US Strategy Challenge: Connecting with Morgan Stanley on the Question of Expansion

Posted by Rebecca from Children of Promise, NYC, New York

The Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge couldn't have come at a better time for us – Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC) – as we carry out our mission of empowering the children of incarcerated parents to break the cycle of intergenerational involvement in the criminal justice system. Expanding beyond our current location in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn to a second site is looming for us, as are so many other questions: Is now the right time to grow? Is Harlem the right location for a second CPNYC site? What kind of timeline is realistic? What are the variables?

Anita, Debbie, Michael and Rovic – our Morgan Stanley pro bono team – quickly instilled confidence that they not only understand our organization, but they also have the analytical, operational and organizational skills necessary to help us find the answers we need. At our initial meeting, we had an instant rapport, which is unusual for a group of people coming together for the first time. They all had unique skills to bear on the project and an enthusiasm to match.

Right now, our Morgan Stanley team is working to get smart about our organization, and they've created a list of information requests. Given that our challenge is complicated, their questions are necessary and thought provoking, even for us; they want to know more about everything from our staffing and technology and infrastructure to our data collection processes and existing policies and procedures.

Replicating the CPNYC model has always been a part of our plan. In the state of New York alone, there are 105,000 children who have a parent in prison. To reach more of those young people with our program model – which includes an after-school program with academic enrichment and educational support, a licensed mental health clinic, a mentoring program and transportation for children to visit their incarcerated parents – we have to be conveniently located. The children we serve can't travel to us; we need to bring services to them in the neighborhoods where they live.

Bringing CPNYC to scale would have a powerful effect on our organization and transform more children's lives. But first, we have questions to answer. The Strategy Challenge process is allowing us to fully contemplate the future, analyzing the possibilities with a depth and breadth we couldn't accomplish on our own.

Click here for more information on the Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge.