year's intern will create a sustainable
internal and external communications plan and begin implementation.
Donor: J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Foundation
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