“We worked on a plan for ACES to improve their overall brand image,” said Yu. “We also developed a guideline for how to better market to the Penn State community.”
As the result of research and a branding survey distributed to Penn State students, Yu’s team created a marketing campaign that included targeted channels to increase awareness of the organization, a website redesign mockup that would be more attractive to students and a plan for promoting philanthropic opportunities to existing clubs and organizations on campus.
The team also detailed the process for creating an ACES student organization at Penn State and a possible timeline for expansion into other universities in the area.
“I’m very fortunate to work with a group of talented future consultants,” said Yu. “I think that’s what makes this club so great. It really gives people with great ideas a chance to work closely with others so we are always learning from each other. At the end of the day, we are all about teamwork.”
SCNO is a national organization; the Penn State chapter was created about two years ago by a group of students passionate about consulting and offering services to nonprofit organizations.
The group’s primary mission is to use their varied skillsets to improve the strategies and operations of local nonprofits. Its secondary mission is to give students a valuable hands-on work experience in consulting by working on real engagements in a team setting.
In past semesters, the group has worked with nonprofits such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Help Center, Interfaith Human Services and Strawberry Fields. Starting in fall 2013, the semester-long projects will be extended to a full year in order to give students more time to develop in-depth recommendations for their clients.
To learn more about SCNO, including how to get involved, visit www.psuscno.org.