Skill CONNECT

Looking for skills-based volunteering near you? We connect qualified volunteers to local nonprofits seeking operational assistance.

BECOME A SKILLS-BASED VOLUNTEER
FIND ASSISTANCE FOR YOUR NONPROFIT

We connect the unique needs of nonprofits to our network of skills-based volunteers, making the perfect connections to generate the biggest impact. 

The time commitment varies for each option, but the benefits remain constant.

Opportunities for nonprofits to meet one-on-one with a subject matter expert

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Individual skills-based volunteers provide up to 20 hours of service to a local nonprofit

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Long-term projects ranging from 20 to 100 hours, stipend provided

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Multidisciplinary business teams tackle an issue for a Northeast Ohio nonprofit

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Volunteer Your Professional Skills

If you have the skills for volunteering, northeast Ohio nonprofits could use you or your business team to make recommendations or solve issues in HR, Marketing, etc.

BECOME A SKILLS-BASED VOLUNTEER

It’s as Easy As…

APPLY

Fill out the Volunteer Application to express interest in BVU’s pro-bono consulting team.

CONSULT

Meet with a leadership development associate from BVU to assess your personal interests and experience.

CONNECT

BVU will connect you to a volunteer opportunity according to your interests, experience, and strengths.

Find Help for Your Nonprofit

As a pro-bono consulting group, BVU Cleveland will connect your organization with skills-based volunteers for FREE after learning more about your organization’s unique needs. 

REQUEST PRO BONO VOLUNTEER(S)

Skill CONNECT Testimonials

{BVU is the great facilitator. If a company has an interest in using their skills to volunteer, BVU is the institution that knows the nonprofits doing the work.
Joe Faulhaber
Former President, Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland
{I wouldn’t have been able to fill the position, hire somebody who had the depth and breadth of knowledge and have the ability to truly be an independent and functioning person. I wouldn’t have been able to afford that level of person.
Melanie Hogan
Executive director, LEAP
{We get someone of exceptional quality at an amount that we can afford. We can focus on projects that are high priority that we don’t have the professional resources to complete.
Jean Polster
President and CEO, Neighborhood Family Practice
{We had somebody who could dedicate their time and energy to an initiative that we just weren’t ready for from an internal standpoint.
Ron Soeder
President, Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland
{The event was great. I cannot stop talking about all of the information and tips I received from BVU’s Skill CONNECT. The opportunities you provide to nonprofit organizations through Skill CONNECT are invaluable. Thank you so much for the knowledge I have gained through BVU’s skilled-based volunteers.
Cynthia Carter-Harris, BSN, MBA, D.Min,
Executive Director, Cornerstone Pregnancy Services
{I’m writing to thank you — working with Judy [our skill CONNECT volunteer] has been such a gift for our organization. Literary Cleveland is stronger because of Judy’s smart mind and hard work. We are incredibly grateful to her and BVU for this program.
Brandi Larsen
Board President, Literary Cleveland
{BVU matched us with the perfect financial expert who catapulted our capacity and increased Executive Director skillset and widened organizational bandwidth. We are stronger and more ready to equip youth and uplift Cleveland’s communities through music and design.
Doc Harril
Refresh Collective
{I was thinking small when at a recent “Ask the Expert” event, I was told to think and behave like IBM. This sentence, supported by tactical advice from an expert in finance and Quickbooks, made things become suddenly very clear to me. I was grateful to connect with someone who could told me to on my level about a very specific financial situation we were dealing with.
Kristi Horner
Founder & Executive Director, Courage to Caregivers
{I know the volunteer assignment through BVU was only to be a few months but I believe on June 30 I will have completed over 13 years at E Prep/Breakthrough. It has been a great experience. Who knows – I may want to try our new volunteer opportunities in the future.
Jeff Fast
Skill CONNECT Volunteer, Breakthrough Schools
{Within a span of 60 minutes, Jamie [Gallagher skill-based volunteer] assessed my organization's situation, explained the options we could consider, helped me put an action plan in place, and answered ALL of my questions. 
Lynn Foran
Executive Director, Reach Out and Read Greater Cleveland
{I didn’t know what I had to give until I did the first skill CONNECT program. I’m always excited at the end of these “Ask the Expert” sessions. The nonprofits are so grateful and thankful. Nonprofit leaders are great at leading their organizations, so being able to help these professionals improve in areas where they don’t have expertise is so rewarding. When you work in a specific field every day, you almost forget that what you have IS a valuable asset to others without that skillset
Stephanie Smith
Strategic Communications and Engagement Manager, Bober Markey Fedorovich

Upcoming Events

Career Opportunities: Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence

  Nonprofit: Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV) Mission: OAESV uses an anti-oppression lens to advocate for comprehensive responses and rape crisis services for survivors and to empower communities to prevent sexual violence. Position: Multiple open positions,...
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Nonprofit Roundup from Marcum

Each month, accountants and advisors from Marcum share insights on topics related to the nonprofit and social sector. This August, learn more about... Talent Management Considerations for Nonprofits In a variety of nonprofit...
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Career Opportunity: RePlay for Kids

  Nonprofit: RePlay for Kids Position: Workshop Leader Status: Part Time (average of 55 hours a month). Some evening and weekend hours. The mission of RePlay for Kids is to increase the availability of toys and assistive devices for children with disabilities. We pursue this mission by...
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Career Opportunity: The Music Settlement

  Nonprofit: The Music Settlement Position: Chief of Staff Reports to: President/CEO Status: Full-time, Exempt Founded in 1912, The Cleveland Music School Settlement (dba The Music Settlement) provides music and arts programming to students of all ages and backgrounds in a way that promotes...
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July Nonprofit News: Getting What You Really Want

Many leaders and teams seek coaching at some point in their professional journey. But coaching can mean many different things to those seeking services. It is important to know what type of support you are looking for and how to find the right individual as a coach.

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To Serve or Not to Serve: Is Nonprofit Board Service Right for Me?

by Heather Englander (Managing Director, Business Engagement, BVU) To Serve or Not to Serve... That is the question. Or perhaps the question is whether or not you think you can serve. Board service is something most professionals have heard of, but how many of us know what...
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Coaching: Getting what you really want! 

Many leaders and teams seek coaching at some point in their professional journey. It is important to determine what support you are looking for, and find the right individual as a coach.

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June Nonprofit News: Economic Uncertainty

Economic Uncertainty and Your Nonprofit   To pass the debt ceiling agreement, $136 billion in federal spending were cut and $30 billion were rolled back in unspent COVID-19 relief funds. For many nonprofits, this may mean fewer contracts and grants from federal government agencies. We are...
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May Nonprofit News: Where are the volunteers?

Northeast Ohio nonprofits are struggling to recruit volunteers. Volunteerism in the United States has been decreasing steadily for the last decade, with the most significant drop seen between 2019 to 2021. However, 69% of individuals who volunteered in 2022 want to volunteer more hours and/or with...
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April Nonprofit News: Cash, Cyber Security, and National Volunteer Month

HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR CASH With inflation, bank closures and economic uncertainty, it is no wonder that many nonprofits are concerned about their balances. The first step might be to take account of what you have, according to "How to be confident about your cash balances" by Kate Barr of Propel...
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Made possible by the Community Impact Fund

Nonprofits faced unprecedented strain during the COVID-19 pandemic, so BVU waived all Ask the Expert program fees to provide the expertise necessary to address strategic and financial pressures. 

BVU’s Community Impact Fund was launched to maintain Ask the Expert as a free service to all northeast Ohio nonprofits indefinitely and to pay tribute to Brian Broadbent, BVU’s former CEO and a passionate advocate for Skill CONNECT.