Capstone – Project
Angela’s House Home Store – A new social enterprise on Long Island
A Collaboration Between
We recently (October 2019) opened the Angela's House Home Store. It is a retail outlet with new and gently used home goods, furniture, building supplies, etc. It is our hope to partner with students to collaborate and find new and innovative ways to market this social enterprise to get sales as well as donations of these items from people who would otherwise discard them. The proceeds of the store go to the programs offered by Angela's House, a local 501(c)3 non-profit on Long Island, which assists medically fragile children obtain services and supports to have the best quality of life possible. This is an exciting opportunity as it's really a two-in-one project as they will learn about Angela's House and the Angela's House Home Store.
HOST VENUE ADDRESS
- Students will be on site at the Angela's House Home Store. Address is: 2052 Route 112, Medford, NY 11763.
REQUIRED PREREQUISITES
- There are no pre-reqs required for this position, however interest/experience in marketing and social media advertising would be helpful.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Students will learn about the landscape of non-profits on Long Island, NY.
- Students will know how to design a social media marketing strategy to gain new corporate donors (companies in the construction/building/appliance/real estate industries), including content and audience.
- Students will know how to design a social media marketing strategy to gain new individual donors (people who have new/gently used items in their home that they would like to donate), including content and audience.
- Students will know how to design a social media marketing strategy to gain new followers, that will ideally translate to new shoppers.
- Students will identify other marketing strategies that are beneficial and cost-effective to a fledgling non-profit.
Project Topics
Company Information
| Company | Angela’s House Home store |
| HQ | New York |
| Revenue | Unlisted |
| Employees | 5-10 |
| Stage | Small Business |
| Hiring Potential | Follow-on Projects, Formal Internship, Entry Level Full-Time |
| Website | https://www.angelashousehomestore.org |
Company Overview
Angela’s House Home Store is a home improvement, retail outlet that will sell new and gently-used donated merchandise. Items will include building supplies, kitchen cabinets, doors, windows, appliances, flooring, tile, furniture, household items and anything else you can find in a home!
The best thing is that proceeds generated by the Home Store will help support the programs of Angela’s House, a 501(c)3 Long Island based non-profit organization that assists families caring for children with special health care needs who are medically fragile, chronically ill or suffering from a life threatening illness. Angela’s House assist families caring for their children at home and for children that can no longer live at home. We have three special homes that have 24 hour nursing care in East Moriches, Smithtown and Stony Brook.
Experiential Learning Program Details
| School | University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business |
| Engagement Format | Capstone - Small Team Consulting Project - Students work in consulting teams of 3-5 directly with faculty and client liaisons on developing real solutions to real-world challenges. |
| Course | |
| Level | N/A |
| Students Enrolled | N/A |
| Meeting Day & Time | N/A |
| Student Time Commitment | 1-3 Hours Per Week |
| Company Time Commitment | 3-5 Hours |
| Duration | 0.43 Weeks |
Program Timeline
| Touchpoints & Assignments | Due Date | Type |
|---|
Key Project Milestones
-
March 1, 2020 - Prior to Meeting
Angela’s House staff will provide background material on the non-profit, the children we work with, the Angela’s House Home Store and other collateral materials.
Suggested Deliverable:
Basic understanding of the non-profit to use as foundation for experience on-site.
-
March 2, 2020 - Site Visit to Angela's House
Students will visit one of the Angela’s House homes to meet some of the children who live there (and possibly some of their families), be able to speak to staff & participate in a tour of the space.
Suggested Deliverable:
- Students will have a more through understanding of the history & mission of Angela’s House,
- Students will understand the link between the Angela’s House Home Store as a social enterprise and how the proceeds impact the children in the programs.
-
March 2, 2020 - Visit the Angela's House Home Store
Students will be lead on a tour by the Manager and Donation Manager of the Angela’s House Home Store. Both staff members will share their experience working in a business model such as this, show students the process for donations/pick-up of donations, mention the other “players” (competitors in this space), talk to staff (drivers, cashiers, etc.) to learn all facets of the company. Students will also set up their workstations for the duration of the program.
Suggested Deliverable:
- Students will have a better understanding of the Angela’s House Home Store business model and other similar organizations,
- Students will know the processes and procedures in place.
-
March 3, 2020 - Asses current social media assets & goals / look at competitors in the space
Angela’s House and the Angela’s House Home Store currently have very active social media presence on facebook and Instagram. In order to create a social media plan for the Angela’s House Home Store, students will spend time reviewing the current accounts, trends that work and other insights (provided by the Angela’s House staff). Upon review, students will sit with staff to understand goals for the future. Students will also spend some time looking at other companies in this space (on Long Island and elsewhere) that are social enterprise and for-profit entities.
Suggested Deliverable:
- Students will understand the past trends for posts,
- Students will have a greater understanding of other companies (non-profit & for-profit) that are in the same space (will review their websites, social media pages, etc.),
- Students will help identify way to engage new supporters (new page followers, new donors [individuals & businesses]),
- Students will develop new ways to engage potential partners [real estate agents, estate sales companies, contractors, building supply companies, etc.].
-
March 4, 2020 - Continued - Asses current social media assets & goals / look at competitors in the space / build strategy
Students will continue to have access to key staff to ask questions. They can spend a portion of the day continuing to sift through their findings, however, the day should end with a complete plan of action / suggestions for the organization for improving social media strategy.
Suggested Deliverable:
- Students will have a completed presentation to share the following day.
-
March 5, 2020 - Presentation
Students will make their presentation to the Executive Director of Angela’s House as well as key staff.
Suggested Deliverable:
- Students will provide Angela’s House a copy of their findings, suggestions and social media plan for 2020 and moving forward.
Project Resources
There are no resources currently available
Industry Mentors
Academic Mentors
Assigned Students
There are currently no students assigned.