Atlanta Not For Profits Shout Out

07/20/2008

Girlfriend, we all have lots of lives .. biz person, blogger, mom, auntie, teacher, student, tennis player, cook, wine connoisseur, and so on and so on.  In part of my off-social-media-life I'm an adjunct professor at Emory_2 Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. I co-teach an innovative course on management consulting.

This is a shout for a  few good Atlanta-based nonprofit organization to participate in a pro bono consulting services project that is part of Emory's top-five rated undergraduate business program.   

What makes the class special is the students are teamed with an Atlanta-based not for profit organization "client."  It's unique opportunity for undergrads (mostly seniors) to experience managing a real client relationship as part of their course work. By the end of the semester the students will have developed a research-based strategic plan that addresses the client's business challenge. What is quite amazing to me is that every year this becomes a from the heart project for the students .. and profs too!

Our past clients include: AHMENhousing, PeopleTV, Camp Horizon, Cobb Medical Society, Literacy Action, Theatre In The Square, It's A Journey, Atlanta Police Foundation Campfire USA

Want to know more? In their eBook Testify Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba profiled how word of mouth buzz took the class from 16 students the first year to 60 the next year. PDF - page nine. We also got some nice ink from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Read the students' impressions about consulting - Consulting Lessons From Emory Students.

Details About Business 438 Management Consulting
Through the senior level course on Consulting, small teams of undergraduate students will be assigned consulting projects to complete between September and December 2008.  These teams will spend approximately ten weeks during the fall semester working in partnership with their clients and will deliver a recommendation at the end of the process that will address the specific needs and concerns of their clients.  The course will be taught by Professor Skip Gunther, a retired Booz Allen partner, and Toby Bloomberg, a practitioner with her own consulting company.

The Consulting course has been conducted for the past six years with a good deal of success.  The students learn about consulting and the nonprofit sector at a critical thinking level.  And, most importantly, the nonprofit clients have received high quality, pro bono consulting from a talented team of undergraduates.

To apply to participate in this service, please provide the following information by August 4, 2008 in no more than five pages:

1.  Statement of the consulting project - due to the 10-week time frame, please be thoughtful in identifying a meaningful project that is sufficiently narrow to be accomplished in the time allowed.

Note: Students will create a project plan that addresses a specific organizational challenge. Based on the information needed to develop the plan, students may perform primary and/or secondary research. However, they will not execute any of the tactics (e.g., marketing communication materials) because of time limitations.

2.  Brief organizational overview – including historical sketch, current programs and services, and mission. Please include date of inception and 501(c)(3) status of your organization. 

3.  Brief description of organizational resources – including annual revenues, staffing, Board of Directors list, and organizational chart.

4. Contact information for the staff member who will be the main contact for the project (preferably, Executive Director) – including office address, phone and email address. If you have a website please include the URL.

Requirements

1. Ability to provide up to $200 for out-of-pocket expenses for the students – includes development of final presentation and report.

2. Dedicated liaison - preferably the Executive Director or senior level staff member of the nonprofit.

3. Commitment to attend 2 evening classes at Emory University; the first will be on September 17th to introduce you to your team, and the second will be on either December 3rd or December 10th to receive the presentation of final report.

4. Atlanta-based location with full-time ED.

5. The resource ability (time, people and funding) to implement the plan. 

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

1.      Satisfaction of requirements above

2.      Realism of project scope (is it sufficiently challenging, yet realistically doable within the course time frame)

3.      Balance within selected projects to provide maximum diversity of experiences to students (i.e., we would prefer to not have all projects focus on, for example, resource development).

Deadline for submission August 4.

If you want to submit an application please drop a comment or DM me and I'll get back to you with contact specifics.  If you know of an Atlanta-based non proft that would be interested I'd appreciate if you'd pass along. Thanks!

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Comments

I am the Executive Director of the Reach Them 2 Teach Them Foundation. I was forwarded the information about the project a couple of months ago, but unfortunately it was not until recently I was able to read it.

Our organization is very much interested in taking part of this program.

I know that we are somewhat pass the deadline, but I wanted to see if there is still an opportunity to work with this program.

Posted by: Albert Irvin on Aug 18, 2008 7:45:02 AM

@Albert - thanks for your interest. unfortunately, we closed out the application process and have invited non profits to join the program. however, I'll make sure that we reach out to you next year.

Posted by: Toby Bloomberg on Aug 20, 2008 8:16:18 PM

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