Industry: Education nonprofit
Location: New York, NY
Company size: < 50
What they do: Early literacy in Title l NYC public schools
Website: behindthebook.org
Q&A with Andrew Frank, Executive Director of Behind the Book
Q: Why do you participate in the Community Impact Initiative?
A: Behind the Book's mission is to inspire NYC public school students through literacy programs. With plans to serve 3,000 students this year, we face challenges due to limited resources and capacity. Working with Northeastern's Community Impact Initiative has been invaluable. The skilled students from various D'Amore-McKim graduate programs, supported by a dedicated project manager, deliver consultant-level, actionable results, allowing us to focus more on our mission.
Q: What makes the D'Amore-McKim Community Impact Initiative stand out?
A: What I especially like about working with the Community Impact Initiative is that I can build a team of talented graduate students with advanced education and expertise tailored to our specific needs. For instance, our recent project included students from the Master's in Quantitative Finance, Master's in Management, Master's in International Management, and Master's in Business Administration programs. Together, they operate much like specialized consultants, bringing a high level of analytical and strategic insight.
What also sets this program apart is the support from the Graduate Career Center. A career advisor serves as a project manager to keep us on track with actionable goals and regular follow-ups. This combination of expert talent and strong project management has really boosted our productivity and impact, making the Community Impact Initiative a standout program.
Q: How has the Community Impact Initiative benefited Behind the Book?
A: The Community Impact Initiative student team produced tangible results that go beyond the standard recommendations many consultants provide. We charged the students with finding ways to use Behind the Book's unique focus on fostering a love for reading to boost its reputation and attract support, developing strategies to recruit a more diverse group of volunteers, and discovering new methods to engage corporations beyond just financial support.
For our brand differentiation project, the students conducted thorough research and outreach, going beyond the typical consultancy model. They used Qualtrics to conduct surveys and captured valuable insights into our brand's position and perception within the literacy field. This hands-on involvement and detailed work will help our organization's strategic planning and future effectiveness.
The students diversified and grew our volunteer pool by identifying and reaching out to 25–30 organizations and managing initial contacts to help strengthen our recruitment strategy. Additionally, they conducted detailed research on potential corporate partners, delivering actionable insights that have significantly improved our engagement strategies.
Q: Would you recommend participating in the Community Impact Initiative program?
A: I definitely recommend participating in the Community Impact Initiative. Our experience has been excellent and yielded tangible results, including enhanced brand positioning, improved volunteer diversity, and stronger corporate engagement. For the best outcome, clearly define your projects and set specific, actionable goals to ensure focused, valuable results.
