Strategic Guidance. Stronger Nonprofits.
In This Issue
Project Leader Applications
Project Launch Event
Meet the 2014-15 Clients
Compass Welcomes New Faces
Join Our List
Join Our Mailing List
2014-15 Clients

Greater Philadelphia

Chester County OIC

Community Learning Center

Habitat for Humanity - Philadelphia

Hope Partnership for Education

Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Philadelphia Works

Programs Employing People

SeniorLAW Center
 

Greater Washington

Achievement Prep PCS

City Gate

Community Foundation of Northern Virginia

Community Ministries of Rockville

DC Bar Foundation

DCTV

Easter Seals Serving 

Emmaus Services for the Aging

FRESHFARM Markets

Friends of the National Zoo

Friendship Children's Center

Georgia Avenue Family Support Collaborative

Housing Unlimited

Insight Memory Care Center

Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS

Leadership Greater Washington

Literacy Council of Northern Virginia

Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities

Montgomery County Food Security Collaborative

National Cherry Blossom Festival

Northern Virginia Family Service

NOVA ScriptsCentral

Sasha Bruce Youthwork

Scholarship Fund of Alexandria

Seabury Resources for Aging

See Forever Foundation/Maya Angelou Schools

SOME

St. Ann's Center for Children, Youth and Families

Urban Alliance

Washington Area Bicyclist Association

YouthBuild PCS

Vol. 11, No. 3
September 2014
FROM THE PRESIDENT

 

I DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR A DOG

 

I definitely didn't have time for a dog. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I couldn't possibly fit one more thing into my life. But then our old dog Prowler needed a home. It's a long story, but Prowler is the puppy I got for my middle son 11 years ago. After several years with us, Prowler went to live with another family in a different state. In April, when his family couldn't keep him any longer, they asked if we wanted to take Prowler back or if they should find another home for him. The look on my son's face told me the answer. So in May, Prowler came back to live with us. Over the summer while I was house-sitting in Maine and taking care of that family's dog (and not working, I might add), I realized that I couldn't possibly fit in a dog once I was home working full-time and taking care of my youngest son. I would have to get up even earlier to fit in a morning walk. I'd have to rush home from work to let him outside. I'd have to board him when I traveled and take him to the groomers regularly. On top of all that, I've never really been a dog lover like my son.

 

And then I came back from vacation. Almost immediately, one son went to college while the other two went on a trip with their dad, and I found myself alone at home with Prowler. I walked him, cleaned up after him, and sat on my porch steps watching him walk in the yard. And I was glad to have him. He is good for me. He makes me slow down. He makes me laugh. He is company when I'm on my own. This thing I really didn't want to do, and will probably still grumble about on cold, rainy days, is definitely the right thing for me.

 

It often is like this when we decide to take on something we're not quite sure we can fit in. I know, because for many years now I have talked to people this time of year about volunteering with Compass. We have just announced our 9 Greater Philadelphia clients for the upcoming year. (See the list below of our amazing 2014-15 nonprofit clients). We have begun recruiting Project Leaders and team members for the projects. Although it doesn't take a lot of time to volunteer with Compass, on average 2-5 hours per week between
October and May, many people wonder how they can find time to volunteer.

 

I understand the hesitation. In our busy lives, sometimes we can't imagine finding two more hours per week. But I know from past volunteers that the two-hour investment of giving back to the community more than pays for itself. Like me with Prowler, you'll find yourself happier than you expected - leaving a client meeting feeling uplifted, and even finding time to stop to watch children on a playground. You'll see caregivers helping the elderly, and volunteers feeding the homeless. You'll marvel at our wonderful cultural offerings like the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. And despite leaving work early and grumbling about "not sure why I decided to volunteer with Compass" as you navigate the traffic to get to your Compass client, you'll leave that meeting with a big smile on your face and feeling more relaxed and content because of the time you've just given to a nonprofit that needs you.

 

I hope you'll volunteer with Compass this year. Here's one lesson I've learned from Prowler: Sometimes when you do something because it's the right thing to do, it turns out to be the right thing for you.

 

Warm regards,

 

Suzanne

PROJECT LEADER APPLICATIONS DUE SEPTEMBER 10

Compass is seeking MBA graduates from top business schools to lead pro bono consulting projects for the amazing nonprofits listed below. If you want to have a personal impact on the broader community, Compass offers a substantive, intellectual experience addressing the unique challenges facing a particular nonprofit.  

 

Project Leaders spend, on average, two - five hours per week on the Compass project. Project Leaders work closely with the nonprofit Executive Director and Board Chair, and manage a team of volunteer consultants to execute the work.

 

Project Leader applications are available here:

 

 Project Leader Application - Greater Philadelphia 

TEAM MEMBER APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE NOW

Compass has begun accepting applications for Team Member positions. Preference for volunteers goes to MBA graduates from top business schools, however, Compass also accepts non-MBA volunteers, with preference going to those with consulting or nonprofit experience.


Team Member Applications are available here:

MEET THE CLIENTS IN PERSON
OCTOBER 8 - PROJECT LAUNCH
Join us for Compass' annual Project Launch! 

Wednesday, October 8
6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Four Seasons Hotel - Philadelphia

Prospective Volunteers are invited to meet this year's Clients and Project Leaders. Watch for an electronic invitation, or find details and RSVP on our website: www.compassprobono.org.

