Alumni
Community Partners provides meaningful volunteer opportunities for HBS alumni. We connect alumni volunteers with local nonprofits seeking our help with business and management challenges.
Join a project team, work together with fellow alums, and contribute your skills and experience to make an impact in our community.
A two-hour, high energy meeting of four or more alumni, including an experienced moderator, addressing a clearly defined challenge or opportunity along with leaders from the organization.
A comprehensive team project lasting several months, addressing business-related issues such as strategic planning, organizational development, finance and marketing.
A series of meetings over a 2-3 month period with the client board or task force to get alignment or direction on a specific issue. Meetings structured and led by the CP team, with work between the sessions by the task force and CP team.
Generally reserved for past clients or smaller nonprofits. Address a specific question – CP team researches and advises on the client’s question in a one-time meeting.
March/April 2021
Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Inc. is one of the largest private social service providers in Connecticut. Founded in 1916, Catholic Charities operates over 30 programs for the empowerment of those in need without regard to age, race, religion, or ability to pay. Its programs include nutrition, housing, mental health, adoption and pregnancy service, immigration, and family support service that help more than 10,000 people each year. The existing strategic plan has “expired” and Catholic Charities’ leadership has asked Community Partners to help develop a three-year strategic plan using a ”Balanced Scorecard” approach.
2-3 hrs/wk for 6 weeks
Stepping Stones Museum for Children (SSMC), located in Norwalk, is celebrating its 20th birthday this year. Its mission is “to broaden and enrich the educational opportunities for children ages ten and under and enhance their understanding of the world”. Stepping Stones excels in informal learning and also maintains laboratory-type programs to extend its impact on visitor learning and community outreach. SSMC has prioritized virtual/on-line learning resources as a main mission-critical priority to better serve the community. Accordingly, it has developed and begun to implement a facility, named the SSMC Family and Teacher Resource Center E-Commerce Store (FTRC–ECS), and appointed a team to create an ecommerce business for distributing elements of its inventory of digital and non-digital learning content and services. Stepping Stones has asked Community Partners to help its FTRC–ECS team assess the markets for those products. begin Feb/March 2021
2-3 hrs/wk for 6 weeks
The Riverbrook Regional YMCA (“RRYM”), based in Wilton, seeks to develop an innovative concept that does not follow the historic Y model: a facility in South Norwalk will provide a variety of social services to support its low-income community with an initial focus on. youth development and wellness. After delays due to COVID-19, the YMCA is planning to move to South Norwalk. The YMCA is looking to the HBSCP to provide them with a plan that describes in more detail the services to be offered, the partners to work with, the facility plan needed and the financials required. (begin Feb/March 2021)
2-3 hrs/wk for 6 weeks
Create new strategic plan for this a $ 28 million organization involved with early education, energy assistance and youth development in eight towns in Fairfield County.
2-3 hrs/wk for 6 weeks
Refresh their scholarship program to have increased impact through a more holistic and targeted approach which can also increase AAUW member and donor engagement.
In 2023, HBS alumni volunteers made significant contributions to strengthen the nonprofit community, sharing their business skills with leaders of local organizations.
Provided in pro bono consulting and Skills Gap Initiative activities during 2023.
11 pro bono consulting and brainstorming projects in 2023
In 2023 42 HBS alumni volunteered for pro bono consulting and Skills Gap Initiative activities.
