As the Social Enterprise Initiative looks to its next twenty-five years of service to HBS and our community of students, alumni, and global practitioners, we are increasingly focused on good governance as a gateway to greater impact. As we’ve learned again over the past eighteen months of turbulence, the nonprofit board’s role is critical to crisis management and resilience efforts, but is also central in charting long-term organizational and systemic changes for nonprofits and the communities they serve. With support and interest from nonprofit leaders and board members alike, we are excited to expand our programs on nonprofit board governance, including some of the following upcoming and recent offerings. [...]
This post is part of our “Leadership in Challenging Times” blog series, which highlights the inspiring work of the HBS community in addressing the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, alongside the fight for racial equity and an especially polarized political climate. In this post, Shannah Varon (MBA 2009), Executive Director of Boston Collegiate Charter School, discusses the importance of transparent communication and how the HBS network and resources have helped her respond to challenges facing the education sector. [...]
This post is part of our “Leadership in Challenging Times” blog series, which highlights the inspiring work of the HBS community in addressing the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, alongside the fight for racial equity and an especially polarized political climate. In this post, Stratton Lloyd (MBA 2000), COO & Executive Vice President of the Essex County Community Foundation, discusses the importance of systems-level thinking and the power of collaboration in addressing complex social issues. [...]
This post is part of our “Leadership in Challenging Times” blog series, which highlights the inspiring work of the HBS community in addressing the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, alongside the fight for racial equity and an especially polarized political climate. In this post, Mark Contreras (MBA 1988), President and CEO of Connecticut Public Broadcasting, describes how his organization was able to adapt to recent challenges and continue broadcasting content to keep the citizens of the state well-informed. [...]
Elaine MacDonald
Alumni
This post is part of our “Leadership in Challenging Times” blog series, which highlights the inspiring work of the HBS community in addressing the health and economic consequences of COVID-19, alongside the fight for racial equity and an especially polarized political climate. In this blog post, Elaine MacDonald (MBA 1998), Executive Director of Community Partners in Northern California, tells the story of how alumni mobilized to help their communities and what she has learned from this year.
Local HBS Clubs around the country organize alumni to provide pro-bono business consulting to nonprofits and social enterprises. This past year saw a dramatic uptick in requests for help as organizations rapidly pivoted their operations, fundraising, DEI efforts, employee health programs, and service models. HBS alumni were (and are) on the front lines of supporting these organizations with critical and timely consulting projects. [...]