Strategic planning is critical to the success of any nonprofit organization. To make bold decisions, an organization must take thorough inventory of itself with an eye to whom it serves. In 2023, ten years after the creation of Marine Park Alliance, we pursued a five-year plan to guide our partnerships, attain sustainability and increase engagement with park users. The pro bono services of Columbia University’s Sustainability Management graduate program provided technical and professional expertise far beyond our expectations for the plan. Working closely with our board members, the graduate team executed a visitor study with 2,100 respondents and interviewed high level professionals in the field of outdoor spaces management; analyzed our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT); and together we created the comprehensive plan linked below.

Special thanks go to Dr. Steven Cohen, the Columbia University dean overseeing the Sustainability Management program who grew up in Marine Park, and MTA Deputy VP & Chief Environmental Engineer Thomas A. Abdallah, who served as project advisor to the students.

The dedicated students who wrote the report are listed on the beginning pages. This important project wouldn’t have the incredible scope and insight without this team’s skills and collaboration. They developed a set of recommendations that will be instrumental in transforming Marine Park Alliance from a grassroots, volunteer-led organization into a stronger, more professional nonprofit.

Highlights of the strategic plan can be found here.

If you are interested in detailed reports, maps and data analysis, please read the full report here.

We always appreciate your feedback. Please send comments to reachus@marineparkalliance.org