GIVE Advisory Projects (for Nonprofits)

Business Volunteers Maryland is excited to open applications GIVE Advisory Projects, for its annual opportunity for nonprofits and fiscally sponsored organizations to host a group of GIVE Fellows as long term probono consultants helping with a business challenge they are facing. 

Teams of 5-7 GIVE Fellows are matched with a nonprofit for a 5 month period. Each Advisory Team will immerse themselves in a collaborative process with their nonprofit between June and November.  GIVE Fellows engage thought-partnership to understand and address complex organizational challenges impacting nonprofit leaders.

Benefits of Hosting an Advisory Project

* Leverage professional skills and expertise in highly valued fields to support a business challenge or expand a growth opportunity for your organization.

* Grow your network of regional professionals and businesses to engage champions in your work.

* Develop a pipeline of future advisors, consultants, and board members.

* Deepen your partnership with Business Volunteers Maryland.

* Participate in Turtle Tank to potentially win funding for your nonprofit organization.

Examples of Past Advisory Projects

GIVE Fellows discovered a youth-services organization had missed opportunity to expand the business skills of young artists. The Advisory Team created a comprehensive business development proposal to boost future revenue and brand awareness by selling products created by artists.

GIVE Fellows deepened their understanding of local history and identified walking tours as a new opportunity for a local nonprofit.  The Advisory Team pitched and piloted a corporate development and outreach strategy for the organization.

GIVE Fellows observed an anti-hunger organization and found a need to increase volunteer recruitment, engagement, and retention.  The Advisory Team helped the organization develop an “elevator speech” and refine the volunteer orientation and engagement process.

Advisory Project Selection Criteria

The GIVE Advisory Project experience follows a human centered design approach to understand challenges and develop solutions. As part of our application process, we will be soliciting specific challenges of your organization. This team TOGETHER aligns on which challenge to tackle based on a collaborative structured process facilitated by GIVE.

Therefore it is critical that Advisory Project applicants possess the following characteristics and intent:

• A primary contact for the project who provides strong, consistent leadership of organization. This person leads with vision and has decision making ability for the organization. Executive Director or similar position preferred but not required.
• Willingness to be open and vulnerable about where the organization needs support. Transparency on what works, what doesn’t and comfort with giving fellows access to speak to your board, clients, staff, stakeholders, or others that may have knowledge of or investment in your challenge.
• Commitment to responsive communication with your fellows and BVM staff.
• Allowing your fellows to attend a board meeting.
• Attending every mandatory meeting time below.
• Strong relationship building skills and ability to guide a high performing skilled group to desired outcomes. Business Volunteers will also support movement toward outcomes in the Working Groups.