Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sexual Exploitation: The Crisis And Eradicative Solution, Tonnie Adams Bracey

Student Capstone Projects

French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” I find this to be true in our current era of the digital age. Although technology has gifted a newly improved and vast method of making worldwide connections and broadening our perceptions and views, a change in how we communicate has conveniently presented itself, but the historic pattern of how we handle these new advancements have indeed stayed the same.
Smart phones are a mainstream vessel employing the world with a plethora of information while giving all sorts of people access to individual’s lives …

A Holy Decline, Destiny Ervins

Student Capstone Projects

Christian churches have been a visible contributor to American religion for centuries. However, there has been a noticeable decline in Christian church membership attendance rates. A survey at a small church called Mt. Ebal was conducted to further analyze this topic. The survey was short and concise and rendered around 30 responses. Around 50% of respondents said there had been a decrease in membership attendance. The other 50% consisted of those that said there was an increase, those that said there was no change, and those that were not able to judge based off their less than 10-year membership. The …

Let The Music Play:Using Community Engagement To Develop A New Sustainable Audience, Leslie D. Wilcher

Student Capstone Projects

Abstract

The Symphony is a dying breed of live music. The lack of classical music education and interest has left barriers to the symphony. Around the country, nonprofit symphonies are adapting to build a sustainable audience. So, how do we stop the closures of the orchestras? How does the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra engage the community through programming and events to accommodate a new sustainable audience for the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra (KSO)? My research will show that new audience members are waiting to be introduced to the symphony.

This research shows that community engagement is the key to bringing a sustainable …

Odds At A Job: The Post – Graduate Success Of Nngo Students, Dasha Denia Randle

Student Capstone Projects

This capstone is a case study on graduates from Northern Illinois University who majored, minored, or received a certificate in Nonprofit and NGO studies. This qualitative and quantitative study seeks to measure the employment trends of graduates from the Nonprofit and NGO studies major. As well as make a comparison between the post-graduate experiences of graduates who interned via the Center for Nonprofit and NGO studies and graduates who didn’t. Prior research suggests that paid internships generally have a positive correlation with entry-level career success. However, there is not much research on this relationship within the social sector. I’m interested …

Nonprofit Employee Work Engagement: A Ripple Effect Impacting Communities, Isabel Raymundo

Student Capstone Projects

The nonprofit sector is experiencing a growth in professionalization, and as such it is important to pay attention to keeping employees engaged at work to be able to compete in a competitive job market. As most nonprofit employees do direct service work, keeping employees engaged should be a primary focus since the sector is known for burnout. Not only is work engagement essential for employee retention, but due to the intensity of the work to meet the mission of the organization, keeping employees engaged is better for the overall health of the organization. If employees are engaged in their work, …

Thrifting Your Way To The Bank: How Student Consumption Of Recycled Clothing Impacts Financial Stability, Ally Mikos

Student Capstone Projects

This qualitative study examines the impact that is made upon university student’s finances when purchasing recycled clothing. It analyzes how utilizing recycled, free or reduced price clothing sources affects student finances as compared to full price/new purchases. Previous research has indicated that two thirds of college students have acquired debt by the time of graduation, yet students have been found to spend as much as $1,000 on clothing per semester. Despite the clear financial burden of paying for college, students still prioritize shopping for clothing, which prompts the research question: To what extent does college student’s use of recycled clothing …

Only 2000 Psi Of Bottom-Time Air: A Case Study Of Diveheart Participant Social Capital, Kirk J. Williams

Student Capstone Projects

Social capital development for many, but not all, is a relatively organic process, and as social creatures, people work together to reach collective goals. The defined interactions related to the practices of societal norms, taboos, and broad cultural acceptance are constructs of communal decisions lending deep credence to the value of any number of the social capital definitions. However, opportunities are not always readily available to individuals living with disabilities, so they can and do get left out to varied degrees. With unsurprising results, previous research relied on comparing survey data from individuals with and without disabilities to identify possible …

The Effect Of Abortion Rights’ Political Activity On Engagement With Planned Parenthood, Emma C. Hazen

Student Capstone Projects

In 2022, Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States. Abortion became a hot topic of debate. Activists turned their attention to the issue with new vigor, and countless nonprofits became involved as well. The purpose of this study serves to explore the influence of political activity pertaining to abortion rights on Planned Parenthood. The aim is to analyze the ways that Planned Parenthood, as a national nonprofit, is affected by changes in the political sphere, which in turn generates activity via abortion activists.

This study will evaluate the extent to which abortion activity in …

Foundational Support Through Professional Sport: A Case Study On The Chicago Bulls Charities, Austin Schroeder

Student Capstone Projects

This case study on the Chicago Bulls Charities (CBC) offers praise as well as criticism into the professional sport organization (PSO) as a whole along with their corresponding foundation. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities are developed and provided by the Chicago Bulls PSO and is not an element of the CBCs mission, justifying a deep dive into the PSO and their CSR activities along with the foundation, the original focus of this study. With limited literature on the topic of corporate philanthropy in professional sports, and with more research in CSR in this field, CSR was added to the research …

Effect Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Volunteerism And Fundraising Management Strategies In Nonprofits And Rebuilding Tactics Of Ronald Mcdonald House Charities Of Chicagoland And Northwest Indiana (Rmhc-Cni), Humza Wolf

Student Capstone Projects

The financial sustainability of nonprofits depends highly on volunteerism and funding strategies which got impacted during Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic. This capstone study explores to what extent nonprofits got affected and evaluates the efforts of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana (RMHC-CNI) to improve the provision of support for underprivileged families of critically ill children. The continual efforts to overcome financial hurdles escalated in pandemic. Mixed method research design was used to collect, analyze, and triangulate both quantitative and qualitative research methods in this single study to understand the research problem. Interpretive approach encompassed the complexities of …

The Northern Illinois University Foundation And Alumni Engagement: Who Is “Golden,” And What Leads Alumni To Give To Niu After Graduation, Emma R. Mcmahon

Honors Capstones

Alumni gifts are becoming an important aspect of higher education funding due to decreasing state support. These gifts accommodate about 28 percent, or about $6.8 billion, of support to institutions of higher education (Marr et. al., 2005; Stephenson and Bell, 2014; Sung and Yang, 2009; Weerts et. al. 2010; Drezner and Pizmony-Levy, 2021; and McNamee III, 2021). There are many different aspects of the alumni and student experience that shapes the likelihood of giving behaviors and other forms of engagement including financial capacity, satisfying student experience, age, gender, race, participation in student organizations and Greek life, affirming campus climate, involvement …

Undocumented Students And Mental Health, Flor Reyes

Student Capstone Projects

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals also known as DACA was first implemented in 2012 after many failed attempts to legalize the millions of undocumented people in this country. DACA was an executive order of former President Obama. This program provides temporary relief from deportation and a work permit that allows those under this program to legally work in the United States. DACA has allow many undocumented people who arrived to this country at a young age in the hopes of leading a somewhat normal life. Some of those who are protected by this program have gone to college, built their …