My Excitement Has Returned!

During my career with Accenture (London office), I had the opportunity to experience what a difference I could make using my business skills in a nonprofit environment. And, no less important, I realized how much I enjoy working in a multicultural environment where I can learn from people from different parts of the world. The BBI Fellowship gave me the chance to explore the love I had developed for contributing to educational initiatives in developing countries when I was visiting Latin America years ago!

My experience with BBI has been great preparation for a continued career elsewhere in the private or public sector. The responsibility I accepted through BBI was one of project manager, a role that within my previous firm would have taken me another two years or so to reach. I have been exposed to the various challenges of single-handedly managing an important project - a great help in my future career. I have taken responsibility for managing the working relations with my host organization (CDI Chile) which has been an enormous learning experience. Through BBI I have gained the opportunity to use my own initiative, creativity and people management skills.

BBI makes me focus on different perspectives, identify what is essential, and adapti to different cultural biases while achieving worthwhile results. Today I have the confidence and capability to take on challenges I would have shied away from before.

Benefits Gained

Employee

• Increased morale
• Taking on higher levels of responsibility... and doing well

NGOs

• Highly effective operations
• Connection to professional expertise
• Experience and capacity that money cannot provide

Corporation

• Increased managerial productivity
• Engaged employees
• Strong public recognition
• Enlightened self interest

• Recruit, assess, and prepare organizations to work with corporate volunteers
  
  • Develop clear job descriptions with organizations
  • Choose organizations that have the ability to support a corporate volunteer
• Recruit, assess, and prepare corporate managers to work with NGOs and education organizations
  
  • Curriculum/structure tailored for employee success in NGOs
• Educate corporate managers to be global leaders
  
  • Projects provide opportunities that hone peer leadership and team skills
  • Monthly skill development sessions
  • Coaching from experienced NGO/Community leaders

Our Role: What BBI Did for Rick

Rick was looking for a new way to challenge himself while seeking the feeling of success that comes from contributing to the global good. He wished to use his existing skills and develop new ones. We gave him the opportunity to do both while almost doubling the number of children and families with access to his organization's computers and computer training.

BBI provided one month of general leadership/nonprofit training and local acclimation to create a smooth transition and a full time person to support him on site.

Quick Summary

"Think of the next year of your life. In 10 years time, are you going to remember one year spent working on a typical project within your firm, or would you remember it more if you took a little time out and did something truly different? Perhaps applying your skills and creativity in a developing context, living and working in a different country? I think the BBI Fellowship program offers just that, plus the fact that everything you do out here is good professional experience - for me those were the reasons to take the leap and do this year with BBI."