Gunn Unumaranon is a recent graduate of the M.S. Nonprofit Management (NOPM) program and most recently consulted for the New York Junior League (NYJL), a women-powered organization that partners with community-based organizations to advance children’s social-emotional learning. She credits the program with helping her transition smoothly into the industry.
“The program gave me frameworks that helped me understand social impact work on a much deeper level,” Unumaranon said during an NOPM International Student Perspectives panel discussion. “It gave me community, clarity, and security. The best part of it all was the people—discussions with my wonderful professors and classmates gave me both confidence and perspective.”
Originally from Thailand, Unumaranon managed Westropolis, a Thailand-based social impact organization that combines creativity, community, and philanthropy, modeled after pop culture conventions such as Comic-Con. The organization used the celebration of shared interests, such as fan art and performances, to raise funds and awareness for local nonprofits through ticket sales.
As Unumaranon saw the untapped potential of her organization, combining her interests in advocacy and art she realized she needed a deeper understanding of how social organizations thrive, which led her to the NOPM program in New York.
During her time in the program, she enjoyed classes such as Grant Writing with Professor John Hicks, which worked with existing nonprofits to teach students how to research and draft foundation proposals. Through NOPM’s Summer Capstone course, led by Professor Elizabeth Angeles and Associate Instructor and NOPM alum Deanna Bosselman, she worked with the NYJL as a student consultant.
Unumaranon led the marketing component of Astor House, the New York Junior League’s historic headquarters. This course led her to produce detailed reports with event marketing recommendations, SEO maximization, community strategy, and execution. As a result, upon her graduation from the program, Unumaranon became a marketing and communications consultant for the organization.
Looking forward, Unumaranon is interested in further exploring the intersections between pop culture, social impact, and sustainability. She remains interested in issues such as gaming addiction, online safety, and fan culture, but is now inspired to explore new directions. Whether it be ecotourism initiatives in Thailand or large-scale social impact projects in Singapore, Unumaranon will find pockets of intersectionality wherever she ventures.
About the Program
Columbia University’s M.S. in Nonprofit Management prepares graduates for leadership roles within mission-driven organizations in a wide variety of contexts, including global and community nonprofits, foundations, education, healthcare, the arts, or as fundraising and development experts.
Learn more about the program here. The program is available part-time, full-time, on-campus, and online.
