US Strategy Challenge: CPNYC Team Moving Full Steam Ahead

Posted by Rebecca from Children of Promise, NYC, New York

Although we met our Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge team just a few weeks ago, it seems as if we're already well into the project. At this point, the Children of Promise, NYC (CPNYC) staff and I are engaging with a member of our Morgan Stanley team on a daily basis.

Last week, I sent the team the final set of documents they requested from us. We've shared an enormous amount of data, including information on enrollment in CPNYC's programs, demographic information for Central Harlem, payroll and time sheet data, along with much, much more. This has given our team a comprehensive perspective on our operations and how we fulfill our mission.

To give them a deeper understanding of our organization, I'm now connecting the Morgan Stanley team with CPNYC employees, some of whom are being interviewed multiple times for different aspects of the Strategy Challenge project. These conversations will allow our team to piece together CPNYC's approach to engaging with partners, fundraising efforts, and the impact CPNYC has on our community.

Recently, Sharon, the founder and president of CPNYC, remarked that our pro bono team has delved into every nook and cranny of the organization. We both appreciate all of their effort and attention to detail. They're doing a deep dive that is smart, thoughtful and at a critical time. Ultimately, this research will help the CPNYC and Morgan Stanley team to answer the question of whether our organization should expand to a second site in Central Harlem.

I believe that we could not have gone through this process with a different kind of team. Anita, Michael, Debbie and Rovic are not only extremely bright and determined, but they're also committed to helping our organization be the best it can be at serving the needs of children of incarcerated parents.

All of us at CPNYC have a tremendous amount of confidence in our Morgan Stanley partners' ability to tear apart information, ask the critical questions and analyze extensive data – bringing us closer to our next strategic move. I can't wait to see what the second half of the project brings.

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