Examines the challenges The Home Depot faced in the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Andrew. By providing 40,000-50,000 items sold by knowledgeable associates, The Home Depot became a destination place for customers in need of anything from shovels to a new kitchen sink or supplies to use in recovering from a hurricane or flood. Disasters are thus both a source of disruption to the company's operations and a source of additional demand for its products and services. How, then, should The Home Depot organize itself in advance of disaster events?
Absolute Return for Kids [ARK] is a charity with strong financial support--what are the constraints on its growth and impact? ARK seeks to transform the lives of children who are victims of abuse, disability, illness and poverty. As one of the 50 largest fundraising charities in the United Kingdom, the organization's trustees wrestle with how to meet the needs of this vast and most vulnerable population through program expansion and delivery in Eastern Europe, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. How can the organization replicate its existing successful programs faster, both within and existing new countries? How can it best identify new areas into which ARK should expand over the near term and further down the road--and to recognize the ones that would overstretch ARK's organizational capacity and risk failing to maintain the highest quality of delivery?
After a "first career" in business, HBS graduate Christopher Crane becomes CEO of a worldwide microfinance network. The organization's twin challenges are: 1) developing metrics to give it an accurate picture of its situation and impacts, and 2) generating rapid growth. Students learn how non-financial metrics are integral to Opportunity International's mission but are difficult to define and measure; tailored metrics are necessary for demonstrating success to donors and for strategic planning. Also, the organization is committed to helping as many people out of poverty as quickly as possible, but donations and repayments are not enough to fuel rapid growth; other financial tools are needed. Explores the challenges of measuring non-financial success and considers the trade-offs of continuing as a non-profit versus converting to a for-profit entity. Students will gain skills relevant to growing an organization that is mission-driven but financially constrained, and that has a complex array of international stakeholders.
Dana Hall is a private all-girls school in New England facing a crisis in its mission. As social norms shift away from single-sex education, the school's enrollment is falling and deficits are becoming the norm. At the same time, the modern vision for girls' education requires an even greater investment in science and sports--at a time when Dana Hall's resources are lower than ever before. Can the school stay true to its mission? How will it find the funding? Through the story of Blair Jenkins, head of school, this case examines the difficult mission and funding decisions facing many nonprofit organizations.
The prestigious Augusta National Golf Club's secret membership is widely believed to exclude women. When feminist advocate Martha Burk receives a mysterious list of "members," she must decide how best to use this information in her efforts to crack the glass ceiling. Burk, of the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO), battles Hootie Johnson, of the Augusta National Golf Club (ANGC). Both organizations make strategic use of the media to influence stakeholder groups, and each tries to put its own frame on the debate. The NCWO sees the issue as a statement by affiliated corporations of how (little) they value women, whereas the ANGC sees it as attack on a private club's right to freedom of association. The controversy brings up a host of issues that are important for corporations in dealing with NGOs, partnerships, and corporate values.