One of the absolute best parts of this job is when clients talk about the work a consulting firm did to assist them on an engagement or help them achieve some sort of goal. It happens a lot less frequently than you'd probably imagine. And by a lot less frequently, I mean hardly ever. And that's a shame.
The reason, of course, is that consultants rarely tell us who their clients are, and if they do disclose them, they most certainly won't talk about the specific details of the engagement. It just doesn't happen.
So it's no surprise that I love when our Excellence in Social & Community Investment Awards roll around each year. This is our third year recognizing firms for their extraordinary and altruistic efforts in either pro bono work, heavily discounted work or volunteer work in either their local communities or on a global scale.
Why do I love it? Well, mainly because clients talk—on the record—and tell us in great detail exactly what consulting firms did for them. They tell us how a project worked, why it worked and to what extent it worked.
All the stories from the 18 winning firms can be found in this special 32-page section beginning on Page 18. The winning firms, along with the clients they served, were recognized at a gala awards dinner at The University Club in New York last month.
Winning firms advised various clients, including foundations, not-for-profits and community-based organizations, which exist for a higher cause. These clients include: Make-A-Wish, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, The Global Fund to End Slavery, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Charlotte Family Housing, Dallas Independent School District Public Schools, Reading is Fundamental and The Children's Inn at the National Institutes of Health.
Giving back is the new black. If you're in need of just a little bit of inspiration, you've come to the right place.
Joseph Kornik Publisher & Editor-in-Chief jkornik@alm.com
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