Through our consulting projects, Stanford ACT helps Bay Area nonprofits address their most pressing management challenges.
Project teams of Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni volunteers typically range in size from two to eight consultants, depending on the complexity and nature of the issue. Nonprofit clients have ACT address questions like these:
Strategy and Planning
- How do we align our long-range strategy with our financial resources? (American Conservatory Theater)
- Is our new social venture opportunity in line with our mission and goal of achieving financial independence? (Street Tech)
- What are the implications of creating a fee-for-service income program? (Urban Ecology)
Marketing
- Does our marketing plan effectively build on volunteer participation and contacts?
- How can we broaden our membership base?
- How does the environment in which we operate shape our strategic priorities and positioning? (Girls Middle School)
Financial Management
- What are the financial implications of expanding to a second location?
- How can we develop a business model to help us fund our educational programs?
- How can we lower costs and raise revenue to support sustainable operations? (Career Closet)
- Can we reduce dependence on grants and contributions with earned revenue while staying true to our mission?
- How can we judge which opportunities are best for us?
- What are the best ways for us to reduce our budget deficits?
Operations
- How do we decide whether a program that didn’t meet our financial targets can be improved or should be canceled? (Crystal Springs Uplands School)
- How can we improve and streamline our operations and strengthen our infrastructure? (Career Closet)
Organizational Development
- How can we best utilize technology to connect our members and share best practices?
- How can we best grow our organization and adapt our structure to support a multiproduct organization? (TRUSTe)
- How do we expand our mission and reach while staying true to our core values?
Expansion
- How should we expand our successful program to new sites? (Business United in Investing, Lending and Developing)
- What are the different models for geographic expansion and which is the best option for our organization? (Resources Area for Teachers)
- What should be our strategy for expansion, including organizational structure, milestones, and potential partnerships? (Upwardly Global)