UPEI takes second
Island students takes part in not-for-profit case competition
UPEI’s Faculty of Business sent two teams to the Alberta Not-For-Profit Association (ANPA) Case Competition, and one came home with secondplace honours. The competition was the faculty’s fourth competition of the season. Hosted by the University of Alberta School of Business, the ANPA competition is the only international, not-for-profit-focused case competition for undergraduate students in Canada.
Similar to other case competitions, it encompasses elements of strategy, marketing, finance, accounting, etc., but it focuses on the unique challenges of the not-for-profit world. Students must consider and balance the social mission of the organization, as well as its financial goals. Competitors must find creative, resourceful, and practical solutions — and do it with the limited resources of a not-for-profit organization. Team 1 from UPEI was made up of Alex Dunne, Andrew Chapman, Kate Kinsman, and Sydney Gallant. Team 2 included Carter MacDonald, Shanna Blacquiere, Krista Lee Oliver, and Brodie Watts. “ANPA was a great opportunity to apply our knowledge to a real-life not-for-profit organization,” said Gallant.
“Preparing for this competition challenged us to learn about the concepts we study in class and apply them to notfor-profit organizations.”
The ‘case partner’ for the competition was the YMCA of Northern Alberta (YNAB). Students toured the YMCA facilities in downtown Edmonton, where they were able to interact with employees and get acquainted with the organization before participating in a ‘live’ case competition, working on a real and current problem of the YNAB.
“Knowing that the organization was currently looking for our help made the experience that much more exciting and worthwhile,” said Oliver. Students had 24 hours to analyze and prepare a solution to the case.
Teams had to present their solution and answer judges’ questions and defend their recommendations.
UPEI’s Team 1 made it to the final round and took a respectable second place, behind the University of Regina.
“The students understood that they needed to shift their mindset when working with a non-profit organization,” said Mary Whitrow, case competition program co-ordinator and coach.
“They were able to create insightful and practical solutions for the YNAB that also achieved an excellent result for UPEI.”
As part of the prizes for the ANPA Case Competition, teams who finish first, second, or third are given the opportunity to donate $5,000, $3,000, or $1,000 respectively to the charity of their choice.
The grant is provided by the event’s title sponsor, the Muttart Foundation. UPEI’s team chose to direct its donation to Parkinson Canada.