What is the Executive MBA Social Impact Project, and what are community projects?
The Executive MBA at DU is tailored to the strengths and needs of professionals with 10 to 20+ years of experience. It provides an integrated perspective that challenges an individual’s thinking and empowers our experienced professional students to take the next step in their career.
In addition to focusing on the complex business issues facing senior leaders today, the Executive MBA (EMBA) program centers on ethical decision making and a professional student’s values as a leader. The curriculum extends beyond the classroom into real-world integrative classes, including a Social Impact Project.
The vision of the EMBA Social Impact Project is to provide an impactful culminating experience in which experienced professionals dedicate their time and business acumen to a local nonprofit organization. Through this course experienced students will develop themselves as purpose-driven professionals by choosing a nonprofit challenge that is aligned with their values and reflecting on the impact of the work they complete with the organization.
Experienced professionals will work in teams on a strategic and critical business issue facing a nonprofit organization, develop milestones and an execution timeline for applying their business expertise, and set metrics for evaluating their impact on the organization during the six-month long timeline.
How can an organization get involved in the EMBA Social Impact Project?
This is a great opportunity for an organization to get a group of engaged professionals to help carry out strategic analyses to help advance their mission.
A nonprofit showcase will be held each spring and fall to kick off the Social Impact Project for a new cohort of professional students. Local nonprofits join our Executive MBA students for this showcase at DU, and each nonprofit organization shares their purpose and the project in which EMBA students can best assist them over the course of 5 to 6 months on a part-time basis.
The experienced professional students will work with their organization outside of the classroom to apply their business acumen to the problem or opportunity identified. The Social Impact Project will conclude with professional student presentations showcasing their impact on their organization accompanied by a personal reflection.
Contact Us
Contact Jenny Dobmeier, Faculty Lead , and Julie Headley, Adjunct Faculty and Nonprofit Advisor, with any questions.
Who is eligible to submit a proposal for an EMBA Social Impact project team?
Organizations that are registered as a 501(c)3 nonprofit or government equivalent that serve in the Denver metro area are eligible to apply. Programs or organizations that operate through a fiscal agent designated as a 501(c)3 are also eligible. Nonprofits that have applied for a 501(c)3 status but have not yet received designation are not eligible.
Previous partners have included:
What are the guidelines for project proposals?
- Projects must be located in the seven-county Denver metro area region (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Elbert, Douglas or Jefferson).
- Proposed projects should have a measurable impact.
- The project should be achievable, resulting in a realistic end-product or recommendation during a 6-month period.
- Projects with a known solution or involving tactical routine work will not be considered.
- The board or leadership of the organization must be fully aware and approve the project plan.
- The EMBA Social Impact project team is expected to make a final presentation about their project results to your board, executive committee or executive director.
- The following types of proposals will not be considered:
- Projects that are partisan or religious in nature
- Projects with fundraising as the primary purpose
- Projects solely aimed at event planning
What kind of projects are optimal for the EMBA Social Impact Project?
Proposals focusing on market research, financial challenges, culture and organization management, supply chain efficiency, etc. Projects that connect EMBA Social Impact participants directly to the populations served by the organization are desired.
In writing your proposal, be clear on your expectations for the project, whether you are expecting the team to solve a problem, provide an action plan or implement a solution. When our experienced professional students evaluate proposals, they look at the strategic scope of the project, if the project will result in added value, and if the project will require participants to use a variety of business acumen and leadership skills.
How are proposals selected?
Project submittals are initially screened by DU EMBA staff to make sure they meet basic requirements described above. During the nonprofit showcase, students learn about each organization’s mission and their project and then form groups of four to choose a challenge that is aligned with their values. Students will work in teams on the critical business issue facing your nonprofit organization, develop milestones and an execution timeline for applying their business expertise, and set metrics for evaluating their impact on the organization during the 6-month long project.
Selected organizations will be notified by a representative from the EMBA Social Impact project team when their project is resourced. A member of the student group will then reach out to the selected organization to set up an in-person meeting to determine the next steps with the project. Proposals that were not selected will also be notified and considered for partnership during the next cohort’s showcase.
What is my organization’s role in the partnership with an EMBA Social Impact team?
Your organization will identify a contact person to be the primary resource to EMBA Social Impact teams throughout the project. Once EMBA Social Impact teams select proposals, that person will be contacted by their professional student team to create a plan of execution of the project. Nonprofit contacts serve as the primary resource for EMBA Social Impact teams to learn about the organization, work with the teams to outline the scope of the project and provide project teams with any resources they may need to complete the project throughout the 6-month period. In addition, the contact will work with EMBA Social Impact team members to coordinate a closeout presentation with the nonprofit’s leader (i.e., executive director, board, senior staff members, etc.) to report on what was learned and accomplished during the project.
EMBA Social Impact students seek to make a difference in their community and are committed to investing the time to work with community partners. DU seeks the same commitment from the nonprofits that work with this program. Please consider the capacity of your organization to commit to working with EMBA Social Impact over the six-month duration of the project before submitting a proposal.
What is the benefit to partnering with DU on the EMBA Social Impact Project?
The Social Impact Project will conclude with professional presentations showcasing their impact on your organization. Each project team will document and report on their accomplishments and experiences for your organization. Our experienced professional students will also complete a personal reflection on how their passions and values can be a part of their future professional path. Nonprofits will also have the opportunity to network with the other organizations involved with the cohort during the opening showcase and closing presentations at DU.
