Irfan Hasan

How would you describe your experience as an NYU Wagner student?

It was helpful to be in a class with peers who also had practical experience prior to returning to graduate school. Faculty members with meaningful connections to public and nonprofit systems also helped make the learning "real."

How did your experiences at NYU Wagner prepare you for your career?

My time at Wagner provided a theoretical context on issues from budgeting to human resources to program development--all activities I had been involved in my previous position, but without such a framework.

Have you found any advantages to being a part of the NYU Wagner alumni network?

Almost every NYU Wagner alum that I meet who works for a nonprofit in New York City is at an organization that is a grantee of The New York Community Trust. It is heartening to see the spread of NYU Wagner graduates across the City in critical public service roles.

What impact do you hope to make through your organization?

I work for The New York Community Trust, the grantmaking foundation that has the most New York City nonprofits as grantees. Carefully deploying philanthropic resources to improve nonprofits’ capacity, the structures within which they operate, and the service delivery systems that they are part of is the overarching focus.