PRO-Bono Consulting
Project by Project has two pro-bono consulting initiatives, Project LEAD and CASES, where volunteers are invited to help other non-profit organizations design and implement innovative solutions to address challenges faced by these organizations.
PROJECT LEAD
Project LEAD (“Leaders Empowering Action Day”) is a one-day event where professionals from all different backgrounds and expertise brainstorm actionable and innovative solutions for nonprofits serving the NYC community. In true hackathon fashion, teams will work on solving and proposing solutions to various problem statements.
In a single day, you can make a lasting impact on our local community. Please contact volunteer.ny@projectbyproject.org if you have any questions.
What is Project LEAD?
Project LEAD is a one-day hackathon-style case competition for Asian American nonprofits in NYC. These nonprofits present several problem statements that they need help with. As a volunteer, you and your group will brainstorm, design and implement innovative solutions to these problems, and at the end of the event, each group will present their proposal.
In 2021, Project LEAD “hacked” for Think!Chinatown, a nonprofit that has worked on several initiatives for the Manhattan Chinatown community. Think!Chinatown aims to push from within our neighborhood to shape better policies and programs that define our public spaces, to celebrate our cultural heritage, and to innovate how our collective memories are represented.
Project LEAD aims to bring together multidisciplinary professionals, creatives and problem solvers for a day to work on issues facing the most vulnerable members of the local Asian American community.
How did Project LEAD start?
Project LEAD was conceived by PbP’s New York chapter in 2017, PbP’s 20th anniversary. During this milestone anniversary year, we stepped back and considered the many issues afflicting various segments of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community rather than focusing on one specific issue, and we reflected on the role PbP should play within the community. As we witnessed increased turmoil, we wanted to contribute and help convert reinvigorated interest in activism into action.
CASES
CASES (“Collaborations Accelerating Sustainable Engagement and Solutions”) is a 12-week pro-bono consulting initiative to help AAPI community nonprofits build capacity and accelerate impact while simultaneously fostering the personal and professional growth of next generation leaders.
Through project engagements, PbP supports its nonprofit partner with deliverables, such as strategic plans and implementation timelines for recruitment and marketing, ROI evaluation, financial planning, and data analysis, that allow the community partner to increase its effectiveness, broaden its reach, boost its revenues and reduce its costs.
If you have any questions, please contact outreach.ny@projectbyproject.org.
What is CASES?
Officially launched on a national level in 2018, CASES was conceived to expand PbP's scope of service learning to include skills-based opportunities in addition to hands-on volunteering. As a pro-bono consulting model of community engagement, CASES seeks to:
Bring together nimble groups of like-minded, socially conscious young professionals to work collaboratively in a project team setting
Engage nonprofit partners to conduct research and evaluation of the business and organizational challenges they are facing
Leverage the diverse and cross-functional skill-sets of volunteer consultants to develop innovative solutions that enhance the long-term sustainability of our partners
How does CASES work?
Clients are paired with a team of dedicated volunteer consultants selected from PbP’s Steering Committee and alumni network for their specific professional skillsets. Over 12 weeks, CASES volunteer consultants produce a written deliverable and presentation that provide recommendations for a specific capacity-building project. The project team setting, collaborative partner engagement, and intentional learning environment are the elements of this model that are conducive to the production of tangible deliverables by our volunteer consultants.
What should I expect?
Deliverable: Through client interviews and thorough research, CASES teams provide specific, actionable recommendations that allow clients to improve and grow their organizations. Types of projects will vary in order to target our client’s most pressing challenges, including recruitment strategies, market research, ROI evaluation, financial planning, and data analysis. The written deliverable will cover project scope, research, analysis, and recommendations, and will be presented to the client at the end of the 12-week project term.
Collaborative Approach: To effectively identify and address the challenges that our clients face, we expect clients and their teams to engage actively with one another. Teams are expected to communicate regularly over the 12-week period. For our teams to be at their most effective, clients must be willing to share information that is relevant to their team's decision-making process; we process full confidentiality in return.
Commitment to Social Impact: We expect our team members to take a strategic rather than implementation approach to problem-solving. Similarly, we are seeking clients who are committed to their organizations and are able to implement solutions in the long-term. We expect clients to have a clear idea of their project and the impact they strive to achieve.
Examples of Past Projects
Asian American for Equality (AAFE)-Equality Fund, Affordable Housing, 2015: Created an online interactive map of community resources in Flushing
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), LGBTQ, 2016: Developed strategic marketing plan for Family Is Still Family Campaign translated leaflets
Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), Asian Americans and Immigration, 2018: Researched and delivered two activities for CACF’s Youth Leadership Program, Asian American Student Advocacy Program (ASAP): “Getting to Know You & Team Building” and “API History and Public Speaking Skills”
Asian Americans and the Environment, 2021: Developed and collected research insights from surveying 19 small businesses in Manhattan Chinatown to build a firsthand perspective on their current state from the impact of major events (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic, #StopAsianHate). From this survey sample, the PbP NY CASES 2021 team unraveled the resiliency of Chinatown and re-established the greater need for advocacy and support within our local AAPI community. View the Chinatown NYC survey findings here