US Strategy Challenge: Wheels Are in Motion

The last eight weeks have flown by in the best way possible. Our partners at Morgan Stanley just finished their last presentation to Sharon and me, sharing the insight and analysis they developed about Children of Promise, NYC over the course of the Strategy Challenge.

For CPNYC, our work from the Strategy Challenge begins immediately, and we’re already implementing our Morgan Stanley team members’ on-target recommendations. At our meeting, the team delivered several highly detailed, analytical resources that will empower and enhance CPNYC as an organization right away. The following deliverables will also be critical to any next steps we take to expand over the longer term:

· Partnership handbook. This bound book identifies potential partners for CPNYC in Central Harlem and includes substantial information about those organizations. While we didn’t expect to receive this resource, it’s so useful that we’re creating a similar guide for our existing site in Brooklyn.

· Financial model. This enormous deliverable will provide ongoing insight into our organization’s finances. In the coming weeks, Rovic and Michael will train Sharon to use the model to help us make even more informed decisions about CPNYC’s future.

· Staffing analysis. A suggested org chart includes recommendations for the reporting structure and staffing of our entire organization. We’re currently conducting interviews to fill three new position the team recommended creating.

· Funding analysis. This is a roadmap to decreasing our reliance on government funding by 30 percent through diversifying our sources of funding over the next five years.

· Competitive landscape chart. This tool details all of the agencies currently serving at-risk youth in Central Harlem and identifies any program areas that overlap with the services CPNYC provides.

Now, our Morgan Stanley pro bono team is in the final stretch of preparing for their presentation to a panel of experts at the June 11 Morgan Stanley Final Event, a competition that celebrates the hard work of all of the 12 teams that participated in the Strategy Challenge. I don’t want to steal any thunder from our partners ahead of the Final Event, so in a couple of weeks, they will share their final recommendation here on whether or not CPNYC should expand to Central Harlem.

Throughout this entire project, our team never lost focus on the reason why CPNYC exists. The children we serve often join our programs initially feeling insecure and withdrawn. We work to counterbalance their negative experiences with positive activities, crowding out that sorrow with joy. With the analysis and tools our Morgan Stanley team has built for CPNYC, we will be able to shape a bright outlook for more children of incarcerated parents.

Sharon, the entire CPNYC organization and I are all deeply grateful to Morgan Stanley’s for its support and to Debbie, Rovic, Michael , Anita and their Managing Director Advisor Dan for their partnership, insight and dedication to our project. We can’t wait to make them proud of the meaningful impact their hard work has on the families we serve. 

For more information about the Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge, please visit: www.morganstanley.com/strategychallenge/.