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Service and Value to the Community October 4 th , 2013 Provo, Utah Paul Abamonte , Global Steering Committee abamonte@comcast.net 770-905-9144. Service and Value to the Community. Why & How : Leave A Legacy That Can Be Leveraged An example - CCT What is Pro-Bono Consulting?
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Service and Value to the CommunityOctober 4th, 2013Provo, UtahPaul Abamonte, Global Steering Committeeabamonte@comcast.net770-905-9144
Service and Value to the Community • Why & How : Leave A Legacy That Can Be Leveraged • An example - CCT • What is Pro-Bono Consulting? • Roles and Responsibilities • Lessons Learned
Service and Value to the Community It benefits THE INDIVIDUAL in terms of pass forward skills to share; skills developed, networking and netweaving; Why? It benefits THE CHAPTER in terms of camaraderie, awareness & credibility in the community.
Service and Value to the CommunityTraditional / Innovative HOW? Traditional – Where We’ve Been - free focused labor
Service and Value to the CommunityLeave A Legacy That Can Be Leveraged Innovative – Where We Want To Be – strategically impactful; leave a legacy that can be leveraged • Provide analysis, strategy and forecast model for DME (Durable Medical Equipment) inventory management • Design an awareness strategy and goals for targeted Embraced DME donors and potential clients/caregivers. • Recommend effective sources for fundraising
Service and Value to the CommunityLeave A Legacy That Can Be Leveraged • Lay-out a short and long term business plan model • Generate, in consultation with Wrens Nest Museum (staff, Board, and/or members): • the elements for a clear 3-5 year capital campaign plan to launch towards the end of 2013 • A decision making process for selecting among competing priority options • selection of 3-4 best options for the short-term • Conduct preliminary feasibility analyses of the selected options in terms of likely market, revenue-generating potential, profit potential, and ability of Wrens Nest Museum to sustain the effort • Summarize findings in a final report and a presentation to Wrens Nest Museum key staff and Board
Service and Value to the Community • Successful Chapters - • Match members’ talents and interest with community needs • Organize at least one community service initiative each year • Consider activities that may vary broadly • Establish scholarship funds to sponsor students
Service and Value to the CommunityCommunity Consulting Teams – an idea www.CCTAtlanta.org
What is CCT and WHY? • Non-profit organization run completely by volunteers • Founded in Boston 1990 • Expanded to Atlanta in 1996 • To provide: • Pro-bono management consulting to non-profit organizations • A means for MBA and Business graduates and senior corporate executives/consultants to give back to the community • Opportunities for volunteers to increase professional skills and networks
Who is CCT? CCT Atlanta basics • Completed 200+ projects — adding 20 new ones this year - http://www.cctatlanta.org/becoming-a-client • More than 850 volunteers — including about 100 applications this year! • Volunteers drawn from: • Alumni of > 25 national & international business schools • Consulting companies (Deloitte, Bain, Booz Allen etc.) • Senior consultants • Local Business Schools • Working Professionals
How do they do it? What is the basic process? • Selection of not-for-profit client organizations http://www.cctatlanta.org/becoming-a-client • Creation of volunteer consulting teams • Meet with client initially and at intervals • Conduct project work over 4-5 months (Feb – May) • Generate deliverable(s)/final presentation to client
Examples of Types of Clients • Applications from all non-profit organizations, giving preference to those with: • Operations in the Atlanta metro-area • Budgets under $10 million, and • 501(c)(3) status or its equivalent. • Their clients are diverse, but include those focused on:
Examples of Types of Projects • With more than 200 projects completed, CCT-Atlanta teams have worked with almost every type of nonprofit organization and addressed a wide variety of organizational needs. • Here’s a sampling of recent client projects: • Business Plan Development & Feasibility Analysis • Marketing Strategies • Operational Effectiveness & Business Processes • Growth Strategies & Planning • Board/Advisory Board Development
