USA Leadership Corps' MBA Volunteers Help Non-Profits 

and Small Businesses Overcome Difficult Management Challenges

CHICAGO, IL (March 2006) – Young and mid-career business professionals from across the nation are leading part-time, volunteer management consulting projects for local non-profits through a new program launched by USA Leadership Corps, a Chicago-based leadership training company.

“Our mission is to engage and empower professionals who want to develop their leadership, boost their careers, and make meaningful contributions to their communities,” explains Maxwell Roper, founder of USA Leadership Corps.

The Corps recruits MBA-level professionals, teaches them its proprietary management consulting techniques, then matches them with local non-profits in need of assistance. These professionals volunteer three hours per week over a three-month period to complete their consulting assignments.

“Our volunteers do not need thirty years of business experience to add value,” explains Mr. Roper. “Nor do they need to live in a major city or be affiliated with a professional group or university… They do, however, need great analytical and communication abilities, and a strong desire to learn and give back to the community.”

USA Leadership Corps was launched in the summer of 2005. With the help of its volunteer team, it has assisted over 30 non-profits across the country. “Some of our clients have no full-time staff, and others have over a hundred. The common need these organizations share is that they know there are areas within their business they could improve upon - mostly related to fundraising and generating revenue to support their programs.”

Corps leaders work with their clients to identify strategic goals, analyze key challenges their clients are encountering, then develop improved work methods that will enable their clients to achieve greater success.

Below are four experiences of Corps leaders from across the country. (More consulting stories can be viewed by clicking here.)

Corps Experience #1: East Coast – Washington D.C.

Toneka Ross, a recent MBA graduate of the University of Maryland University College, was looking to cultivate the knowledge she recently acquired from her program. She also saw the Corps as a way to position herself for a career in management consulting.

Ms. Ross' Corps client was the American Lung Association of the District of Columbia. She worked with the agency's leaders to improve their fundraising strategy. "The project was very exciting and rewarding. I gained experience in uncovering organizational needs and identifying areas for improvement."

"Toneka was very professional and extremely helpful," shares Rolando Andrewn, Chief Executive Officer of ALA of DC. "Thanks to her, my staff and I were able to identify new strategies for utilizing our volunteers. These strategies will allow us to achieve greater results from both our fundraising and programmatic efforts."

After her engagement, Ms. Ross continues to volunteer with ALA of DC. "They are great people and their mission is very important... Furthermore, this experience has opened my eyes to endless career possibilities."

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Corps Experience #2: West Coast – San Jose, California

Edmund Jones, a recent graduate of Purdue University’s International MBA was looking to gain experience that would complement his learning. “My MBA was an intense one-year program,” Mr. Jones informs. “However, it provided little in the way of internship and career opportunities.”

Mr. Jones recently completed an engagement with Goodwill of Silicon Valley. His objective was to improve the accuracy of their financial forecasts. "Their need was very complementary to my background. I was a controller for a small company before I began my MBA."

"Edmund expended a lot of time and energy talking to my staff. As a result, he uncovered several issues I was not aware of," states Chris King, Chief Operating Officer of Silicon Valley Goodwill. "Because of his assistance, we have seen great improvement in our forecasts, both in terms of timeliness and accuracy."

At the moment Mr. Jones continues to seek his ideal post-MBA position. “My Corps experience reminded me that I have the ability to succeed in any environment,” he adds. “My talents should be even more evident to my future employer.”

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