For one week every summer, nonprofit leaders from across the globe convene on the HBS campus to sharpen their leadership skills and expand their impact through the Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management (SPNM) program.

Offered jointly by the HBS Executive Education Program and the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative (SEI), the SPNM program offers immersive, multi-faceted learning and the HBS case method to enable nonprofit leaders to run more effective, impactful, and sustainable organizations.

The intensive six-day course is an invaluable opportunity that would be completely out of reach for many in the nonprofit sector, if not for the support of HBS alumni clubs and associations. In fact, 52 SPNM participants in this year’s course—roughly a third of the total enrollment—attended on scholarships from 18 HBS alumni clubs and four Harvard clubs worldwide.

“Many nonprofits could not afford to send someone to SPNM without this support,” says SEI Director Amelia Angella (MBA 2001). “Alumni clubs very often cover the whole thing: tuition, room, and board—which was $7,500 this year—and some even cover travel. It’s a significant award, and a wonderful opportunity for the clubs to give back. They understand what an HBS experience would afford these community leaders.”

A SPNM scholarship allows clubs to recognize the outstanding contributions of local nonprofit leaders, thereby enhancing their impact when they return from the program. Angella says SPNM participants represent a broad range of organizations championing arts, theatre, education, health care, addiction recovery, food security, climate resilience, and much more.

“SEI’s partnership with the clubs is so important,” says Angella. “They’re identifying nonprofit leaders in their community and giving them access to HBS that they wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s so powerful for them to be here in person. It’s a transformative, re-energizing experience for them as leaders on the forefront of so many important, and challenging, social issues.”

Most participating clubs have established dedicated scholarship funds, supported by events and fundraisers throughout the year.

The HBS Club of Chicago pays for its SPNM awards through its Charitable Fund, which has allowed the club to send as many as 7 people at once to HBS, as it did this year. “With this fund, we can keep this going indefinitely,” says Club President Mia Duchnowski (MBA 2010), adding that since 2003, the club has sent more than 60 Chicagoland nonprofit leaders to the program.

Similarly, the HBS Club of Atlanta has an established endowment—a donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta—which funds roughly 3 SPNM scholarships per year in perpetuity, according to the club’s VP for Social Enterprise Initiatives and board member Ed Shartar (MBA 1981). “We’ve sent 114 local leaders to SPNM since 1997,” he says. “The scholarships cover 100 percent of the costs.”

The HBS Club of Philadelphia has sent 49 community leaders to SPNM since 2001, thanks to its dedicated endowment, says club president David Othmer (MBA 1966). “Our predecessors had the idea to send one or two people to the SPNM program, and they raised the funds to do it. The response was so terrific that those alumni members continued to raise funds until they built an endowment large enough to cover a few scholarships every year.”

This year, one of those scholarships sent Patricia Wilson Aden, CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, to the HBS campus for a life-changing week.“This has been a milestone in my professional development,” says Aden. “My organization was one of the smaller organizations represented in the course, but I felt on equal ground with other participants with 400 employees and networks of buildings under their responsibility. No matter the size or the scale, we found common ground in some of the challenges that we face, and that gives perspective as well. And as we drilled down, some of the solutions were very much the same.”

Aden was nominated to apply to the program by a previous SPNM scholar in Philadelphia, and most clubs find prospective participants through nominations by alumni or local leaders. They then invite nominees to apply directly to HBS and only award scholarships upon acceptance.

“We select candidates by research and referrals, and we target CEOs of Irish nonprofits,” says David Monahan (MBA 1978), board member and former president of the HBS Club of Ireland, which has sent 11 local leaders to SPNM since 2016. “After applying, candidates are interviewed by the Fellowship Committee, and we require the nonprofit’s chairperson to endorse the participation of the successful candidate.”

Following the week-long course, sponsoring clubs typically invite participants to receptions or panel discussions to share what they learned and how they hope to apply it to their work going forward.

“We have found that the scholarship recipients benefit enormously from the course, which in turn makes a positive impact on their organizations, something that coincides with our mission to help nonprofits in our area,” says Calvin Mew (PMD 48, 1984), president of the HBS Club of New York.

Indeed, serving their local communities is a primary goal of HBS alumni clubs.

“Making a difference in our community is part of our mission,” says Ed Shartar in Atlanta. “The scholarship program supports the community in a way that is directly linked HBS and Harvard. By teaching nonprofit leaders ‘how to fish,’ as opposed to ‘giving them fish,’ the scholarships benefit the impacted organizations and individuals in perpetuity. And, while supporting the community, it also allows the Club to support HBS. It’s a world class program we can offer that is differentiated and distinguished from any similar program out there.”

Other HBS Alumni Clubs that sent nonprofit leaders to SPNM this year included:

HBS Association of Boston, HBS Association of Hong Kong, HBS Association of Southern California, HBS Association of Southern New England, HBS Club of Birmingham, HBS Club of Charlotte, HBS Club of Connecticut, HBS Club of Michigan, HBS Club of Northeast Ohio, HBS Club of San Diego, HBS Club of South Florida, HBS Club of Toronto, HBS Club of Washington DC, and HBS Club of Wisconsin.

