Nonprofits
When nonprofits seek results-oriented advice, they turn to us for pro bono assistance. What we offer is unmatched: thoughtful analysis, actionable solutions that are tailored to the needs of each client organization and delivered free of charge by teams of Harvard Business School alumni.
In 2025, 58 HBS alumni volunteers made significant contributions to strengthen the nonprofit community, sharing their business skills with leaders of local organizations. We worked for a total of 5000 hours of Pro Bono consulting and workshops, creating an estimated value of $2.3 million. Out of the 20 clients benefited from our work, 100% said the projects had an impact, with 82% reporting significant or highly significant impact. All of them said they would recommend CP to their non-profit friends.
Pro Bono consulting and brainstorming projects .
Report Projects had impact with 82% reporting Significant or Highly Significant Impact
Benefited from our pro bono consulting services.
Volunteered for pro bono consulting and Skills Gap Initiative activities.
A two hour, high-energy meeting of 4 or more alumni volunteers, guided by an experienced moderator and gathered together to address a clearly-defined challenge or opportunity. Our alumni team session includes leaders from the client organization. Team Leader delivers a post-session summary of recommendations made to our client organization.
Duration:
A well-structured and comprehensive project lasting approximately three or four months, with a Team Leader working closely with the Executive Director and key staff of the nonprofit. Our work is anchored by a customized, phased project plan, including interim meetings and a final report and presentation of the team’s findings and recommendations.
Duration:
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.
Duration:
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.
Duration:
We are all deeply grateful for the "above and beyond" commitment of the entire HBS Community partners team as we navigated both internal changes and external challenges, including change in leadership that would directly impact our strategic goals. As I reviewed the SPC strategic plan summary, the depth and breadth of our strategic journey since we began last fall was striking. With everything we faced, and continue to face, it would have been easy to get stuck in the present. You all helped us to see beyond the immediate challenges and thoughtfully develop a plan that is trulty strategic.To say we could not have done this without guidance from the HBS team is an understatement. You enabled us to understand more deeply the potential for Building One Community to continue fulfill its mission.
The Club of CT Community Partners has dedicated time and energy to help support Future 5 strengthen our work. We have been able to identify clear goals and are on a path to developing an even stronger and more dynamic Future 5 than ever before thanks to your help. Thank you for your dedication to Future 5 and our community.
"THANK YOU BOTH for all your work on the Retreat. The feedback has been incredibly positive and very supportive. I think we moved the Board ahead significantly, and we will be working far better -- more effectively -- because of the work we did yesterday. Your planning and personal involvement made all the difference in helping our Board to get to know/trust each other so we can concentrate on the issues we need to address in the coming year, and I feel eternally grateful to you for helping to make this happen. Thank you!"
“Not only did you give us a plan and path forward, you energized our board to reach out and we have 5 new members joining in April
"We truly cannot begin to express our gratitude for taking the time to provide guidance to Winning Ways. The insights you and your team provided were invaluable and will not only contribute to the growth and expansion of Winning Ways, but also the personal and professional growth of the three of us. We are eager to implement the suggestions and increase positive change in our communities."
"Community Partners exceeded our expectations in every way! Your team provided the expertise and vision to guide The Community Fund of Darien into the next three years by developing a detailed strategic plan based on initiatives. It was time for our treasured 70-year-old organization to focus on its future and HBS delivered. We could not have done it without the HBS team.”
"I can reiterate the compliments for the previous consulting project Community Partners did for Malta House in Norwalk, CT. I was on the board at the time. You will be happy to know we are still following the recommendations. We are moving into a new home next year, also in Norwalk, which will allow us to increase our services by 50% in an even better environment."
"We are grateful for the expertise and support provided by our CP team. Because of this project, we now have measurable strategies to put into place that will increase our impact on our student population."
"At the tender age of eight months, our new 501(c)3 organization adopted its first strategic plan with CP's support. CP's help was invaluable as the plan was designed, edited and re-edited. Our CP team was smart, focused, respectful and economical with everyone's time, for which this overworked ED is very grateful. Thanks, CP!"
"Thank you for an engaging discussion on the ALICE Marketplace. We walked away with great ideas as well as some cautionary steps to take…These brainstorming sessions are a wonderful service to the community, and we feel fortunate to have had this opportunity…I will keep you all posted as we build momentum! work with."
"I wanted to let you know that based on the HBS project we did together, we implemented your feedback and executed a Susan M. Ross New Executive Director Institute in September 2020 that served 20 new Executive Directors of Fairfield County nonprofits. We collaborated with the Nonprofit Support Center to run this program."
"We can't think of a more-worthy recipient [of the Humanitarian Award sponsored by the donor-advised Thumbelina Fund] than the HBS Community Partners. Their commitment to elevating the performance of the nonprofit sector is having a positive impact on the thousands of lives that are touched by these agencies each year."
"[Your project] will benefit the agency for years to come."
