January, 2006 – Students at Harvard, Columbia and Georgetown business schools are currently working with Soccer for Peace, taking on three unrelated projects as part of their coursework or extracurricular involvement.
At Harvard Business School, a team of students enrolled in a class titled ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ have chosen Soccer for Peace as the subject of their semester project. In the school’s finest tradition, the students have chosen to analyze the organization’s long-term strategy. They will produce a comprehensive, and pragmatic, business plan which will inform the organization’s development.
Aspiring Management Consultants at Columbia Business School have enrolled in the Small Business Consulting Program, where they are matched with local businesses or early-stage ventures in need of specific advice. Interest in Soccer for Peace was overwhelming, with a group of four ultimately forming to ‘bid’ on the project. The SBCP team will provide a fundraising analysis, looking to comparable organizations (in size or mission) to determine best practices and potential growth areas.
In Washington DC, students at McDonough Business School of Georgetown University have taken Soccer for Peace as their cause in the JP Morgan 2006-07 Good Venture Competition. The initiative offers up to $25,000 to non-profit organizations promoting community asset development, youth education or community life. Working with the organization, students made the pitch earlier in the fall and will hear over the winter whether they will be called back for additional rounds.
Soccer for Peace has long benefited from the benevolence and budding expertise of graduate students. As a young organization, we encourage anyone to get involved.