Conjunct Consulting
Conjunct Consulting is a Singapore-based nonprofit organization which offers pro bono management consulting services to other nonprofits and social enterprises in the areas of financial sustainability, human capital development, operations management, impact assessment and strategic planning.
Conjunct Consulting has student chapters in three universities in Singapore. According to SALT Online, a website of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre of Singapore, Conjunct Consulting is said to be the "only organisation in Singapore/Asia offering pro-bono social sector consulting solutions".
Founding
Conjunct Consulting was founded by Jeremy Au and Kwok Jia Chuan. Prior to founding Conjunct Consulting, both had been leaders of non-profit groups while at university. Au served as President of The Berkeley Group, a student-led organization providing consulting services to non-profits in the San Francisco Bay Area, while earning his undergraduate degree in Business Administration and Economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and Kwok headed the London School of Economics chapter of AIESEC, the world's largest student development organization, while studying government and history as an undergraduate.
Au and Kwok said that they wanted to introduce a new model of volunteerism in Singapore, a country where many volunteering opportunities involve long hours and labour-based work, but where many volunteers have professional skills to Contribute.
Activities
Conjunct Consulting provides pro bono consulting services to non-profits and social enterprises. It trains both student and professional volunteers, and assembles them into teams based on the needs of its clients and the skills and interests of the vounteers. In The Two years since its founding, Conjunct Consulting has worked on 23 projects, and has grown "from a three-man start-up to a 200-strong group".
Students volunteers undergo a semester-long consultancy training course led by one of Conjunct Consulting's volunteer professionals, and are evaluated and interviewed before being selected as consultants. Professional volunteers also receive monthly consultancy training sessions to stay informed on consultancy techniques and social sector issues.
Structure
Conjunct Consulting operates on a hub-and-spoke model. The Hub, consisting of the Executive Committee and working adults, equips and supports all student chapters in their administrative and operational activities. Three student-run chapters operate at the local Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore and Singapore Management University.
The consultants are volunteers - university students and professionals from diverse industries, including engineering, finance and the civil service. Each consulting team is composed of five student and two professional volunteers. Student consultants work under the direction of the professional volunteers, who act as team trainers and project managers.
Professionals and students that volunteer with Conjunct Consulting are matched to a VWO depending on the skill set required for a particular project. Relevant skills, sector experience, and interest in the client's cause are part of the matching criteria.
Awards and Recognitions
In 2013, Conjunct Consulting was awarded Youth Social Enterprise of The Year (Commendation) by the country's President's Challenge Social Enterprise Awards.