Thank you to the Four Seasons, our Project Launch sponsor.

COMPASS WELCOMES THE 2014-15 CLIENTS

The short descriptions that follow hardly do justice to the work of these amazing nonprofits. For more details about each client and the specific project they have requested, click here: Client List, and join us at Compass' Project Launch on October 8 to meet the clients in person.

 

CHESTER COUNTY OIC (Chester County, PA)

http://www.ccoic.org

Chester County OIC provides adult basic literacy education and life skills programs that prepare individuals for self-sufficiency and employment. Strategic Alignment
 

COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER (Philadelphia, PA)

http://www.communitylearningcenter.org

Community Learning Center provides free adult basic education, GED, English language, and beginning literacy classes to low-income adults in Philadelphia. 

Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations

 

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY PHILADELPHIA 

(Philadelphia, PA)

http://www.habitatphiladelphia.org

Habitat for Humanity transforms lives by building quality homes and providing critical home repairs in partnership with families in need. Strategic Alignment

 

HOPE PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION (Philadelphia, PA)

http://www.hopepartnershipforeducation.org

Hope Partnership's mission is to break the cycle of poverty through education with its charter school (grades 5-8) and summer program, as well as adult education classes. Strategic Alignment

 

MERCY NEIGHBORHOOD MINISTRIES OF PHILADELPHIA (Philadelphia, PA)

http://www.mercyneighbors.org

The mission of Mercy Neighborhood Ministries is to respond to the needs of the working poor in the Tioga-Nicetown community through childcare, adult education, adult daycare and summer camp programs. Board Development

 

PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS 

(Philadelphia, PA)

http://www.pafa.org

PAFA is the nation's first school and museum of fine arts, with a focus on training professional fine artists, collecting and exhibiting American art, and providing art education to the Philadelphia community. Funding Strategy

 

PHILADELPHIA WORKS (Philadelphia, PA)

http://www.philaworks.org

The city's largest employment agency, Philadelphia Works, funds and provides job training and job placement services, researches workforce trends, and promotes public policy to assist jobseekers and employers. 
Strategic Partnerships & Collaborations
  

PROGRAMS EMPLOYING PEOPLE (Philadelphia, PA)

http://www.pepservices.org

The mission of Programs Employing People is to facilitate competitive employment and meaningful work for individuals with intellectual disabilities through employment services, adult day training, adult literacy and education, arts for socialization, and Camp PEP. Funding Strategy

 

SENIORLAW CENTER (Philadelphia, PA)

http://seniorlawcenter.org

SeniorLAW Center aims to improve the lives of older Pennsylvanians and protects their rights through legal representation, education and advocacy. Strategic Alignment

NEW FACES AT COMPASS

Compass welcomes three new people on our staff.

 

Beth Dahle joins Compass as the first Executive Director of Compass' Philadelphia office. She has been actively engaged in the nonprofit community in Greater Philadelphia for 20 years. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards and the Awards Review Committee for the Inglis Foundation's Awards for Continuing Excellence. In 2008, Beth co-founded Impact100 Philadelphia, a women's collective giving organization, which has awarded over $1,000,000 in grants during its first six years. Beth graduated from Duke University and began her career as an employee benefits consultant with what is now known as Towers Watson.

 

Anne Hefter joins Compass as the Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives. She has experience in nonprofit, strategic and operations consulting with education, fundraising and arts organizations, and telecommunications, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical companies. Anne spent several years at A.T. Kearney, the Conservation Company and Accenture in New York and Philadelphia. She received her MBA from the Wharton School, and her AB from Brown University. Most recently, Anne participated as a volunteer on Compass' project for the National Center for Children and Families/The Neediest Kids.

 

Elizabeth Elliott is Compass' Assistant Program Manager. Before Compass, Elizabeth was Assistant to the Director of the Reston Zoo where she assisted with day-to-day zoo operations. Before that, she worked as a Marketing Intern at RoundPeg, a marketing and communications firm focused on helping clients committed to the social good. Elizabeth also spent several summers at Elliott Marketing Group, a family owned database-marketing company. Elizabeth graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2013, where she majored in Marketing and minored in Economics. 

INCREASE YOUR IMPACT - DONATE TO COMPASS
Every $1 donated to Compass translates to $14 of consulting services to local nonprofits. Donations from individuals, companies, and foundations make it possible for Compass to bring over 350 business professionals into more than 50 nonprofits each year. You can donate to Compass to support and expand our impact - and yours - by clicking the Donate Now button below.

Donate Now  
WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT
Compass' nonprofit clients benefit from the amazing volunteers who give their time, expertise and intellectual energy. We couldn't recruit these amazing volunteers without the support of the local business schools clubs. A huge thank you to the Partner MBA Clubs that help spread the word about Compass. 

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Columbia Business School
Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
Duke University Fuqua School of Business 
Harvard Business School
Michigan Ross School of Business
MIT Sloan School of Management
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
NYU Stern School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business
Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
University of Virginia Darden School of Business
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania
Yale School of Management

And a big thank you for the ongoing support from
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, The Philadelphia Foundation, and our Project Launch sponsor:



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 Compass Blog - Read the latest post by Compass Volunteer, Martha Searby: Snapshot of a Board Development Project