Consulting

Ian Priestnell of Stanford ACT works with Aimee Alling, Chantel Brischke and Christin Strang-Lopez of Big Sur Charter School

Each January, nonprofits can apply for pro bono consulting from the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team (ACT) in Monterey Bay. The Stanford ACT team of business school alumni and business executives bring decades of private business sector management expertise to participating nonprofits, which dedicate staff (or qualified volunteer) time to the process. Stanford ACT was established on the Central Coast in 2005. They have completed over 40 projects assisting 30 organizations in Monterey County. The team of ten consultants provides pro bono business consulting with a core focus on utilizing for-profit management techniques in nonprofit organizations.

Stanford ACT helped us set priorities based on survey data, not just intuition. Their work was organized and actionable.” – Aimee Alling, Executive Director, Big Sur Charter School

Photo: (l to r) Ian Priestnell of Stanford ACT works with Aimee Alling, Chantel Brischke and Christin Strang-Lopez of Big Sur Charter School

I cannot thank you enough for the rich analysis, spot on recommendations,  and all around useful tool you developed for us! I know the Board is really impressed and appreciative of your work. We will be reviewing this plan a lot over the coming months, including at our Board Retreat in February. I will keep you updated as we move forward. Thank you all for your time, effort and expertise! I am very grateful.” – Anna Foglia, Chief Executive Officer, Sun Street Centers

Members of Stanford ACT in Monterey Bay

The services of the Stanford Alumni Consulting Team (ACT) in Monterey Bay are offered by the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Alumni Association in partnership with the Community Foundation for Monterey County. The Stanford ACT in Monterey Bay is composed of ten consultants. The members of the team hold three doctorates, ten master’s degrees, including six MBA’s (from Stanford and Harvard). In addition, the members average over 30 years of senior management experience. Their experience ranges from startups to key management roles in five corporations with revenues over a billion dollar each.

Barbara Bishop
Stanford ACT member since 2002 specializing in marketing and strategic planning. BA Economics, MBA, Stanford University. 18 years of management experience in Marketing, Business Planning, and Channel Development, 21 years at Hewlett Packard; several years at SRI International, and other consulting firms. Responsible for a $600M business at HP; strong services and process background.

Jim Graber
Stanford ACT member since 1991 in Silicon Valley, since 2005 in Monterey.  Led or worked on over 35 projects.  Primary focus is general business, governance, administration and finance. BA Univ. of Pennsylvania, MBA Stanford University. 40 years senior management experience in finance and general management in a variety of industries, primarily as CFO. Firms varied from start up to mature organizations, both public and private.

Sandy Hale  
Stanford ACT member since 2013 specializing in strategic planning, finance and nonprofit management. BA Stanford University, MBA Harvard University, Ph.D. Economics University of Vienna. 30 years senior management experience.  Former senior official U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; founded two international consulting firms, both sold to Fortune 100 companies; head of the business school and interim Dean, CSU Monterey Bay.  Former Chair, President, and Board Member of several major nonprofits.

Catherine Hambley, PhD
Stanford ACT member since 2013 specializing in executive coaching and strategic planning. B.S, Nursing, University of British Columbia; M.A, Psychology California State University; Ph.D., Psychology, University of Pittsburgh. 20 years experience as a consulting Psychologist and talent development professional specializing in executive development, succession planning, and strategic planning.  Member of several Boards of Directors.

Bruno Kaiser
Stanford ACT member since 1988 and former member of Board of Directors of Stanford ACT Palo Alto. Specializes in marketing, strategic planning, and business plans, especially for new smaller businesses. BEE Ohio State; MBA Stanford GSB, Law studies at Akron Law School. 40 years of management experience in business consulting, and technology companies both small and large.  Extensive marketing experience in US and International situations.

Alex Lilley
Stanford ACT member since 2005 specializing in project management, data analysis and strategic planning. BS in Electrical Engineering, Princeton; MBA, Stanford University. 30 plus years of management experience in Sales Support, Product Planning and Project Management at IBM. Led projects on a national level.  Board chairman of a property management business, responsible for strategic and financial direction.

Brooks McChesney
Stanford ACT member since 2009 specializing in general management and strategic planning. BA History and Political Science, Stanford: JD Cornell University. 30 years of management experience. Founder and senior executive at several Silicon Valley HiTech companies, Led several VC and Corporate funded startups, Corporate Counsel for two Billion Dollar organizations

Denny K. Paul, CFA
Stanford ACT member since 2006 specializing in financial, marketing, business planning, and general management. Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, Cornell; MSEE, Stanford; MBA studies at Stanford and Santa Clara University; Chartered Financial Analyst. 30 years of Management Experience, Four Silicon Valley Start-ups in Market Research, Computer Sales and Software Development;  held financial, sales, and general management positions in the US, Canada, and Europe.  Extensive acquisition experience.

Claus H. Shelling
Stanford ACT member since 2016 specializing in general management of small companies, as well as employee benefit and company insurance programs. BA Economics and MBA Stanford University. A life insurance broker in Palo Alto for many years specializing in business continuation, employee benefits, retirement planning (pensions and profit sharing), and charitable estate planning. Many of his clients were small Silicon Valley business owners. He also managed and arranged the sale of a significant family business. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards.

David Warner
Stanford ACT member since 2016 specializing in general management, bank relations and finance, and strategic planning. BA Economics Dartmouth College, MBA Stanford GSB International Finance. 40 years of management experience in U.S. and Asian banking. Founder and management of several community banks. Peace Corps in Sri Lanka with World Health Organization project. Officer and director for Hartnell College Foundation.

Ron Wormser
Stanford ACT member since 2010 specializing in board development, financial planning, and build-outs of new and young organizations.  BA Political Science, Ohio University; MA Administration of Higher Education, Syracuse University. 40 years as executive with nonprofits in higher education, international research centers and performing arts; 8 years consulting in board development, finance, fundraising and executive coaching. Author of book on fundraising published by BoardSource.

Project Types

What we do

• Board development and governance
• Business model analysis
• Business plans for specific projects
• Financial evaluation, planning and reporting
• Marketing and branding
• Organizational business model development
• Organizational development
• Strategic planning

Who we Serve

• Community Services
• Cultural Organizations
• Education
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Legal Services
• Social Services

How we do it

• Broad experience
• Senior business experts in many fields
• Two to six consultants participate in each project
• The nonprofit and Stanford ACT work together as a team to resolve issues
• Team applies for-profit business techniques to nonprofit issues
• Research and implementation
• Specialized surveys
• Manage nonprofit board retreats to develop agreed on strategic plans
• Teach techniques while solving problems so organizations can do it themselves

Stanford ACT Application Process

• Please review the application questions, then apply for pro bono consulting.

• January – Applications are due in late January each year: January 26, 2018.
  • Stanford ACT team and CNE staff review written applications.
• February – Stanford ACT team meets with applicants as needed.
  • Stanford ACT team and CNE staff select projects based on the fit between the organization’s need and the team’s capabilities, applicant’s ability to participate in the consulting process and potential community impact.
• March – Organizations are notified of selection decision and consulting begins. All applicants are notified of decisions by the end of March.
• October – Projects typically last through October when a final presentation is made to the organization’s board in conjunction with staff participating in the project.