Anne Cohn Donnelly

Donnelly, Anne Cohn and Charlotte Snyder. 2014. The Demise of the Jane Addams Hull House Association: Internal or External Factors to Blame?. Case 5-114-003 (KEL784).

In January 2012, the Jane Addams Hull House Association—one of Chicago's largest and oldest social service agencies and arguably its most iconic—announced that it might have to close in the spring due to financial difficulties. Just days later, the 122-year-old organization stunned the philanthropic world when it laid off its employees without notice, declared its intention to liquidate in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and shut its doors forever. In the weeks that followed, more and more people began to ask: What had happened to the board? Had bankruptcy really been inevitable? This case chronicles the organization's final decade and enables students to step into the shoes of the chairman of the board, Steve Saunders, as he led the board through its last two years. Students will examine the roles and responsibilities of effective boards and determine how internal and external factors contributed to Hull House's demise.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn, Walter Scott, Kathy Shaw, Millie Gong, Lydia Morris and Michael Roark. 1996. The Whitney Clinic. Case 5-208-255 (KEL428).

This case describes a community-based healthcare clinic and the issues facing the management and board of directors. The issues raised are common problems faced by all types of nonprofit organizations: insufficient fundraising and marketing policies to guide board decision making, confusion over staff and board roles in decision making, poorly thought-out bylaws that contribute to the confusion over board and staff roles, the challenge of harnessing the diverse backgrounds and opinions of a community-based board of directors, and lack of sound financial planning.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn and Sara Lo. 2012. The Night Ministry: Facing the Loss of a Founder. Case 5-112-004 (KEL667).

Paul Hamann was senior vice president of The Night Ministry, a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization. In October 2003 he received a phone call from the wife of the Reverend Tom Behrens, the founding president and the public face of the organization. She told Hamann that Behrens had suffered a massive stroke and that doctors were unsure of his prognosis.

Behrens had been walking the streets of run-down Chicago neighborhoods since 1976, looking for people in despair, listening to their needs, and offering them a helping hand and a consoling presence. In the intervening twenty-seven years, he had built The Night Ministry into a well-known organization that helped thousands of adults and youth every year.

No succession plan, if one existed, had ever been conveyed to senior management. Now Hamann was unsure when or even if Behrens would be able to work again. If Behrens returned to work, would he be able to continue to lead the organization? If not, who would lead The Night Ministry going forward, even if it were just for the near term, and who would make that decision? How would the community and major donors react to a new leader?

Donnelly, Anne Cohn and Eliot Sherman. 2010. One Acre Fund: Outgrowing the Board. Case 5-210-259 (KEL542).

One Acre Fund, a young, international, nonprofit social enterprise—governed by friends of the founder—had grown rapidly since its inception. It now faces increasing demands for resources and key connections to major potential donors, expertise in going to scale, and managing expansion. The case presents this issue, which is commonly faced by new nonprofits, and how the organization, led by the board chair, seeks to resolve it through redesign of the board and major changes in board membership.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn, Brenda Ellington-Booth and Nadeem Ghani. 2004. The Cradle (B). Case 5-204-258(B) (KEL009).

This case provides an account of how The Cradle Society, a nonprofit adoption agency, went from the brink of dissolution to become a thriving organization carrying out its mission. Under the leadership of Julie Tye, the organization and its board went through an extensive strategic planning process and made significant changes to the organization's strategy, structure and culture. The A case describes the condition of The Cradle Society before the arrival of Tye. The B case illustrates Tye's actions and accomplishments.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn and Trinita Logue. 2012. The North Side Children’s Agency (B): Finances versus Mission. Case 5-112-006(B) (KEL661).

The North Side Children’s Agency (NSCA) was a twenty-three-year-old nonprofit organization founded to serve very low-income working parents who qualified for income-based government child care subsidies. In support of its mission, the NSCA operated year-round, full-day child care programs at seven different sites for children from six weeks through twelve years of age. It employed a standard nonprofit governance model with a volunteer board of directors, each of whom was assigned to one of six committees, which functioned quite independently.

After years of success, in 2004 the NSCA faced a serious cash shortage and its first deficit in a decade. Board members were not only surprised by the crisis but also unprepared to deal with the short- and long-term issues it raised. Board members required strong leadership to organize them to identify the causes of the crisis and think strategically about the organization’s response.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn. 2008. Museum XYZ, Major City, USA. Case 5-208-256 (KEL550).

Museum XYZ built a beautiful facility in a large, Midwestern city. However, after opening to much acclaim, attendance began to fall off, finances were in a shambles, and there appeared to be a leadership void. The board hired two consultants to conduct a review to pinpoint the issues. This case discusses what the consultants learned, and the teaching note discusses what the board decided to do with the information.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn and Kathy Shaw. 2009. The Proposed Affiliation of Arbor Vitae and Helping Hand. Case 5-408-756 (KEL456).

This case examines the merger of two nonprofit organizations from the point of view of the board of directors and senior staff leaders.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn, Brenda Ellington-Booth and Nadeem Ghani. 2004. The Cradle (A). Case 5-204-258(A) (KEL008).

This case provides an account of how The Cradle Society, a nonprofit adoption agency, went from the brink of dissolution to become a thriving organization carrying out its mission. Under the leadership of Julie Tye, the organization and its board went through an extensive strategic planning process and made significant changes to the organization's strategy, structure and culture. The A case describes the condition of The Cradle Society before the arrival of Tye. The B case illustrates Tye's actions and accomplishments.

Donnelly, Anne Cohn and Trinita Logue. 2012. The North Side Children’s Agency (A): Finances versus Mission. Case 5-112-006(A) (KEL660).

The North Side Children’s Agency (NSCA) was a twenty-three-year-old nonprofit organization founded to serve very low-income working parents who qualified for income-based government child care subsidies. In support of its mission, the NSCA operated year-round, full-day child care programs at seven different sites for children from six weeks through twelve years of age. It employed a standard nonprofit governance model with a volunteer board of directors, each of whom was assigned to one of six committees, which functioned quite independently.

After years of success, in 2004 the NSCA faced a serious cash shortage and its first deficit in a decade. Board members were not only surprised by the crisis but also unprepared to deal with the short- and long-term issues it raised. Board members required strong leadership to organize them to identify the causes of the crisis and think strategically about the organization’s response.