SkillShare

SkillShare creates opportunities for organizational growth. It encourages a sense of community and engagement between businesses and nonprofit organizations.

Do you have a problem or problem you haven’t been able to dedicate staff and resources to? 

If so, SkillShare can help you harness the thoughts, energy, and time of a team of corporate volunteers to achieve the project that needs to be completed. Your nonprofit will work with a team of 3 to 4 employees that will assist in designing a solution to a management or technical challenge. The team will receive a half-day training about the nonprofit sector and ways to connect as a consultant and short-term volunteer. The team will be matched with your nonprofit, based on their skill set and your needs to complete the project.

 

“This project is helping us plan and match our donations, making it easier for us to do our work. What’s extra valuable was that not only will this project help us to better plan for volume and volunteers needed, but it connected us with team members from Covestro that we can continue to call if we have additional problems. This deepens our relationship with Covestro, as well.”
-412 Food Rescue Co-Founder Leah Lizarondo

 

SkillShare FAQs

Why are companies participating in SkillShare?

Companies have long been committed to supporting the community. Giving back through service is one additional way to add value in the community. Previous experience has proven that employees that are engaged in their community are more engaged at work. It is also an opportunity for their employees to develop competencies and leadership skills as well as the joy of giving back. The program builds teamwork and breaks down silos. It is also a positive marketing opportunity for the company.

The team has many reasons for being engaged: their desire to give back, their interest in nonprofits, and the learning opportunity to build and use their skills. Companies generally have given them work release time (at least 16 hours) for the project

What will my nonprofit gain?

Past participants have reported benefits like:

  • Improvement in a management or technical area – nonprofits lack the human resources (either time or expertise) to tackle some of the projects that a team can get done
  • The teams provide a new perspective -“a laser focus on an area we needed to improve”
  • Engagement with a corporation – the volunteers could become ambassadors for you and expand your reach into new audiences, and the company becomes a partner for you in a more meaningful way
What kinds of projects work best?

The best projects use skill sets that nonprofits have in common with corporate environments: (i.e. not fundraising planning). They tend to be projects that give you the data, analysis, processing, or business lens that you need. They often assist management or board to make more informed decisions, like:

  • Financial analysis (reporting and controls, cash flow)
  • Operations (inventory, purchasing, quality improvement)
  • Facilities analysis (cost savings, planning)
  • Business planning and goal setting
  • Information and technology
  • Marketing and communications

These are projects that use professional skills; not “extra-hands,” clerical, or unskilled labor. They also tend to be analytical and technical and do not implement a program (i.e. not graphic design of a brochure or development of a marketing video).

See our project examples for more ideas on potential scopes of work.

What support will my nonprofit receive during the project?

SkillShare is a program of the Covestro Center for Community Engagement (CCCE) at Robert Morris University. Each nonprofit partner will have a project advisor who is a trained, experienced nonprofit consultant (and an Executive Service Corps member). We will work to ensure that the project is scoped well. Once the team has been assigned, we will work with you to refine the project again based on the team skill set. The project advisor can help troubleshoot and help translate needs between the “sectors;” they will also help to ensure quality in the program.

You can contact your project advisor during the project to discuss changes or difficulties.

Are there any tips to completing a successful project?

There are! We’ve found a few key points help keep teams working effectively and productively together:

  • Remember that you will be working with volunteers. Many are millennials. Some are seasoned professionals. Either way, they need a little encouragement and praise. At the end, find a way to thank them.
  • Set out a timeline and regular meetings or touch points, both in person and by phone.
  • Clarify communication paths from the start.
  • Communicate if it isn’t going well. And if it is going well. In other words, communicate!

Project Examples

Finance
  • Analysis of expenses
  • Development of dashboard and other financial and management reports
  • Planning (long/short-term)
  • Budgeting
  • Cash planning (e.g. cash flow forecasting and control)
  • Developing effective financial management controls, risk management, and other policies
  • Cost/Benefit analysis
Operations
  • Inventory management
  • Purchasing and supply chain audit
  • Quality improvement
  • Facilities management plan
  • Safety planning
  • Emergency readiness
  • Work-flow improvement
  • Enterprise risk management (i.e. create a plan to minimize and then mitigate a possible risk to reputation, finances/facility, or people)
Business Planning
  • Market research
  • Budget development
  • Benchmarking
  • Model development
  • Customer research
Human Resources
  • Employee wellness plans
  • Job description revisions
  • Employee handbook development
  • Policy updates and development
  • Performance management system
  • Competency mapping
  • Recruitment and retention strategies
Information Technology
  • Network audit
  • Phone systems audit
  • Network security assessment
  • Install and configure networking equipment (e.g. routers, backup devices, modems)
  • Hardware/Software audit
  • Set up and configure new computers, install software
  • Assess donated PCs to determine usefulness
  • Create inventory of computer equipment
  • Troubleshoot PCs or laptops
  • Create inventory of software
  • Software training (i.e. one-on-one or small group, depending on lab availability)
  • Website audit
  • Security analysis
  • Build new queries and reports in an Access database; train staff; increase user-friendliness
  • CRM systems
  • Salesforce database
Marketing and Communications (limited opportunities available)
  • Public relations planning
  • Market research or benchmarking
  • Marketing assessment
  • Social media plan and training
  • Branding and positioning
  • Online marketing strategy

 

Reach out to explore the best option for you and your team. Email ccce@rmu.edu or call 412-397-6366.

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