Improving Outreach Efforts to Increase Enrollment and Graduation Figures for Target Populations

The Capstone project -- as part of the MPA and MIA degree programs at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) -- was tasked to undertake an analysis of the Grace Institute, a non-profit organization located in New York City that offers tuition-free job training to low-income women.  The task was to investigate and ultimately provide recommendations to enhance Grace Institute’s student enrollment and the overall visibility of its programs.  To date, the Grace Institute has employed multiple methods to attract students.  These include outreach activities to non-profits, churches and other religious institutions, government agencies, health centers and community groups throughout New York City. About one year ago, Grace Institute hired the Wakeman Agency, a public relations firm to aid the organization in attracting media coverage. However, despite such efforts Grace Institute does not find its current enrollment status or visibility profile sufficient and would like to enhance both to better fulfill its mission of educating and training women.

To become a greater “institutional name” throughout New York City, the team believes that the Grace Institute must address critical growth areas of communications and operational strategies within the organization.  To effectively take advantage of potential growth, the team recommend Grace Institute develop a strategic communications plan with a three-pronged approach involving media relations, marketing advertisement and the creation of additional resources. This communications plan would enhance the organization’s visibility across multiple media platforms and relevant target groups such as students, employers and funders. 

In addition, the team recommend Grace Institute implement a series of operational strategies that we believe may impact enrollment and retention of students.  These include developing greater partnerships with student feeder sites, such GED and ESL programs; establishing a dedicated group of alumnae who can serve as “ambassadors” for Grace Institute; host an Agency Day; make the application accessible online; review previous applicants who fail to complete the application process; and review and reduce student fees and explore child care options.  The team believe these strategies are necessary for Grace Institute to more effectively meet its mission of educating and training women in today’s world.