We offer HBS alumni two types of projects:

• A consulting project, which is a 3-4 month engagement focused on a broad strategic challenge.
• A brainstorming project, which is typically held in one (or occasionally more than one) session that generally lasts two hours, focusing on a tightly scoped strategic issue.

A “consulting” project is a comprehensive project lasting 3-4 months, focusing on a broad strategic challenge facing the nonprofit’s leadership.

Each project usually involves a team of 3-8 HBS alumni, including a volunteer team leader. The team works with the nonprofit’s executive director and other staff members, and a typical project includes a project plan developed by the team, meetings with the nonprofit, independent work by the team, and delivery of a report including findings and recommendations.

We ask each volunteer to commit 2-3 hours/week for 3-4 months over the duration of the project, but expect the team to develop its own schedule and working style to cater to each member’s availability and other commitments.

For further information, see What to Expect as a Project Volunteer>>

A typical brainstorming project provides the nonprofit organization with the opportunity to explore a business issue or challenge with a team of four or more HBS alumni in a two-hour, high-energy discussion. 

Prior to the session, the volunteer Project Coordinator provides the team with background information which can be reviewed in about an hour. This helps everyone feel ready to kick-start the dialog when we meet with the client organization during the session.  

The session is led by an experienced moderator, who is also an HBS alumni volunteer. At the beginning of the session, the nonprofit’s executive director shares an overview of the organization and relevant issues, which is followed by an open discussion and brainstorming. 

For further information, see What to Expect as a Project Volunteer>>

Our two types of projects require different time commitments, but both are designed to be suitable for HBS alumni with full-time and demanding day jobs. 

• A “consulting” project lasts 3-4 months, and we ask each volunteer to commit 2-3 hours/week for 3-4 months over the duration of the project. This includes time spent meeting with the client, conducting interviews and research, collaborating with other team members, undertaking independent work and preparing the final report of findings and recommendations.
• A “brainstorming” project typically consists of one session which generally lasts two hours. Prior to the session, the volunteer Project Coordinator provides the team with background information that can be reviewed in about an hour.

We work with a wide range of 501c3 organizations in the New York metropolitan area, ranging from small nonprofits serving very specific missions to large institutions well-known internationally.  We organize our efforts around five sectors: Arts & Culture, Education, Environment & Health, Social Services, and Workforce Development.

See our List of Nonprofits>> and for brief descriptions of our recent work, see Our Recent Projects>>

For each project, our goal is to assemble an alumni team with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. Our projects rely on the broad business and management skills developed at HBS, and don’t require specific expertise. We just ask that you bring an open mind and a willingness to participate – think “case study”.

No, but please note that Community Partners is funded by the Harvard Business School Club of NY, 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 hbscny.org/join-renew/

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.

At the beginning of a consulting project, we encourage the team to meet in person (if feasible), then agree on a schedule and working style that suits each team member’s individual circumstances. While much of the work on a typical consulting project can be completed independently, most teams choose to schedule regular team meetings (whether in-person or via video- or teleconferencing) once every 1-2 weeks. Note: During the Covid pandemic, all meetings will be held virtually.

We understand that our volunteers often need to travel (for both personal and work reasons) during the course of a project. Given our flexible working model, this rarely creates an insurmountable issue, although we ask that volunteers communicate clearly with each other about their availability, both upfront and during the course of the project.

Many teams choose to mix in-person meetings (where feasible) with video- and teleconferencing. For in-person meetings, each team agrees on a convenient location, and in general we do not hold team meetings at client sites. Note: During the Covid pandemic, all meetings will be held virtually.

Visit our list of Current Project Opportunities>> or for general inquiries, please contact our Program Manager at CommunityPartners@hbscny.org or (862)-281-9704.

Yes, in addition to the Community Partners program here in New York, 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.

Please contact our Program Manager at CommunityPartners@hbscny.org or (862)-281-9704.