Students from UNC Greensboro’s Bryan School of Business and Economics are bridging the gap between community and classroom through their recent UNCG MBA Capstone project on nonprofit development. The project was completed in partnership with the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium, a connection hub for nonprofit executive directors to learn from and collaborate with one another.
On Nov. 17, UNCG MBA candidates Taylor Furgalack, Fernando Acosta and Mainak Raychowdhury presented a comprehensive guide on starting a nonprofit organization. The presentation, which is co-branded with the Bryan School and the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium, was coupled with a written report completed by the trio.
The project was delivered in the form of an interactive sequential map that details the 11 steps one must take to successfully start a nonprofit organization, starting with “Complete a Feasibility and Market Analysis” and ending with “Stick to the Mission.” Clicking on each step of the map reveals detailed information and instruction for essential nonprofit tasks, such as grant writing.
The presentation will now be used as a tool on the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium’s website, but it’ll also be made available at the Greensboro and High Point public libraries.
The idea of nonprofit development for a capstone topic came from Furgalack, who joked that she pulled Acosta and Raychowdhury on board for the project with her.
“I’ve always been interested in nonprofits, but I never really knew it was a possibility for a Capstone project like this. As soon as I found out we could do it, I was sold,” Furgalack said.
Under the guidance of executive mentor Joe Erba – a retired former Assistant Dean for External Affairs at the Bryan School – the trio poured hours, weeks and months into non-profit research. They knew from the beginning that the real challenge was going to be figuring out a way to compile all of the information together and present it.
“I was so surprised by how much I didn’t know about the topic and how much information is out there. Our hope is that this guide for the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium is concise, easily digestible and will make an impact on future nonprofits,” Acosta said.
For more information on the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium, check out its website and be on the lookout for the official nonprofit development guide that will be uploaded in the coming weeks.