How are they doing? Clients and volunteers give CCT favorable reviews. • Volunteers: • 95%+ say their project successfully addressed the client’s needs • 95%+ say their team did quality work on time • 99% say they’d recommend CCT to a non-profit org • Clients: • 95%+ were pleased with their CCT experience • 90%+ said CCT products met or exceeded their expectations • 100% would work with them again • 100% would recommend CCT to another non-profit org
Specific and bounded Team-based Planned and organized Supported by data Client-focused Exactly what is consulting? Standard problem-solving that is: … and each project has its own complexities
What role do we play? CCT teams may have many roles • Provide requested information • Diagnose/define problems • Identify a solution to a given problem • Provide recommendations • Assist with implementation • Build consensus and commitment A project specific assignment may involve any combination of the above
What role do we not play? What CCT consultants are not! • We are not volunteer labor • Focus on providing business advice • We are not an unstructured resource • Address specific needs • We are not an infinite resource • Clearly define deliverables and timetables
Key Dates 2013 Team Kick Off: Late January Client Kick Off: Early February Mid-Term Review: Mid March Final Deliverables to Client: By May 31 Client & Volunteer End of Year Social: Early June Volunteer/client survey: Early June Summer Celebration Event: August
Team Liaison Role Definition • Initial point of contact with Client (November) • Draft project work plan (December) • Brief Team Lead about project (January) • Brief Team about project (January Kickoff Meeting) • Facilitate introductions and project handoff to Lead and team at Client Kickoff meeting; relinquish point (January/February) • Post kickoff: • Check-in and assist team, as needed • Provide feedback during mid-project review
Team Lead Role Definition • Review project Scope with Team Liaison (January) • Brief Team with Liaison on the project (January Meeting) • Accept project handoff from Liaison at Client Kickoff meeting; assume point for the project (January/February) • Coordinate team and client meetings • Ensure equitable work assignments • Ensure Team is prepared for mid-term review (March) • Manage milestones and deliverables • Provide regular status updates to client board champion (at least monthly) • Drive project through to completion • Call for help, if needed!
Team Member Role Definition • Take on fair share of the project work • Meet work commitments on time • Communicate frequently when the work is in process • Do best to participate in all team meetings • Listen to teammates
Some examples of technologies used • Online Applications for Clients – Google Docs • Online Applications for Volunteers – Google Docs • Repository for Project Archives – Box.com & Google Drive • Mail Notifications – MailChimp • Web Conferencing – AnyMeeting • Surveys – Google Docs • Matching Model to match volunteers with clients – Google Docs, MS Excel • Content Management Platform for External Website
Experience Has Taught Us… • Clients have generally not worked with consultants (except our repeat clients) • There is a difference between a pro bono and a corporate consulting client: • Clients usually do not speak our language (e.g. business drivers, value propositions, decks, etc) • More hand-holding is generally required • Talk less; listen more; no need to try to impress the client
Experience Has Taught Us… • A non-profit’s reality is different from the private sector’s: • Constantly living hand-to-mouth • Many times lack basic business infrastructure • Professional management is not always in place • More often reactive than proactive • Have the client kick-off meeting as soon as possible • Expect some attrition (1 or 2 team members)
Experience Has Taught Us… • Note who your full time students are and remember mid-terms and finals may affect their availability • Regular Meetings • Have some of your team meetings in person • Conference calls (free sources available) • Yahoo/Google groups provide good virtual workspaces • Survey creation and administration • SurveyMonkey resource
Lessons Learned: Failure to Respect the Client • Pushing team’s problem definition on the client • Pushing team’s solution on the client • Recommendations out of synch with client capability or resources to execute plan
Service and Value to the Community = ROI & More Fun! • Build bonds with team and with client • Meet in person some of the time • Be considerate of team members with minimal consulting experience • Assign multiple folks to tasks - to build bonds/ prepare for attrition • Consider connecting (some) team meetings to chapter social events and the CCT Mid-Term Review