Morgan Stanley employees recently harnessed their competitive spirits and participated in the Firm's second annual Social Enterprise Strategy Challenge on June 16, an initiative providing top talent the unique opportunity to leverage commercial skills for social impact. 

Twelve cross-divisional teams served as pro-bono strategic advisors for eight weeks to 12 leading New York City-based nonprofits to help address key strategic issues around program alignment, geographic expansion and business model refinement. Participants were nominated by their Business Units and selected to participate through a competitive application process. Their work culminated in a public, on-stage competition in which the teams presented their recommendations to a panel of leading experts from the academic, private and non-profit sectors.

The Morgan Stanley teams collectively donated more than 5,400 hours of analysis and advice to the nonprofits.

President and CEO James Gorman presented awards to the winning nonprofits.

First place was awarded to the Morgan Stanley team working with Pro Mujer, a women's microfinance organization that provides women in Latin America with financial services, healthcare, and training to lift themselves out of poverty. The team developed a sophisticated analytical model for the organization to evaluate and prioritize country options for international expansion, concluding that Colombia is an attractive expansion opportunity.

Pro Mujer Chief Financial Officer Jenny Hourihan said the team provided "first-class advice" that was focused on a key strategic issue for the organization - prioritizing expansion to other countries.

"They have given us a tool flexible and powerful enough to apply to this issue in microfinance, as well as to other strategic questions, such as healthcare for women in Latin America," Hourihan said.

The competition culminated in the afternoon when Pro Mujer, Credit Where Credit Is Due - which placed second - and Mount Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program (SAVI) presented in front of the finalist judges.

The winning teams earned cash grants for their nonprofits: $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place, and $7,500 for third place. The nonprofits will use the winnings to implement recommended strategies.

In addition to Pro Mujer, Credit Where Credit Is Due and SAVI, the participating non-profits included: ACCION USA, The Fresh Air Fund, Harlem Educational Activities Fund, Peace First, Project Enterprise, Summer Search, Teach for America, Wildlife Conservation Society and the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood. Morgan Stanley partnered with The Bridgespan Group, the leading non-profit strategy consulting firm, to support the employee teams and non-profits on this initiative.

The preliminary round judges were:

• Kay Bellor, Vice President of U.S. Programs, International Rescue Committee
• Matt Berke, Global Head of Equity Risk Management
• Ronna Brown, President, Philanthropy New York
• Kelly Campbell, Partner, The Bridgespan Group
• Charlie Chasin, Senior Business Risk Officer of MS Bank, N.A.
• Anne Corry, Deputy Executive Director-External Affairs, New York Cares
• Kira Mendez, Partner, The Bridgespan Group
• Paul Rosenberg, Partner, The Bridgespan Group
• Cece Stewart, President of Retail Banking Group

Ann Goggins Gregory, Director of Knowledge Management at The Bridgespan Group, served as the featured speaker, discussing the "starvation cycle" faced by nonprofits. Gregory said nonprofits lack decent infrastructure, which makes it impossible for them to function as organizations and serve their beneficiaries. This problem is complicated by funders' unrealistic expectations about how much it costs to run a nonprofit. Funders must take the lead to break this cycle, she concluded.