"I can say that we would not have moved as comprehensively and rapidly as we have without their guidance and leadership. They support the executive level work of the initiative through countless hours of meetings and documenting and organizing the movement along with the backbone staff."
"The CP team's consultation helped our organization clarify the necessary steps to take in planning for the transition of a senior administrator, who after over 25 years in the organization, performed integral roles in many areas outside of his sphere of responsibilities.
The CP team provided us with assurances that we were on the right path and aided our decision on which choice of direction would benefit our organization's future."
"The HBS CP team creates tremendous value for the individual organizations they support as well
as an at yet, immeasurable collective impact, across the region. We are constantly seeking ways to improve our ability to deliver services and improve the lives of older adults in need of community support. HBS CP has helped us establish our North Star and numerous initiatives along the way."
"The Zoo has thoroughly enjoyed working with CP. CP listened to our needs, gave clear and concise direction and worked with us to ensure the project was complete. CP is truly an asset to our nonprofit community.
THANK YOU!
“We simply cannot say enough about CP and the work they did for us here at Connecticut
Foodshare over the past year. With their help, we were able to develop a multi-year plan that will
completely revamp and reinvigorate both our programs and our presence down in Fairfield County.
Their research and observations were rooted in both quantitative and qualitative analysis, and their
ultimate recommendations were rooted in practicality. We are incredibly thankful for the
opportunity to work with CP, and we look forward to sharing our results with them in the years to
come.”
“As a not-for-profit startup, our team needed help to create a more sustainable business model.
The CP group researched the space we are in and led a strategy session with our team which
produced valuable and tangible results. We successfully tweaked our revenue model – doubling
our monthly revenue in six months, and we will likely build on that and make even more
adjustments using their feedback. Our team is sincerely appreciative of CP’s assistance as they have
made a tangible difference to the sustainability of our new kind of library.”
For each of the past 20 years, the Harvard Business School Club of Connecticut Community Partners has invited applications and granted scholarships to Connecticut nonprofit leaders to attend the Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management executive education program (SPNM). Click this LINK to learn more about SPNM.
Some 29 of our State’s recognized best nonprofit leaders have attended this program and unanimously report that SPNM was the most “outstanding executive education experience of their entire careers”. The SPNM program is an intensive 6-day program taught by the Harvard Business School faculty. Over 150 nonprofit leaders from around the world, representing a wide range of nonprofit sectors, make up the student body.
In 2021, we renamed our scholarship to honor Lee Barnes, one of the most significant contributors to the success of Community Partners. During the 16 years Lee worked with us, he volunteered on 42% of our projects and 53% of our volunteers worked on at least one project with him.
We will be accepting scholarship applications for the 2027 SPNM program beginning in February, 2027. A fill-in application can be downloaded by clicking below on “Application”. Please complete the application and then email it to [email protected]. Be sure to get a confirmation from us of receipt. Feel free to use that email to contact us with any questions and/or to introduce yourself.
There are only 2 prerequisites:
• Applicants must have served as Executive Director or Chief Executive Officer of their organization for at least 1 year, and have at least 10 years of professional experience.
• Their organization must be of significant scale and complexity, generally an annual budget in excess of $1 Million.
The Turbo Award is a $20,000 grant given to a high-performing nonprofit organization in Connecticut. It is meant to provide a funding catalyst for a significant program that takes the nonprofit organization forward in pursuit of its mission, i. e. Turbo-charge the program implementation and growth. Funds can be used either to improve an existing program, to launch a new initiative, or to enhance overall organizational effectiveness. Frequently, smaller awards have been given to one or two additional applicants. Over $100,000 has been awarded to date.
DR Bank, headquartered in Darien, has generously collaborated with HBS Community Partners to fund this grant. The awards will be presented at a reception hosted by DR Bank at their Darien headquarters.
This is a biennial award and we will be seeking applications for the next award cycle in 2027.
Eligibility:
The Turbo Award is open to all legally-designated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations operating in the State of Connecticut that meet the following criteria:
The organization must provide programs or services to benefit the residents of Connecticut. Chapters or subsidiaries of national or international organizations may apply so long as the specific proposal addresses work to be undertaken within the state, using local staff and serving local communities. Nonprofits that are simply headquartered in Connecticut are not eligible.
The organization must have a full-time Executive Director (or equivalent), at least two additional full-time staff members, and a fully constituted and engaged Board of Directors.
The organization must have been in existence at least three years, have an established track record of service in Connecticut, and have broad-based support as evidenced, for example, by a balanced mix of public and private funding.
The organization may work in any field of endeavor (e.g., social services, health, arts, education, environment, etc.)
Faith-based organizations may not apply unless they can demonstrate that their mission is not primarily religious, that the clients they serve are not selected on the basis of religious affiliation, and that their clients are not subjected to proselytizing in order to receive services.
Political organizations or those affiliated with political causes may not apply.