Morgan Stanley

The Andrew Goodman Foundation Wins 8th Annual Morgan Stanley U.S. Strategy Challenge

May 26, 2016

Morgan Stanley Employees Deliver More Than 8,000 Hours of Pro Bono Counsel to Nine Nonprofits During 10-Week Program

New York —

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today announced the completion of its annual U.S. Strategy Challenge, a program which to date has created actionable strategic plans for 104 non-profit organizations globally.  Each year, the Firm holds the ten-week program in London and New York in which teams of top-performing Morgan Stanley employees provide pro-bono strategic advice to nonprofits on mission critical challenges.  On May 25, the teams of employees delivered final strategic recommendations to each of their partner nonprofit organizations in a competition at Morgan Stanley’s New York headquarters.

The winner, The Andrew Goodman Foundation, is an organization working to deliver on its mission to ensure that young voices and votes are a powerful force in our democracy.  The team of Morgan Stanley employees which worked with The Andrew Goodman Foundation was challenged with determining which growth model and campus selection approach the organization should pursue to expand its Vote Everywhere Program, and delivered an actionable plan to address this challenge moving forward. 

“The Morgan Stanley Strategy Challenge transformed our thinking on expansion.  Rather than operating in an intuitive and opportunistic mode, we now have a well-researched roadmap with which to chart our course,” said Sylvia Golbin-Goodman, Executive Director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation.  

The Strategy Challenge, developed in 2009, taps into the talented minds of Morgan Stanley employees and puts their analytical and strategic thinking to work through pro-bono volunteering with key nonprofit partners. 

“Our Strategy Challenge allows employee volunteers the opportunity to bring their professional skills and personal passions together to deliver actionable recommendations for nonprofits doing crucial work in the communities where we live and work,” said Joan Steinberg, Global Head of Philanthropy at Morgan Stanley.  “What is even more tremendous is the engagement that continues long after the program ends – through direct employee connections of volunteering or board service with the organization, and the ability of nonprofits to use the frameworks created to continue to solve future challenges.” 

At the Strategy Challenge final event, each team had 15 minutes to present their work to a mixed panel consisting of a member of Morgan Stanley’s Management Committee, a partner from The Bridgespan Group, and an Executive Director from a past nonprofit participant.  Global Goods Partners was the runner up and Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership received third place.  The top three nonprofits won cash grants of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.  The six remaining organizations received grants of $5,000 each. 

The nonprofit organizations that participated in this year’s U.S. Strategy Challenge are: 

  • Brooklyn Free School
  • El Taller Latino Americano
  • Global Goods Partners
  • Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership
  • Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership
  • Jumpstart for Young Children
  • National Eating Disorders Association
  • The Andrew Goodman Foundation
  • York Street Project 

Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley also concluded the third annual Strategy Challenge in the UK, benefitting five London-based nonprofit organizations.  NSPCC, a charity which helps children who have been abused to rebuild their lives, protects children at risk, and finds the best ways of preventing child abuse, won the competition, which took place at Morgan Stanley’s Canary Wharf offices in London. 

For more on the Strategy Challenge programs in the U.S. and the UK, visit the Strategy Challenge blog and follow #StrategyChallenge on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services.  With offices in more than 43 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals.  For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

Media Relations: Dan Mahoney, 212-761-2645

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