The HBS Executive Education program also offers a virtual course, Driving Nonprofit Innovation and Performance, which focuses on performance measurement and management strategy. Four HBS alumni clubs sponsored participation in this course for seven local leaders this year.

Paul Donaher (MBA 1981), Founder and Principal at Paul Donaher Advisory, and John Davis (MBA 2020), Director of Growth and Partnerships at Clarity Pediatrics

When did you take on your current role with your club?
Paul: 2022.
John: 2023.

What inspired you to take a leadership role?
Paul: I felt there was so much opportunity to create a more robust PRIDE community spanning the decades. It wasn’t always easy to be “out” at HBS and I wanted people of all ages to feel welcomed.
John: I wanted to influence the trajectory of the PRIDE Alumni organization.

Why do you want to give back in this way?
Paul: I want LGBTQ Alumni to be celebrated and to feel relevant to both the history and current experience of HBS.
John: HBS was such a transformational experience for me professionally and personally. I want to shape the experiences of LGBTQ alumni to ensure we have more representation in leadership roles in corporate America so that younger individuals can see what is possible for them.

What does the club mean to you?
Paul: It is gratifying in so many ways. One of the principal ways is how intergenerational communication gives current HBS students great insight into how far we have come and how far we still can go.
John: LGBTQ individuals are underrepresented in corporate leadership roles (there are currently three “out” CEOs in the Fortune 500). I hope that by providing networking and programming opportunities for LGBTQ alumni, we will see this representation grow in the coming years.

What do you hope to accomplish during your tenure in this club role?
Paul: Concretely, I want to see more LGBTQ protagonists in HBS cases. I want to build an ever-stronger bond among LGBTQ alumni so that we get to know each other, share our experiences, and help each other as members of the community.
John: I hope to be able to engage folks who were previously not aware of our organization. Additionally, I’d like to bring in our first corporate sponsor to help our operational budget.

What have you accomplished to date that you are excited about?
Paul: We have established a mentoring program between alumni and current students. We’ve created a panel event that takes place annually where a small group of alumni spanning decades at HBS share their very different and poignant experiences.
John: We’ve successfully engaged stakeholders at HBS to bring more awareness and representation of LGBTQ experiences and protagonists in cases.

Why should alumni join your club?
Paul: We’re building a strong global network, and it’s interesting and fun to be a member.
John: We offer many opportunities to meet and network with other LGBTQ alumni.

What was your favorite/most impactful class at HBS?
Paul: There was a class in 1980 called Self-Assessment and Career Development. I came out in that class and that changed my life.
John: My favorite class at HBS was Investment Management for Professional and Personal Investors taught by Luis Viceira. It shaped the way I manage my own portfolio and helped me understand the ins and outs of different asset classes.

What’s the best advice you could give an incoming HBS student?
Paul: Appreciate the richness of all the different types of students you will encounter—coming from a variety of places, life experiences, and points of view.
John: Think strategically about how you want to spend your time, and don’t be afraid to say no to things that aren’t a priority!

Who or what gives you energy every day?
Paul: I’m energized by the opportunity I have to bring some goodness and common understanding into the world.
John: I get energy from spending time with the people closest to me.

How do you relax?
Paul: Walking and being with my dogs are my best forms of relaxation. Otherwise, I like to dabble in writing and am committedto being in shape.
John: When the weather is pleasant in NYC, my happy place is running along the West Side Highway and enjoying the outdoors. I also enjoy cooking and baking for my partner or friends.

What are you reading/binge-watching?
Paul: I have been reading a lot of great things recently. The new Doris Kearns Goodwin book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, stands out. And I do binge watch lots of British crime dramas—a guilty pleasure.
John: I most recently binge-watched a show on Netflix called Heartstopper.

Favorite restaurant in New York City?
Paul: Old John’s Diner near Lincoln Center, and I Sodi in Greenwich Village for fantastic Italian food.
John: My favorite restaurant in NYC is Cote. I am a huge Korean BBQ fan.

Alumni book clubs prove to be a great, informal way to stay connected with other alumni, while staying up to date on the latest business titles.

“We’ve found that this book club helps everyone interact, sparks great conversations, and builds relationships that extend beyond the club. It’s an intimate evening that our many of our members look forward to,” says Kirsten Billhardt (MBA 2001) who coordinates the HBS Club of Austin Book Club.

Amit Singh (AMP 199, 2021) and Sanjay Prakash (AMP 171, 2006) who run the book club for the HBS Club of India, say the discussions and exchange of perspectives around each book helps bring alumni together and really learn the topics. Sometimes the authors even join the discussions.

We asked these two clubs to share two of their favorite books from 2024. Here’s what they offered:

HBS Club of Austin Book Club:

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
by Gino Wickman

SuperFans: The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, and Build a Successful Business
by Pat Flynn

HBS Club of India Book Club:

Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You
by Francis Frei and Anne Morris

Heart of Business: Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism
by Hubert Joly

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