IHM Students Create Membership Program for Not-for-Profit Organization 

Students from the Master of Science program in International Hospitality Management (IHM) on St. John’s University’s Staten Island, NY, campus recently worked with The Italian Cultural Foundation at Casa Belvedere to develop a new membership program. 

"There is nothing more rewarding to a Professor than to witness students enrolled in our masters program apply learning objectives and assessment to real life situations, especially involving assistance to dealing with the Global Pandemic and Covid 19."  said April M. Merenda, Assistant Professor/Industry Professional and Director of the IHM graduate program. 

Casa Belvedere seeks to preserve, promote, and celebrate the rich heritage of Italy by encouraging the general public’s appreciation of the Italian language, arts, cuisines, literature, history, horticulture, fashion, music, and commerce through educational programs, exhibits, and events. 

Students were tasked with helping organization leaders develop a new membership program called Renaissance Circle, a four-level plan offering a year’s membership with exclusive members-only benefits. In addition to creating content to help promote and design this new program, each student worked on a different task: developing a web page, designing a print flyer, creating a newsletter/email blast, posting on social media, and gathering materials for a welcome package. 

Casa Belvedere’s goal is to grow its current constituent base from 20,000 to 22,000. The launch and promotion of the patronage level will allow for additional programs to be offered free of charge to the general public. 

Click here to see their presentation. For more information on the IHM graduate program, contact Professor Merenda at [email protected].