FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

QUICK, BUT NOT FAST 

I love sports. Well, mainly, I love football and baseball, which means there is a long period between the Super Bowl and baseball's Opening Day when I don't have anything to watch, follow, or complain about. I've found a small solution in the month of March in the form of  March Madness. I don't enjoy professional basketball, but I've come to appreciate watching the best college teams vie for the national title. During the Wisconsin-Arizona game this past weekend, I was struck when one of the announcers kept referring to one of the teams as "quick, but not fast." I thought that was an interesting phrase. It made me stop what I was doing, think about it, and enjoy the play on words.

It also made me think about Compass and the nonprofits that we assist every year. For me, "quick, but not fast" means being careful, while still maintaining quality. It means precision over speed, but also being nimble in the moment. In the nonprofit sector, I don't know anyone who isn't running 100 miles per hour. Fast isn't the problem. There is always so much to do. Programs to administer, evaluate or change... Funds to raise... Donors to cultivate... Staff to monitor, mentor, and move forward.

Compass' Client Application for 2014-15 projects will open on April 15. We'll be looking for 25-30 nonprofits to help with their most strategic challenges in the following service lines: Board Development, Funding Strategies, Strategic Alignment, Strategic Planning, Marketing Strategies, Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations, and Strategic Mergers. If you are a nonprofit leader or board member, this is a great time to consider whether Compass could help your organization. We're always available to talk about your ideas and challenges and to help you determine if this is the right time to apply for a Compass project. Or if you have a good sense for what you need, feel free to apply as soon as you are ready. The Client Application deadline is June 16. We will post the link to the online application on our website on April 15 (http://www.compassdc.org).

Compass' pro bono consulting projects benefit local nonprofits because the combination of nonprofit passion and business expertise can create wonderful outcomes. Let Compass help you slow down so you can be quick when you need to be.

Happy spring!

Suzanne

CLIENT APPLICATION FOR 2014-15

Compass' Client Application for 2014-15 will be available on April 15 for Greater Washington area nonprofits. The deadline for applications is June 16 at 5:00 p.m. Clients will be selected in August, and projects will begin in September.

Compass clients must meet the following criteria:

• Have 501(c)3 status
• Have a minimum of three paid staff members and a minimum budget of $750,000
• Provide services that specifically benefit the Greater Washington community
• Not promote a specific religion, or religious or political beliefs
• Have an active board of directors

Compass offers consulting services in the following service lines: Board Development, Funding Strategies, Strategic Alignment, Strategic Planning (two-year projects), Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations, and Strategic Mergers. (See descriptions below.)

If you have any questions about which project would be most useful for your organization or about the application process, please contact Kristalee Overdahl (koverdahl@compassdc.org; 202-864-6492) or Suzanne Laporte (slaporte@compassdc.org; 202-864-6549) to discuss. Or plan to attend our prospective client information session on Wednesday, April 30. See details below. 

Compass has just kicked off 10 pro bono consulting projects staffed exclusively by volunteers from Booz Allen Hamilton. The projects are part of a multi-month leadership development program for Booz Allen's top Senior Associates. This Leadership Excellence Program provides a powerful mix of education, exposure, and experience for the Senior Associates. Compass is engaging 60 Booz Allen consultants on Leadership Excellence Projects for the following organizations:

The ALS Association

American Red Cross

Children's Inn at NIH

Girls Inc.

Give an Hour

Johns Hopkins Children's Center

Meridian International Center

Mount Vernon

Paralyzed Veterans of America

Thurgood Marshall College Fund

2014 MICRO PROJECTS

BRING BUSINESS EXPERTISE TO LOCAL NONPROFITS

Business School Clubs

We couldn't put together our talented consulting teams without skilled volunteers, and we couldn't recruit our amazing volunteers without the support of the local business schools clubs. Thank you to the following clubs that help spread the word about Compass. We are grateful for your continued support!    

Columbia Business School
Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Duke University's Fuqua School of Business

Harvard Business School

University of Michigan Ross School of Business

MIT Sloan School of Management

New York University Stern School of Business

Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College

University of Virginia Darden School of Business
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Yale School of Management

Our Top Priorities

• Geographic Expansion
• Community of Volunteers
• Intellectual Quality
• Long-Term Engagement
• Sustainable Funding
• Organizational Structure