About
Founded in 2004, Community Partners (CP) is an all-volunteer organization, run by and for Connecticut-based graduates of the Harvard Business School. The organization’s mission is to create opportunities for alumni to work together to promote excellence in non-profit management throughout the state. Working in teams, alumni undertake pro bono management consulting projects and conduct workshops on topics of special interest to local non-profit institutions. Each year CP awards a scholarship to the HBS Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management (SPNM) summer program, enabling an Executive Director of a CT non-profit organization to attend this intense, one week session taught by HBS faculty. CP has also created the Turbo Award, which provides a cash grant to an outstanding local non-profit organization to fund a program that will allow the organization to significantly benefit the Connecticut community. Since its formation, over 250 CP volunteers have worked with over 150 great Connecticut nonprofit organizations, touching the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of people throughout Connecticut.
The mission of Community Partners is to enable HBS alumni and alumnae to participate in volunteer efforts to promote excellence in not-for-profit leadership in Connecticut through pro bono consulting, education, grant awards and related initiatives that provide a rewarding opportunity to work together to benefit our communities. Community Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit entity.
Steve has over 30 years of experience helping some of the largest businesses in the US to become more efficient and effective in how they serve their customers. As a Partner in a leading consulting firm’s Communications & High Tech Industry Group, he worked with major Communications companies beginning in 1986 as their industry transformed from a regulated monopoly to a high-tech, highly competitive one. Steve now works with Non-Profit organizations, helping them to achieve their
full potential. He has served on Non-Profit boards and is now the Board Co-Chair and President of Community Partners, providing pro bono consulting services to local non-profits. Steve received a BS in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1978 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1983.
Erv has an extensive background in executive positions in the consumer packaged goods industry and as a board member of healthcare organizations. He has served on numerous for profit and nonprofit boards of directors including serving as chairman of five of these boards. His current board service includes Nuvance Health, Norwalk ACTS, Choice Hotels and the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation. Erv was a faculty member of UVA’s Darden School of Business for ten years teaching courses on marketing and strategy. He has a BSBA from the University of Florida and an MBA from Harvard University
Each year about 50+ local HBS alumni participate in pro bono work with Community Partners. We greatly appreciate the commitment of our fellow alumni and their contributions to our organization and the nonprofit community.
Community Partners has worked with a varied group of nonprofits in the state of Connecticut on a wide range of issues. To learn more about the breadth of our work, see our List of Nonprofits and brief descriptions of some of our Recent Projects.
The work of Community Partners is inspired by the Social Enterprise Initiative of the Harvard Business School led by Co-Chairs, Professor Herman B. “Dutch” Leonard and Professor V. Kasturi “Kash” Rangan. HBS SEI celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019 and its work has grown significantly in recent years. Currently over 90 HBS faculty members are engaged in social enterprise research, teaching and program activities.
Most of our work is structured as:
In either case, a volunteer may expect to spend about two to four hours per week for the duration of the project.
A Consulting project typically results in a report with findings and recommendations about a set of strategic issues, and is presented to a nonprofit’s executive director and Board. A project typically lasts 2-5 months and involves a team of 3-6 HBSCP members including a team leader. In order to arrive at our recommendations, the project team typically conducts independent research and interviews stakeholders within the nonprofit. The team arrives independently at a division of responsibilities and meeting cadence that allows for each member’s other professional and personal commitments. For further information, see What to Expect as a Project Volunteer >
As a volunteer participant in a Brainstorming session, you and 5-15 fellow HBSCP members will participate in an open 2-3 hour discussion about a narrow set of strategy issues facing one of our nonprofit clients. For this to produce the best possible outcome for clients and the best possible experience for volunteers, we ask that volunteers read and give some thought to materials sent a week prior to the session. The materials provide context and relevant data, much like an HBS case study. For further information, see What to Expect as a Project Volunteer>
Past volunteers have been very positive on their experiences with Community Partners project. First, it is a great networking opportunity. Project Teams consist of alumni from different backgrounds and HBS courses/classes, so you will most likely meet new alumni on your team. Second, volunteering on a consulting team is a unique way to be involved in your community. Volunteers add value to the organizations they assist; for many, it is an opportunity to help an organization beyond donating money. In many cases, the business acumen provided enables the nonprofit organizations to reach their goals more effectively, efficiently, and leverage the resources available. Lastly, volunteers report they receive significant enjoyment from meeting and working with people whose passion drives the nonprofit organizations.
We work with a wide range of 501c3 organizations in Connecticut, with most of our clients based in Fairfield County. We group our client organizations into Education, Environment, Arts & Cultural, Health and Social Services and seek to work with a healthy mix of the five groups. See our List of Nonprofits; and for brief descriptions of our recent work, see HERE
Community Partners is funded by the Harvard Business School Club of CT, so we encourage all our volunteers to join the Club (either before, during or after a project). If you’d like to join now, visit HERE
Yes – our mission is to create constructive partnerships between HBS alumni and nonprofit organizations in our community, and as such only HBS alumni are invited to participate.
Absolutely! We are always excited to welcome new volunteers to Community Partners, and many of our teams contain a blend of first-time and experienced volunteers
During COVID, both client and team meetings are being held virtually. Consulting project teams typically meet:
Historically, teams have chosen to meet in person at a convenient location (such as a town library). Client presentations typically take place at client sites, with the ability for participants to dial in if needed.
To volunteer for a project or respond to any of the email project announcements, please contact us HERE or our Projects Committee chair: Jeff Krulwich ‘67
Yes, in addition to the Community Partners program here in Connecticut, HBS Clubs in many other locations offer similar opportunities to provide pro bono services to nonprofit organizations. Check this list of HBS Clubs > and contact the Club nearest to you to inquire.
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We work with a wide range of 501c3 organizations in Connecticut and are open to discussing opportunities with nonprofits of all sizes. We group our client organizations into Education, Environment, Arts & Cultural, Health and Social Services and seek to work with a healthy mix of the five groups. See our List of Nonprofits>> and for brief descriptions of our recent work, see Our Recent Projects >
The general requirements for nonprofits are that the organization be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and that it be located in and focuses its activities and programs in Connecticut. You can find more detailed criteria on our Nonprofits Page. We regret we are unable to work with nonprofits who do not meet these criteria.
We offer two primary project types:
Once you complete a Project Application , a Community Partners Project Coordinator will work with you to finalize the scope and format of the project.
If you need help or have any questions, please feel free to contact our Chair Jeff Krulwich by email [email protected] or contact us HERE
Absolutely! One of the greatest testimonials to our work is when a client organization asks to work with us again, either on a follow-up project or one addressing a different challenge or opportunity. We encourage you to reach out to your prior project coordinator or to complete a new Project [email protected]
We ask that you only submit a single application at a time. If you are looking for assistance on multiple issues, we encourage you to identify those in your application; we will then work with you to refine a project scope that is suitable for either a consulting project or brainstorming project.
Unfortunately, no – our mission is to create constructive partnerships between HBS alumni and nonprofit organizations in our community, so we require that your organization be located in and focus its activities and programs primarily in Connecticut. We also welcome national and international organizations if they are headquartered in Connecticut. If you are not based in Connecticut, HBS Community Partners also has clubs in many other parts of the country. We encourage you to check this list of HBS Clubs > and contact the Club nearest to you to inquire.
Absolutely, although we ask that you ensure your organization meets our selection criteria and encourage you to seek feedback on why your application was not selected prior to reapplying.
Not at all – while some clients offer to host certain key meetings at their offices, this isn’t a requirement.
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For more information about Community Partners pro bono consulting programs please contact any of the current Community Partners programs listed below: