During my summer at the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, I worked on three projects: creating a junior board, planning a cultivation event and developing a framework for future gatherings, and building an individual membership plan. LMCC champions artistic freedom, drives investment, and fosters civic engagement to ensure a vibrant, inclusive New York City. My projects supported that mission by expanding LMCC’s reach and revenue and strengthening community ties.

To establish the junior board, I collaborated with two board members, the president and chief executive officer, and the director of development. We defined the value the junior board would add, designed nomination, selection, and onboarding processes, clarified how it would interact with the main board, and crafted a brand strategy and marketing plan. Planning a cultivation event involved inviting donors to a private studio tour and creating a framework for future events that connect supporters with the organization’s artistic work. Finally, I designed an individual membership program rooted in community; it invites resident and alumni artists and art lovers to come together, creating a potential new revenue stream and supporting LMCC’s mission.

I applied skills from several MBA courses, including High Performing Nonprofits, the Nonprofit Sector and the City, Organizational Change, Strategy, Corporate Finance, and Marketing. These courses provided insights into how nonprofits differ from private organizations and offered frameworks for strategy, finance, and stakeholder engagement. Organizational change was particularly useful when securing buy‑in from multiple stakeholders for the junior board. Strategy and marketing courses informed the membership plan’s positioning and segmentation, while finance skills supported projections for new revenue streams.

The biggest challenge was incorporating diverse ideas while defining a clear mandate for the junior board. Many stakeholders were excited about the concept and had varied visions. If the group were everything to everyone, it would risk becoming so broad that its purpose was unclear. Through multiple meetings and iterations, I narrowed the focus enough to define its function, value, and responsibilities while ensuring each perspective was represented in some capacity.

I am grateful to have spent the summer at LMCC. The staff was welcoming, the office on Governors Island provided an inspiring setting, and I gained a comprehensive view of the organization. Applying academic skills to real projects was fulfilling, and I am proud of what we created. It was fascinating to work with a nonprofit founded in the nineteen seventies that continues to evolve, including shifting its residencies to focus on the intersection of art and climate change. I learned about the strategic choices facing LMCC’s leadership and am thankful to the Tamer Institute and the LMCC team for making this a valuable learning experience.