Dear Volunteer:

Community Partners Mission and Overview

Founded in 1998, Community Partners (“Community Partners”) is a program of the Harvard Business School Club of New York, Inc. (“HBSCNY”), a New York nonprofit corporation. The mission of Community Partners is to create constructive partnerships between Harvard Business School alumni and nonprofit organizations in the greater New York City metropolitan area that seek assistance with business and management issues. We fulfill our mission by organizing teams of volunteers (“Volunteers”), comprised predominantly of Harvard Business School alumni, to provide pro bono consulting and advisory services to such nonprofit organizations (“Clients”) in our community through well-defined projects (“Projects”).

By volunteering your time and management skills, nonprofit organizations receive the kind of professional expertise they may not otherwise be able to afford. In turn, Clients offer Volunteers the opportunity to serve our community in a truly meaningful way.

Expectations for Project Volunteers

We are delighted that you have expressed an interest in volunteering to provide pro bono consulting services to our Clients. We look forward to having you as a valuable member of a team of Volunteers (“Team”).

We have found that setting forth a clear statement of general expectations for both Volunteers and Community Partners is a valuable way to gain each Volunteer’s support and avoid misunderstandings in carrying out any project. As an active Volunteer and part of a Team providing services to a Client, we expect your active participation, ideas, and availability. In furtherance of these aims, we expect the following from you:

A. To participate fully and in a regular manner for the duration of a project. The consulting projects of Community Partners generally last at least 4 to 6 months but sometimes last longer. However, it is also recognized that some projects are “brainstorming sessions” that take place over 1-3 weeks, or one-to-one mentoring relationships that take place over several months;

B. To commit to approximately 2 to 4 hours of volunteer work per week, or an estimated 10-12 hours per month, during the project’s duration, until the project’s completion;

C. To remain flexible and cooperative in scheduling Team and Client meetings and conference calls within reasonable hours that also respect your professional and personal responsibilities;

D. To respond in a timely fashion to emails, telephone calls and voice mails that further the purpose/goals of the project;

E. To sign up for and complete in a timely manner, a reasonable portion of the Team’s work as set forth in the work plan to bring the project to completion; and

F. To actively and promptly communicate with your Team when you cannot be available for meetings or calls, or cannot complete assignments in a timely manner. Community Partners and your Team members recognize that from time to time, personal and professional circumstances will arise that will take precedence over your Community Partners volunteer commitments.

Role of HBS Alumni Who Are Currently Board or Staff Members, or Consultants to Potential Pro Bono Clients

Having a strong connection to a nonprofit as a Board member, as a member of the Staff, or as a consultant to the organization can be an advantage in developing a new Client and pro bono relationship. On the other hand, it is important that Volunteers for a potential project in this position do not confuse their roles.

In the event that a current or recently-left (i.e. within the last 6 months) Board member, Staff officer, or a consultant to a nonprofit under consideration, who is also an alumni of Harvard Business School, introduces a nonprofit to the services of HBSCNY Community Partners, or learns about such a project through other means, such a current Board member, Staff officer, or consultant should not serve directly on the Community Partners Team of Volunteers working on the Project involving the Client.

Such a person, however, can play an important role representing the nonprofit Client in expediting the work of the Team, if this is agreed to by both the Client and the Team Leader or Project Coordinator. No restrictions should apply to former Board members, Staff officers, or consultants, who left their nonprofit positions more than six months earlier than the start of the Client Project engagement.

Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest

In an organization such as the HBSCNY, including its informal association with the Harvard Business School, it is essential that board members, officers, employees and Volunteers avoid conflicts of interest, and the appearance of conflicts of interest, in carrying out their work for the organization. With this in mind, Community Partners board members, Project Coordinators and Volunteers, during the duration of a pro bono consulting Project and for a period of 60-days (“Waiting Period”) following the completion of such Project, as evidenced by the presentation of a final report to the Client’s management, are expected:

A. Not to promote their own commercial, financial or business interests with respect to the Client;

B. Not to solicit or accept paid employment or consulting assignments with the Client;

C. Not to solicit any form of commercial relationship with the Client including, without limitation, sales, licensing, consulting, or advisory services involving any products or services;

D. Not to solicit any form of donation, grant, charitable contribution or services from the Client.

E. Not to solicit the Client on behalf of any friend, professional colleague, or relative, with respect to any of the matters or transactions indicated in (a) – (d) above.

Community Partners expects Volunteers, Project Coordinators, and Board members to observe the Waiting Period before entering into discussions with Clients on matters pertaining to (a) – (e) above. Recognizing that strong professional and personal relationships often result from pro bono consulting Projects, this policy does not intend to prevent or limit discussions or transactions from taking place after the Waiting Period.

The Waiting Period does not apply, however, when, at the Client’s initiative, (i) a Volunteer is requested to undertake further unpaid or pro bono services for a Client after a Project is completed, or (ii) a Volunteer is requested to serve as an unpaid member of such Client’s board of directors or advisory committee.


If something arises during the course of your relationship with a Client that has the appearance of, or is, a conflict of interest of the nature discussed above, you are requested to inform a member of the Community Partners Board of Advisors or the project coordinator with whom you are working on the Project promptly in order that a suitable course of action can be worked out to everyone’s understanding and satisfaction.

Confidential or Sensitive Information

From time to time, Community Partners and Volunteers may wish to disclose that we are working with the Client on a pro bono consulting basis. However, we ask every Volunteer to exercise his or her best judgment as to what is sensitive, personal or confidential information which should not be disclosed beyond the Client and the Team. These matters may have to do with personnel, compensation, client cases, finance, grants, legal matters or contracts. You should respect the sensitivity of information you may learn when working with the Client and handle it with respect and good judgment.

For your and our convenience, this agreement will remain in effect for the current Project and all future projects for which you may volunteer that start during the calendar year of the Project unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties.

Welcome aboard. We are looking forward to working with you.

Please confirm your agreement with the foregoing by electronically signing below.

Very truly yours,

HBSCNY Community Partners

Thank you for your interest in HBSCNY Community Partners!