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Alumni Consulting Team for Nonprofits
ACT 30th Anniversary

The Stanford Alumni Consulting Team provides pro bono consulting expertise in a wide range of areas, including strategic planning, marketing, earned revenue, financial sustainability, and organizational growth.

ACT projects are customized to the specific needs of each client organization. Created by Stanford GSB alumni in 1987, ACT has grown to be one of the largest pro bono resource providers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Browse the articles below to see some of the ways that ACT volunteers have helped Bay Area nonprofits increase their impact.

ACT’s Impact over Time (as of August 2018)

ACT’s Impact Over Time (as of August 2018)

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ACT’s Impact

August 15, 2019
Written

Dream Team: How Stanford GSB Alumni Helped Refocus a Struggling Nonprofit

Stanford GSB’s ACT program sends alumni into social impact organizations to strategically solve problems and plan for growth.
Illustration of two hands shaking to connect teams. Credit: Jud Guitteau
June 23, 2017
Written

Stanford ACT Celebrates 30 Years of Pro Bono Impact

Hundreds of Stanford MBA volunteers donate more than $3 million of consulting value annually.
ACT volunteers | Stacy Geiken Photography
August 3, 2015
Written

A Pioneering Senior Services Organization Needs Help Envisioning a Future

Peninsula Volunteers, Inc (PVI) asked ACT to help them develop a viable business plan for their Little House Senior Activity Center.
A plaque that reads: In gratitude to the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team - Sean Bandarkar, John Carlson, Win Derman, Deirdre Noris, Linda Schuck, Bob Stevens, Fred Thieman - March, 2015
August 1, 2015
Written

Bay Area Ridge Trail Council Revises its Outreach Strategy to Overcome Funding Cuts

Anticipating a major donor’s funding would end soon, BARTC turned to Stanford ACT to revise its marketing plan.
A mountain biker smiles as she rides down a hill.
January 1, 2015
Written

Stanford Buck/Cardinal Club Reviews Its Brand and Marketing Strategy

As they sought to increase their membership base, especially among younger donors, the club wondered if their name was meaningful to potential donors.
Stanford women's basketball team with cheering crowd behind them
March 15, 2014
Written

ACT Project Helps Kick Off Stanford’s SEED Initiative

ACT suggested several models for how Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (SEED) could structure alumni volunteers to coach and mentor local executives in the field.
African entrepreneurs gather together to celebrate the work they have done with SEED.
October 15, 2011
Written

A Historic Nonprofit Reaches Out to ACT

David Lewis, the long-time head of Save the Bay, felt the upcoming 50th anniversary of the organization was a good time to update Save the Bay’s strategic plan.
A sunny day at beautiful wetlands in the San Francisco Bay Area.
February 15, 2011
Written

ACT Helps Haas Center Develop Five-Year Road Map

ACT consultants were called on to assist in the development of a five-year strategic plan that would guide the Haas Center’s decisions regarding programs, funding, facilities, and staffing.
A volunteer and two boys experiment in a classroom.
January 15, 2011
Written

Redesigning Research Administration for Stanford’s School of Engineering

The engineering school established a steering committee and engaged the Alumni Consulting Team (ACT) to evaluate and explore various research administration service delivery models.
A production line of 1980s computers.
October 15, 2010
Written

ACT Client Recognized for Innovative Work With Kids in Foster Care

The Stanford Alumni Consulting Team helped answer the question: How can we structure the relationship between the local chapters and the national organization of A Home Within?
A beaming young girl in straw hat.
October 15, 2010
Written

ACT Team Helps Coyote Point Museum Create a Sustainable Business Model and Brand

ACT volunteers set out to develop a five-year plan with a focus on increasing the museum's earned income, which at the time of the initial engagement was at 30% of...
A little girl plays with and learns about water as it trickles down the wall.
October 15, 2010
Written

Inspiring Innovation in the Silicon Valley Housing Market

ACT consultants worked closely with two Bay area nonprofits on how an equity-sharing fund to finance residential down payments could benefit both the public and private sector.
An affordable housing project.
October 15, 2010
Written

Launching a New Urban Center for Outward Bound

Outward Bound approached the Alumni Consulting Team to help answer the question: What would it take to create a successful Outward Bound Urban Center in the Bay Area?
Four young adults paddle down a rapid in an Outward Bound raft.
October 15, 2007
Written

Alumni Team Goes to Africa

Cynthia Dai, MBA ’93, shares her experience leading a Stanford ACT project to help Uganda Rural Development and Training develop a sustainable funding model.
A group of Ugandan farmers gather for a training class.
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Upcoming Key Dates

January 9, 2020

Client Interest Forms Due for Bay Area Spring-Summer ‘20 Projects

January 23, 2020

Completed Applications Due for Bay Area Spring-Summer ‘20 Projects

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Kathy Sussman
Spotlight
KathleenSussman
Executive Director, Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf

“Working with the ACT team was a highly engaging, challenging, and exciting experience that resulted in a shared vision for our program’s future. The recommendations were clearly defined, and we were able to begin the implementation process immediately. We loved the shared energy from each member of the ACT team!”

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