June 04, 2009
Students in the spring undergraduate EIRP class were presented
with the challenge of helping CMMB come up with a business plan for
how to transition their fundraising efforts to an online medium as
its main source of funds; as opposed to using the more traditional
direct mail medium.
Founded in 1928 and rooted in the healing ministry, Catholic
Medical Mission Board works collaboratively to provide quality
healthcare programs and services, without discrimination, to people
in need around the world. Since their mission of solidarity is
closely matched to that of the Vincentian Mission of St. John’s
University, the collaboration between the two was a win-win
situation.
Tobin Team Gold, consisting of undergraduate students Aretha
Brown, Danielle Connelly, Ryan Garcia, Jessica Lazo, Antoni Kolev,
and Anton Ushkin began their analysis of CMMB by providing
statistics regarding the efficiency of CMMB’s current website. They
also analyzed the various strategies of CMMB’s competitors, and
looked at CMMB’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
in order to determine the best plan for the not-for-profit.
After weeks of careful examination, Team Gold determined that
among CMMB’s strengths were its Catholic affiliation and its
efficiency ratio, whereas their weaknesses included a lack of
strong brand awareness, and a sub-optimal web image and
presence.
In order to help CMMB improve upon their branding, web image and
presence, students’ main suggestions included the use of various
mediums of communication to reach donors including: radio, mass
transit, catholic newspapers such as The Tablet, and partnering
with other catholic websites such as Catholic Online. Team Gold
also recommended CMMB partner with accounting firms, which they
concluded would help CMMB attract large donors, improve brand
awareness and increase the scope and effectiveness of their
networking efforts.
Thom Gray, Chief Financial Officer of Catholic Medical Mission
Board was impressed with the students’ ideas and suggestions, many
of which the organization will investigate for potential
implementation. "This collaboration with St. John's has been most
beneficial, and I hope that it marks the beginning of many such
partnerships between CMMB and this leading Catholic institution of
higher learning,” Gray says. “We share the same values and a
common bond, and the students have displayed a very refreshing,
bright approach to doing business.”
Recently graduated undergraduate student Antoni Kolev also
thought about the value of this partnership during his college
graduation ceremony. “As I sat at graduation, I couldn’t help
but think about how many people I was really able to help by being
involved in this project with CMMB,” he said.
Further partnering opportunities are under discussion between
Catholic Medical Mission Board and the Tobin College of Business
that will continue to leverage the assets of both institutions in
making the world a better place for business to thrive and people
of all nations to prosper.
The Peter J. Tobin College of Business has provided the highest
quality business education for over eighty years. Many alumni
have risen to senior executive positions in the financial services
community in New York and around the world. Degrees offered
include the Bachelor of Science, Master of Business Administration
and Master of Science. The College encompasses the School of
Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, which is housed
at the University’s Manhattan location in the heart of the New York
financial district. Recent recognitions for the Tobin College
include a listing by The Aspen Institute among the top ninety
business schools in the United States whose graduate curricula
reflect a commitment to social responsibility and
sustainability.