1. creative ideas. practical action. lasting change.
Shane Treeves, Nat Ware, Ben Coles, Ed Miller (Australia)
2. The Problem…
The vast majority of student-driven
organizations only enable students enable
students to make a difference through:
– Raising money, or
– Raising awareness
3. At the same time…
Many non-profit organizations do not
operate as effectively as is possible. They
often face challenges related to:
– Financial sustainability
– Marketing
– Human resources management
– The effective use of social media
– Volunteer recruitment
– Working out organizational priorities
– Developing a workable business plan
4. Addressing these challenges is important
because the effectiveness of funds is just
as important as the level of funds.
The problem is that most consulting
services are prohibitively expensive, and
the few services that are pro bono are
not scalable. Most non-profit organizations
miss out.
5. The Challenge…
How can we improve the effectiveness of
non-profit organizations in a sustainable
and scalable way?
How can we create a
‘win-win’ situation so
that all stakeholders
benefit?
6. The Solution…
To create an international student-driven
consultancy that generates significant
social impact by enabling the most
capable university students to develop
sustainable solutions to challenges faced
by socially conscious organizations.
7. How it works…
The idea is to have a network of 180 Degrees
Consulting branches based at universities around the
world. At each branch, university students would work
throughout the year with local non-profits to identify
and overcome specific challenges they are facing.
As part of this process, students would be able to
collaborate with their international peers through an
online platform, leveraging the capabilities of socially-
minded youth worldwide to generate innovative,
sustainable and practical solutions for clients.
8. Non-Profits benefit by…
• Getting access to important services they
otherwise could not afford.
• Having people come in with fresh eyes to
develop creative solutions to challenges
they’re facing.
Put simply, non-profits have nothing to
lose and potentially a lot to gain
9. Students benefit by…
• Making a positive and tangible difference to society
• Gaining work experience (since students are
allocated to projects that match their skills and
knowledge)
• Receiving professional training (from the prestigious
for-profit consulting companies we partner with)
• Developing transferable skills (e.g. problem solving,
teamwork, creative thinking, and cross-cultural
communication)
• Getting exposure to the consulting industry and to
the work of various charities
• Having fun working with students from all corners of
10. Implementation of Idea…
• We have been working hard to implement our idea.
• There are now established branches in the following
locations:
– Sydney University (Australia)
– University of New South Wales (Australia)
– Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (Mexico)
– Far Eastern Federal University (Russia)
– Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden)
– Copenhagen Business School (Denmark)
– Indiana (USA)
– Ithaca (USA)
• There are also more than 10 new branches being setup
12. Examples of organizations
we’re working with…
• AfriCap in Mauritius on improving microfinance
programs
• A21 in Ukraine on social enterprise development to
provide employment opportunities for women
subjected to sex slavery
• Crossroads in Hong Kong on effectively connecting
second-hand goods to those in need around the world
• Hand-in-Hand in India on fundraising strategy
• Red Cross in Australia on marketing strategy
• Viola Vitolis in Bangladesh on combating arsenic
poisoning
13. Do students have the ability
and experience to consult?
Rigorous selection process ensures best students
• Targeting students in top 10-15% bracket
• Two stage selection process: applications and interviews
Professional training provides quality assurance
• Conducted by university staff and consulting professionals
Many students possess relevant expertise
• Specialised knowledge can be matched with clients’ needs
Natural accretion of experience
Without much experience, students can still be of assistance
• View problems from a fresh perspective
• Use Podio to internationally source solutions
14. What is the client
engagement process?
Statement of
work
Introductory International
meeting collaboration
Client
engagement
process
Follow-up Progress
review report
Final
presentation
15. What is the timeline?
• Establish 10 branches worldwide and undertake over
100 consulting projects
2011
• Have operational systems in place to support further
expansion
2012
• Have at least 50 branches worldwide and undertake
at least 500 consulting projects each year
2015
