MA/MBA students partner with a local non-profit organization for a hands-on research project

One of the unique aspects of the Meadows MA/MBA in Arts Management program is the extensive opportunities for hands-on experience that produces real-world results, allowing students to learn by doing.

While searching for project opportunities for the MA/MBA program’s first course, Fundamentals of the Arts and Nonprofit Leadership, CCPA Graduate Programs Director Megan Heber ended up contacting Meadows alumna Nikki Koenig (BA ’05), who knew about the program from previous collaborations with the “We Are All Homeless” initiative and saw potential for similar collaboration. In addition to being a graduate of the advertising program, Koenig is the host and lead organizer of CreativeMornings Dallas, the local chapter of the world’s largest creative community organization.

The Foundations of the Arts and Nonprofit Leadership course introduces students to the distinctive qualities of nonprofit work and challenges them to critically examine their own career aspirations in the field. This collaboration with CreativeMornings gave students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a local non-profit organization. .

“It is important that our students feel prepared to make an impact on their education early on,” explains Heber. “By teaming up with community partners like CreativeMornings, students will learn first-hand how they can apply strategic, legal and organizational frameworks to address pressing issues facing local arts organizations.”

Photo by Mario Zie

CreativeMornings is made up of 244 volunteer-led chapters in 70 countries, each hosting a series of free talks each month on Fridays to support, inspire and connect creatives in cities around the world. As a volunteer-led organization, CreativeMornings operates as a non-profit arts organization, making the partnership with the MA/MBA program ideal as both groups share the same mission of supporting creatives and cultivating a vibrant creative community in Dallas and around the world.

The partnership between the MA/MBA program and CreativeMornings Dallas was mutually beneficial, with CreativeMornings receiving personalized guidance and students applying their growing skills to a real client facing complex strategic choices. Students were able to translate theory into practice and use their education to benefit the community and stimulate the growth of Dallas’ vibrant art landscape.

“This collaboration demonstrates the program’s dual strengths in academic rigor and community partnership,” says Heber. “MA/MBA students actively impact the Dallas arts ecosystem by developing the skills they will need to lead in the arts and nonprofit sectors.”

To improve CreativeMornings’ business structure, students examined four potential legal organizational structures: LLC, nonprofit, sole proprietorship, and financial sponsorship, analyzing each to determine whether it aligned with the organization’s goals. During this study, students provided carefully considered recommendations explaining how the chosen structure could best support the sustainability and growth of CreativeMornings.

They also developed checklists and processes to facilitate implementation, explored potential partnerships, and even began working with venues and groups to help CreativeMornings grow its audience. By tackling problems that organizations often don’t have the capacity or bandwidth to solve, students not only supported the mission of CreativeMornings, but also learned about the real-life challenges of scaling community-focused projects.

“This MA/MBA partnership has been a truly rewarding experience for me, my team and our chapter,” says Koenig, who organizes the monthly CreativeMornings lecture series and cultivates a creative community of more than 4,000 members. “We truly appreciate the in-depth research and resources that students have provided us with for the sustainable development of our department in Year 10 and beyond.”