Thanks for your interest in joining a team of HBS alumni on a pro bono consulting project.

Whether you’re considering your first project with us or you’re a seasoned volunteer, Community Partners welcomes you.

  • Please take 3 minutes to complete this form.
  • Once we review volunteer responses, a Project Coordinator will be in touch with you.   

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* 1. First Name

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* 2. Last Name

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* 3. Nickname (Optional)

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* 4. HBS Email Address: Example: ksmith@mba1984.hbs.edu (Optional)

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* 5. Preferred Email Address

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* 6. Preferred Phone Number

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* 7. What's your HBS Degree?

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* 8. What's your HBS Degree Year? (YYYY)

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* 9. Where do you live? City, State

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* 10. Is this your first project with Community Partners?

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* 11. Would you consider a leadership role on this project team?

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* 12. No specific experience is required for this project, but it is helpful if you will share your functional and/or industry background or interests (Optional)

Please read our Volunteer Agreement, which includes important information about our Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest policies, and expectations for project volunteers. (Required)

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”) 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 advisory services to one of 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;

B. On a consulting project, to commit to approximately 2 to 4 hours of volunteer work per week, or an estimated 10-15 hours per month, during the project’s duration (generally 3 to 4 months, but possibly longer), and 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 in order to bring the project to a timely completion;

C. On a brainstorming project, to participate in one or more in-person, 2 hour brainstorming sessions, and to review shared background materials in advance of brainstorming sessions;

D. 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;

E. To respond in a timely fashion to emails, telephone calls and other communications that further the purpose and goals of the project; and

F. To actively and promptly communicate with your Team when you cannot be available for meetings or calls, or cannot complete Project work in a timely manner. Community Partners and your fellow 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, Advisory Committee or Staff Members of, or Consultants to Potential Pro Bono Clients
Role of HBS Alumni Who Are Currently Board, Advisory Committee or Staff Members of, or Consultants to Potential Pro Bono Clients
Having a strong connection to a nonprofit as a board member, as a member of an advisory committee, as a member of its staff, or as a consultant to the organization can be an advantage in developing a new Client and pro bono relationship for Community Partners. On the other hand, it is important that potential volunteers for a project who may be 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, advisory committee member, staff member, or consultant to a nonprofit under consideration, who is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School, introduces a nonprofit to the services of Community Partners, or learns about such a project through other means, such a current or recently-left board member, advisory committee member, staff member, or consultant should not serve directly on the Team of Volunteers working on the Project involving this 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 the Client, the Community Partners Board, and the Project Coordinator working on this Project. No restrictions should apply to former nonprofit board members, advisory committee members, staff members, or consultants, who left their nonprofit positions with the Client more than six months earlier than the start of the proposed Client Project engagement.

Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest
In an organization such as HBSCNY, including its informal association with the Harvard Business School, it is essential that Volunteers avoid conflicts of interest, and the appearance of conflicts of interest, in carrying out their volunteer work for the Client organization. With this in mind, during the duration of a pro bono Project and for a period of 60 days (the “Waiting Period”) following the completion of such Project engagement, you agree:

A. Not to promote your 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; and

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

As a Community Partners Volunteer, you also agree to observe the Waiting Period before entering into discussions with a Client on matters pertaining to (A) – (E) above. Recognizing that strong professional and personal relationships often result from pro bono consulting Projects, this policy is not intended to prevent or limit discussions or transactions from taking place after the 60-day 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 the 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 of an advisory committee after the Project is completed.

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 outlined above, you are requested to inform a member of the Community Partners Board 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 understa
Confidential or Sensitive Information
From time to time, a Volunteer on a Team may wish to disclose that we are working with a Client on a pro bono Project. In such cases, we ask the Volunteer to exercise his or her best judgment as to what is sensitive, personal or confidential business information which should not be disclosed beyond the Client, the Team, the Project Coordinator and members of the Community Partners Board. These matters may have to do with personnel, compensation, client cases, finance, grants, legal matters or contracts, or fundamental policy and strategy. You should respect the sensitivity and confidential nature of information you may learn in connection with your work on the Client Project and handle it with utmost respect and good judgment.

Permission to Photograph and use Likeness
Volunteers grant HBSCNY Community Partners, and the Harvard Business School Club of New York, the permission to photograph them in connection with their pro bono consulting work and use their likenesses either with or without name captioning and publish photographs in print and electronic form for any lawful purpose including such purposes as publicity and illustration.

Volunteers who do not grant permission to use their likenesses should indicate so by requesting to the Project Coordinator assigned to this project via e-mail.

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* 13. Volunteer Agreement Confirmation

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