You are an alumna of University of Portland – Why did you choose UP?
Before I became a graduate student at UP, I joined the campus as a staff member in the Shepard Academic Resource Center. Being a first-generation college student myself, with a background in social work, I knew I wanted to help guide first-year and at-risk students through the complex college experience.
The more I grew in my role, the more I wanted to grow as a professional as well – so I enrolled in the Master’s in Higher Education (MA HESA) program at UP. From there, I went on to get my Ed.D. in Learning and Leading with a concentration in Neuroeducation.
The programs at UP taught me how to serve students from every angle possible, from counseling and advising strategies to social-emotional and academic learning theories.
What are you doing now as a UP Alumna?
When I finished the Ed.D. program, I got a job as a Research Analyst for a startup nonprofit called Modern Classrooms Project. My job was to study the impact of their innovative educational model on teachers and students around the world.
I fell in love with the work, and I quickly became the Director, then the Vice President, of the entire research department. I spent four years helping the organization build a solid research foundation, prove their credibility to funders, and obtain multi-million-dollar research grants.
This year, I launched my own research consultancy, Nonprofit Impact Consulting, to help other nonprofits and small businesses navigate the often complex world of research and credibility. My mission is to provide expert research and program evaluation support at a fraction of the cost to organizations that can’t afford a full research team quite yet.
This will help new organizations build their credibility with stakeholders faster by measuring the right data points and telling compelling stories of impact.
How is your Nonprofit making an impact in our community?
As a consultant, I still continue to support my old organization, Modern Classrooms Project, in their work across the US. As of this writing, we’ve trained 243 educators in the MCP instructional model across the state of Oregon, in 38 school districts, including Portland Public Schools.
I’ve also stayed connected with UP faculty in the School of Education and School of Business: I was a judge for the UP Pilot Venture Challenge this spring, and was a guest lecturer for UP’s EdD program this week! I truly want to keep giving back to this community that has given me so much.
How can the UP and business community get involved with your Nonprofit?
If you’re a nonprofit or small business looking to study your impact in the world, build more credibility for your organization, or share compelling data stories with stakeholders, then I’d love to work with you.
You can learn more about my areas of expertise and set up a free consultation at https://nonprofitimpactconsulting.com/about.
Connect
Learn more about Nonprofit Impact Consulting at https://nonprofitimpactconsulting.com/
Connect with Dr. Annie Cole on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-cole-16ab59135/
