The student perspective:
It was an interesting and inspirational experience joining Taylor Community Practicum. Working as a consulting team, we partnered with Liz Lee, our client from Thomas Jefferson School, to develop proposals that could enhance TJ’s alumni engagement and fundraising process.
After being briefed about the background of TJ from materials provided by CEL, we contacted Liz Lee and met with each other at TJ’s campus. It was a beautiful boarding high school located in suburban St. Louis. We had already been informed about the small but diverse population of TJ before visiting; however, when being welcomed by all those lovely students, it still impressed with their family-like environment. Liz showed us around the campus, and we had a long conversation at her office going through the status and some challenges faced by TJ.
Soon after the first meeting, we had another meeting with the parents of TJ’s current international students. We got to hear the parents’ voices and communicated some broad ideas about TJ’s current challenges and potential resolutions.
Meanwhile, we started working on the documents and numbers Liz shared with us. After analyzing the materials and data, we focused our project’s goals on increasing enrollments, enhancing the alumni network, and achieving better financing. With that in mind, we also looked out for some comparable samples. We chose 15 comparable schools and did a financial comparison using data from each school’s IRS Form-990. We selected 8 indicators to measure their operational and financial status. From the financial analysis, we identified TJ’s strengths and weaknesses. Subsequently, we used our sample schools as case studies to provide TJ with applicable proposals.
During the final presentation with Liz and CEL faculties, our team provided recommendations in the following three aspects: renovate the giving page design, enhance the alumni network, and enrollment promotion. Specifically, we recommend our client to have customized designation of donation, deliver clear visualization of fundraising progress and usage, adopt different ways to give, come up with mentorship programs, enhance alumni networking, set up TJ Giving Day, and enhance its current summer program.
So far, the client has considered holding TJ Giving Day and inviting alumni from different industry fields to give panel sessions to its current students, as well as enlarging its current business development team to put more effort into fundraising activities. The fact that our work might make some real change to the school really gave us a sense of achievement.
During the process, we felt it was challenging to understand a non-profit academic institution’s business model and translate financial numbers into applicable proposals. Also, there was a misunderstanding incident with our client during the program. Although, with the help of Prof. Soczek, we managed to work out the situation, such an experience did give us a great lesson on the importance of communication. It was something that can only be learned firsthand working in the field.
Overall speaking, it was a great experience taking this Taylor Community Practicum. We met interesting people during the adventure, and we got to handle real-world problems with our skill sets.
Thomas Jefferson Director, Liz Lee:
Our experience participating in the Taylor Community Consulting Program and receiving consulting services from Olin School of Business students, Han Xiao, Tianyi Zhu, Boyan Dong, and Hao Zhong, was truly exceptional. From the start, their approach was highly personalized, tailored to our specific needs and goals.
The team of students provided us with a wide and in-depth analysis of how we could maximize our philanthropic efforts and leverage institutional marketing opportunities. Their insights were invaluable in helping us understand the potential impact and effectiveness of our current strategies, as well as identifying areas where improvements could be made.
What impressed me the most was their commitment to delivering high-quality data comparison analysis with other institutions that are similar in size. They thoroughly examined both qualitative and quantitative data, providing us with a comprehensive understanding of our institution’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth. Their ability to extract meaningful insights from the data was truly impressive.
Not only did they provide us with detailed analysis, but they also went above and beyond by presenting us with immediate action plans and long-term strategies to advance our institution’s mission. Their recommendations were practical, well-researched, and aligned with our goals. Evidently, they had invested a significant amount of time and effort into understanding our organization and tailoring their solutions to our unique context.
I am incredibly grateful to the Taylor Community Consulting Program for their generosity in providing these services to St. Louis small communities. The program has given us a great opportunity to grow and become an integral part of the greater St. Louis community. Their dedication to helping organizations like ours thrive is truly commendable, and I highly recommend their services to any institution seeking valuable insights and guidance.