Community Action Partners
Harvard Business School and Kennedy School Alumni Partnering with Boston Area Nonprofits on Critical Business Challenges
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Alumni Volunteers
Are you a graduate of HBS or HKS who wants to transfer your skills into community service?
Nonprofit Partners
Are you a Boston nonprofit or social enterprise looking for pro bono business consulting help?
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We do not receive funding from Harvard. We rely on the support of alumni and sponsors.
CAP Consulting
Pro Bono Consulting Projects with 4-8 Alumni Volunteers Focused on Specific Business Challenges with Clearly Defined Goals
Consulting Overview
- Typical project team consists of four or eight alumni working between two and four hours per week for four to eight months
- We leverage each team’s unique intellectual capital and business talent, customizing every project to meet client needs
- The result is a mutually rewarding experience — for alumni who want to impact the social good, and for our nonprofit clients who need professional help
Application Process
- Applications for Pro Bono Business Consulting Services are accepted from until June 11, 2021 for work beginning in October 2021
- CAP matches selected Boston area nonprofits with an alumni team tailored to the client and project focus
Consulting Client Criteria
- Charitable nonprofit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) status or other officially designated social enterprise
- Headquartered in Greater Boston
- A mission which provides the Greater Boston/New England community with a social benefit
- Stable leadership in the organization (ED tenure exceeds one year)
- Administrative capacity and commitment to oversee and support the consulting work
- For Classic Consulting projects:
- A minimum of five paid full-time staff, as well as a board of directors
- Not currently in a crisis situation which would require more urgent assistance
- For Focused Consulting projects:
- A minimum of 3 paid full-time staff and demonstrated active board participation
- Sufficient financial stability and no imminent financial crisis.
Consulting Project Criteria
- Deal with business or management-related issues in the organization, such as strategic planning, organizational development, finance, or marketinG
- Not focused primarily on development / fundraising strategy or implementation
- Have goals which are well-defined and achievable by a volunteer team of about six consultants working two to four hours per week each for approximately six months
- Have the sponsorship of the organization’s leadership, including both staff and the board
Project Implementation Guidelines
- Each project is defined and agreed upon with the client organization in a written project commitment letter
- A project team leader is designated prior to start-up with responsibility for guiding the project to completion
- Each project has a liaison to the CAP board to track progress and provide assistance when necessary
- A final report (oral and/or written) is made to client management and/or the board of directors
About Our Volunteers
- CAP volunteers spend about four hours per week between January and June on each engagement, working in teams of approximately six alumni per client (Classic projects) and three to four alumni (Short projects)
- Volunteers range in age from their late twenties to their seventies and have experience in many different industries and functional areas
- HBS and HKS alumni volunteers derive personal satisfaction from making an impact on an area nonprofit
- They also benefit from interacting with other alumni from diverse backgrounds
- The positive experience of CAP teams contributes to a high repeat rate of volunteers — typically, more than 50 percent of the volunteers have experience with prior CAP projects
Recent Consulting Clients
CAP Brainstorming
A 2-3 Hour, Facilitated Meeting with 5-7 Alumni Focused on Solving a Clearly Defined Business Challenge
Brainstorming Overview
- Brainstorming allows CAP to serve a wide variety of nonprofit clients, especially those who are small or whose issues don’t fit with the CAP Consulting eight-month pro bono consulting engagements
- Brainstorming allows alumni to put their skills to use in service of local nonprofits with a limited time commitment
- Examples of recent brainstorming session topics include: succession planning; board governance; impact measurement and reporting; ways to increase an organization’s visibility and reach; and staffing structures for continued growth
Application Process
- Client applications are accepted on a rolling basis
- A phone interview will be conducted if nonprofit applicant is selected to move to the next step in the process
- Visit Nonprofit Partners page for more info.
Brainstorming Client Criteria
- Charitable nonprofit organization with IRS 501(c)(3) status or other officially designated social enterprise
- Located in Greater Boston
- A mission which benefits the community
- An engaged board of directors
- Stable leadership in the organization
- Capacity/resources to act on ideas generated during Brainstorming Session
Brainstorming Project Criteria
- Deal with business or management-related issues in the organization, such as strategic planning, organizational development, finance, or marketing
- Not focus on development / fundraising strategy or implementation
- Have goals which are well defined and achievable by a volunteer team of five to seven consultants during a three-hour brainstorming session
- Have the sponsorship of the organization’s leadership
Procedural Guidelines
- A mutually agreeable brainstorming session date and location will be determined by CAP and client Executive Director if the application is accepted
- The client provides some brief background materials at least 2 weeks in advance to help prepare the participants to engage in a discussion focused on the brainstorming topic
- The client provides refreshments for the participants
Recent Brainstorming Projects
Over 1,000 HBS and HKS Alumni have Volunteered Their Time and Expertise
More than 350 Pro Bono Consulting Projects with Boston Area Nonprofits
30 Years of Supporting our Community through Pro Bono Consulting Service
Why CAP?
Let Our Nonprofit Partners Tell You
Contact Us
CAP Sponsors
Thank you to Jane’s Way and Shipp Consulting for their generous support.
