The White House Project (TWHP) is a national nonprofit organization that uses multi­platform programs to advance women's leadership in all communities and across sectors—up to the U.S. presi­dency—by filling the leadership pipeline with a diverse, critical mass of women. Now at a pivotal point in its organizational lifecycle, TWHP requested a Capstone team to gather information about the organization's capacity to expand its pro­grammatic reach. To help TWHP under­stand its growth potential, the Capstone team first compiled and reviewed program survey data to develop an alumnae track­ing instrument and analyzed the organiza­tion's financial condition. Then, the team compiled a variety of growth strategies and best practices through an environmental scan and included recommendations for an “incubator model” of expansion. Finally, the team provided a general list of indicators of successful growth and obstacles for TWHP to consider when undertaking expansion. The Capstone team intends for the report to enable TWHP to develop the financial requirements and operational strategies necessary to facilitate growth as the organization seeks to reach more women across the country and have a greater influence nationally.

The New York State Rockefeller Drug Law of 1973 became the model for harsh sen­tencing policies for nearly all states in the country. Although the “war on drugs” and the “war on crime” sought to address vio­lent criminal activity, the changes in policy and the emphasis on mandatory prison sentences have mostly resulted in the mass imprisonment of low­risk, nonviolent drug offenders who are often young Black and Latino men. The drastic increase in the number of people sentenced to prison for drug­related offenses has caused prison over­crowding, ballooning state expenses, and an influx of drug offenders returning to communities. While existing research on recidivism has focused on individual characteristics of offenders, very little is known about the state or neighborhood­level context to which offenders return. For this study the Capstone team examined the impact of state­level policy factors, such as indeterminate and determinate sentencing, on recidivism among drug offenders released in 1994.

Since its designation as a Children's Hospital by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, Maimonides Infants & Children's Hospital (MICH) has continually worked to provide the highest levels of quality care in all pediatrics subspecial­ties. Serving over 750,000 children of diverse ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds in South Brooklyn, MICH identified the need to improve communi­cation between healthcare professionals, patients, and their families. Through inter­views, evidence­based research, and research from other children's hospitals, the Capstone team identified key commu­nication problems and compiled and ana­lyzedthisresearchtoproducerecommendations that MICH can use as it expands services, develops communication strategies, and creates mechanisms to evaluate and measure the organization's success in ful­filling its mission.