Harvard Business School Community Partners

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Harvard Business School Community Partners

• Volunteer Guide

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Introduction

• Thank you for volunteering to work on a
  Community Partners project!
• Since 1986, over 600 HBS alumni in Northern
  California have worked on projects for more than
  300 nonprofit clients.
• We welcome you to the group and hope you will
  find it to be an interesting, worthwhile and
  enjoyable experience.

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Table of Contents

• CP Mission.. 4
• CP Client Criteria 5
• CP Project Criteria.. 6
• Characteristics of Successful Projects 7
• Getting Started 8
• Managing the Process 10
• Concluding the Process 11
• Frequently Asked Questions 12
• CP Client List.. 15
• CP Steering Committee 16
• Project Resources/Links 17

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CP Mission

• Serve the northern California community by
  providing free business consulting to nonprofit
  organizations.
• Serve HBS alumni in northern California by
  providing opportunities to channel their
  interests into community service.

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CP Client Criteria

• Public sector or 501c3 nonprofit status
• A mission which benefits the community
• Sustained staff involvement to enable a team to
  carry the project through to completion
• A minimum of 3 paid staff, a board of directors
  and an annual operating budget of at least
  500,000

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Project Criteria

• Deal with business-related issues within the
  organization such as strategic planning,
  organizational and board development , finance or
  marketing
• Be scaled and focused so as to be completed by a
  volunteer group within 4-6 months
• Normally involve a team of 3-4 volunteer
  consultants
• Exclude direct fundraising activities

7
Characteristics of Successful Projects

• A fast start with a clear objectives
• Client actively involved in the process
• Personal commitment to the team and project goals

8
Getting Started

• CP Steering Committee(SC) project overseer will
  arrange an initial meeting of the team with the
  client.
• The purpose of the meeting will be to address any
  questions the team may have about the specific
  nature of the work to be done and to redefine the
  scope of the project as needed.
• The team should designate one member to serve as
  team coordinator/leader. This volunteer will be
  the primary contact for the client and team
  communications.

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Getting Started

• The team should then prepare a project workplan
  that outlines the work to be done, key
  deliverables and timing.
• This workplan, along with a standard CP
  engagement letter will be sent by the SC overseer
  to the client for approval.
• When approved, the engagement letter and workplan
  becomes a consulting contact that can be
  substantially changed only upon mutual agreement
  of the CP team and client.

10
Managing the Process

• Schedule another team meeting shortly after the
  initial meeting to maintain momentum on the
  project.
• The team coordinator/leader should keep in
  regular contact with the team members, the client
  and the SC overseer.
• Report any delays or other problems with moving
  forward with the project to the SC overseer ASAP.

11
Concluding the Process

• Schedule a final presentation of the results of
  the project with the executive director/CEO and
  board members, as appropriate.
• Send a final copy of the report/presentation to
  the SC overseer.
• Complete an on-line survey that will ask you to
  evaluate your experience working on the project.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• How are projects selected?
• Prospective clients fill out a detailed project
  application that is reviewed by the CP steering
  committee. We accept 15-20 projects each year and
  try to offer a diverse range of clients in terms
  of nonprofit sector and geography.
• How are teams selected?
• Teams are selected based on the timing of their
  response to the project notice, interest in the
  project, their relevant experience and time
  availability.
• Do you accept non-HBS volunteers?
• Yes, CP does accept non-HBS volunteers on a
  project-by-project basis. We do not actively
  recruit non-HBS volunteers but interested
  individuals are welcome to ask for our project
  announcements.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the relationship of CP to the local club
  and to HBS?
• CP is a program sponsored by the HBSA/NC.
  Proceeds from two major dinner events provide the
  funding for CP operations. CP does not receive
  any funding from HBS but is a highly regarded
  alumni program and has received national
  recognition from the Corporation for National and
  Community Service based in Washington DC.
• Are there CP programs in other cities?
• Yes, there are active CP programs in Boston, New
  York, Washington D.C., Minneapolis/St.Paul, Los
  Angeles and Portland, OR.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Are there activities CP offers other than
  consulting projects?
• Yes, in April, CP sponsors a home to be
  renovated through Rebuilding Together San
  Francisco, an affiliate of the national
  organization that is the largest volunteer
  organization preserving and revitalizing
  low-income houses and communities. This event
  provides an opportunity for HBS alums that do not
  have time for our consulting projects to give
  back to their community on a one-day project.
• Does CP have a board matching program?
• We encourage HBS alums to sign up with
  Boardnetusa.org, a new on-line board matching
  service that allows individuals interested in
  serving on boards to learn about various board
  opportunities. Many alums join the boards of the
  organizations they have worked with through CP
  projects.

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CP Clients (partial list)

• American Red Cross Bay Area
• ANZA Technology Network
• Asian Art Museum
• Bay Area Community Services
• Canal Alliance
• Center for Employment Training
• Children's Discovery Museum
• Commonwealth Club of California
• First Place for Youth
• Fort Mason Center
• Gamble Garden
• Girls Inc.
• Girls Scouts - Santa Clara County
• Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo
  and Marin
• Haight Ashbury Free Clinic
• Hiller Aviation Museum

• Marine Science Institute
• Meals on Wheels San Francisco
• Leadership High School
• Marin Humane Society
• Northern California Community Loan Fund
• Oakland Museum
• Oakland Zoo
• Peninsula Symphony
• Saint Vincent de Paul Society
• San Francisco Arboretum
• San Francisco Opera
• Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
• The Yosemite Fund
• YWCA San Francisco Marin
• Yosemite National Institutes

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CP Steering Committee

• Steve Downs 79, Chair
• Kathy Salmanowitz 78, Program Director
• Kirk Bloede 87
• Kathy Koenig 89
• Milt Klein 50
• Wendy Lim 06
• Michael Marubio 95
• Steve Shane 80
• Ilene Steiner 83

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Nonprofit Resources/Links

• For all CP Materials such as engagement letter
  templates, sample final reports, past
  project/client lists, see the CP wiki site at
  http//cpvolunteers.pbwiki.com
• For general info on what HBS is doing in the area
  of social enterprise and for selected HBS
  resources on nonprofit management and social
  enterprise, go to
• http//www.hbs.edu/socialenterprise .
• For information on jobs in the social enterprise
  sector and for selected resources from the
  Bridgespan (Bains nonprofit consulting arm)
  group, visit https//www.bridgestar.org