Brainstorming Sessions

Need quick advice from an outside party who understands how to solve tough business issues? Brainstorming sessions are 90-min meetings focused on solving a specific issue or generating ideas involving 4-8 HBS alumni with targeted skills and interests who can help the nonprofit organization.

We are now accepting applications for Fall Winter 2024

All brainstorming sessions are virtual 90-min meetings

    • Opportunity to explore a specific business issue or idea with a group of HBS alumni.

    • Helpful for new organizations still formulating their strategies, as well as established nonprofits needing to address a new opportunity or specific challenge.

    • High-energy approach involving participants with relevant skill sets and experience.

    • 4-8 HBS alumni volunteers committed to a two-hour discussion.

    • Allow alumni to put their skills to use with a limited time commitment.

    • Introduction – 15 minutes (bios will be distributed in advance)

    • Brief Overview of the Organization by the Client – 15 minutes

    • Open Discussion/Brainstorming – 60-90 minutes

  • Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

  • Our clients are social enterprises who generally have 501(c)3 status, and whose mission benefits the community. Our clients typically focus on improving the social, economic, cultural, health, environmental, or educational conditions in communities, often concentrating on populations who are under-served by other institutions. We do not accept clients or projects that seek to advance a religious or partisan agenda. Our tax-exempt status prohibits us from interference in, or coordination with, political campaigns or any endorsement of a political candidate. The acceptance of a client does not imply any direct endorsement or support of HBS Community Partners for that client’s mission.

    Brainstorming Applicants must:

    • Be staffed with at least one full-time employee

    • Have an annual operating budget of at least $100,000

    Project Criteria:

    • Have a concise focus question: a single, clearly-defined challenge or new idea or a group of related issues, not requiring additional research in order to comment or add value. Examples include:

      • Ways to increase the organization’s visibility and reach

      • Articulating the value proposition

      • Feedback on an organization’s “pitch”

      • Tactical marketing ideas

    Session Criteria:

    • If in person, the client will provide a meeting space at a convenient location.

    • If in person, the client will provide a simple meal for the participants.

    • The client will provide some brief background materials at least 2 weeks in advance to help prepare the participants to engage in a discussion focused on the brainstorming topic.

    • Step 1: View the list of current projects.

    • Step 2: Click “Volunteer Now” below and indicate the specific project you’d like to join.

    • Step 3: You will be contacted with next steps, which will include filling out a brief questionnaire and participating in a short phone interview.

    • Step 4: Team assignments will be shared via email within a month of your submission. Project placement will not only be based on interest and volunteer experience, but also on matching skills for the project and matching team member schedules.

  • The outcome of the project was more than we hoped for. Given the opportunity, any organization would be well served to engage in the HBS Community program

    Mervyn Regan, President, The Dipsea Race Foundation

  • The outcomes of the brainstorm gave me excellent next steps – already started mapping some things with our associate director later that afternoon. We were able to validate some of our own assumptions, hear fresh and new ideas, and zero in on a particular organizational inefficiency that continues to cause challenge. Thank you and the HBS Community Partners program for again moving our organization forward in meaningful ways.

    Sonja Palmer – Executive Director, Music for Minors

  • We were thrilled and deeply grateful to have HBS Community Partners’ strategic input and business acumen to assist No Bully to advance our mission of bringing schools solutions to bullying. We enjoyed every minute working with our entire HBS Community Partners team, who were lovely to work with on both a personal and professional level. Thank you so very much for this opportunity

    Therese Wilson, COO, No Bully

  • This is a tremendous service you offer and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We learned a tremendous amount and were blown away by the group’s energy, passion, and enthusiasm for our work and our mission to work with people in reentry, their families, and supporters.

    Katherine Katcher — Founder and Executive Director, Root & Rebound

  • The work we did with HBS alumni helped focus our organization on the important work of branding and story-telling and we have made it an internal priority! Thank you for organizing such a great group of people to help us out.

    Maggee VanSpeybroeck, Executive Director, Cypress String Quartet

  • I cannot tell you how energizing it is to have so many smart people in one room who have nothing but innovation and thoughtful creativity on their minds. Each alumnus added a different, practical perspective and were all keenly engaged in the topic at hand.

    Anne Marie Noonan, Founder & President The Avalon Academy

  • The HBS team exceeded our expectations in every way. Its work developing a dynamic positioning statement for us, and locating local agencies interested in working with us to execute initial logo design and usage guidelines, will have a major impact on our small non-profit organization.

    Parker Monroe, Executive Director, New Century Chamber Orchestra

  • Working with Harvard Community Partners was an incredible gift to our whole organization. We learned a new vocabulary and a new process for approaching planning. The CP team opened our eyes to possibilities that we never would have considered otherwise. It is hard to imagine a more considerate, generous and thoughtful team.

    Simone Marean, Executive Director, Girls Leadership Institute

  • Thank you each and all for guiding us to this exciting moment where we have the opportunity (and impetus and catalyst) to work towards cohesion and clarity so that we may become the organization that we can be– and make the impact that we will all be proud of! I am truly energized and strengthened by our engagement. Thank you for sharing your time and talent with us!

    Fay Zenoff, Executive Director, National Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Addictions - Bay Are

  • The team that you composed for us was excellent and the work that they presented was so on-point, applicable and thoughtfully prepared. I could not be more impressed and grateful. Thank you, so very much!

    Margi English, Executive Director, St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco