Harvard Business School Community Partners

1. Harvard Business SchoolCommunity Partners Volunteer Guide • Harvard business school community partners • A guide for new volunteers

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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

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

8. 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. Getting Started

9. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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 CP Clients(partial list)

16. CP SteeringCommittee • 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

17. 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 HBSis 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(Bain’s nonprofit consulting arm)group, visit https://www.bridgestar.org