Accelerated Cure Project (ACP) accelerates research to diagnose, treat, and cure multiple sclerosis (MS) by connecting patients, clinicians, and scientists around shared resources. Its research ecosystem includes a biosample repository of more than 3,200 people affected by MS and related conditions, and iConquerMS, a people-powered research network that has enrolled more than 10,000 participants online. More than 10,000 people affected by MS have joined the iConquerMS community, providing critical data from research studies, optional biosample collection, and online surveys.
ACP has asked CAP to conduct a market assessment and strategic analysis of iConquerMS as a platform for decentralized clinical trial enrollment — a capability that's underutilized relative to both its potential and growing researcher demand for efficient, community-connected recruitment. This project will appeal to volunteers interested in global health, strategic planning, and drug development; experience with drug development or the FDA approval process is especially valuable. Work will include a mix of in-person, hybrid, and virtual meetings.
Addiction Treatment Center of New England
Addiction Treatment Center of New England (ATCNE), located in Brighton, delivers high-quality, integrated addiction and mental health treatment that meets individuals where they are, guiding them toward lasting recovery and empowering them for real transformation. Starting as an Opioid Treatment Program in 1980, ATCNE now operates 9 different programs in the Allston Brighton community. From medication-assisted treatment and therapy to relapse prevention and long-term recovery support via their clinic and sober housing units, they deliver personalized care in a compassionate and accessible environment.
ATCNE has grown rapidly in recent years, but its governance and leadership structure hasn't kept pace with that expansion. The Board of Directors has asked CAP to develop a comprehensive governance plan that positions the board to provide the strategic and financial oversight expected of a growing nonprofit. This is a strong fit for volunteers with governance, board development, or nonprofit oversight experience who want to help a mission-critical organization build the infrastructure to match its impact.
Artists for Humanity
For more than 35 years, Artists for Humanity (AFH) has helped Boston teens build creative and professional skills for careers in art and design. Each year, AFH employs approximately 325 high school students as paid artists and designers on real client projects — spanning painting, animation, graphic design, and more — commissioned by corporate, nonprofit, and government clients and led by professional mentors. Many students are from diverse backgrounds, attending schools with limited access to arts education. AFH sustains this work through a distinctive mix of earned revenue and philanthropic and government support.
AFH is seeking CAP's help developing a strategic plan for its next stage of growth, including financial review, benchmarking, trend analysis, client research, pricing analysis, and marketing. This project will appeal to volunteers interested in youth education, workforce development, the arts, and market research. CAP will engage with strong executive and board support to help deepen AFH's impact on Boston's young people and creative community. Meetings will be primarily on Zoom, with select hybrid and in-person sessions.
Cambridge Community Center
For 97 years, the Cambridge Community Center (CCC) has been a trusted anchor in Cambridge's Coast neighborhood — a historically Black neighborhood where families created the Center in response to racial exclusion and the need for a safe, dignified place to gather. Today CCC serves children, teens, families, and seniors across Cambridge through after-school and summer programs, a food pantry, behavioral health services, and teen leadership programs, with a new Resilience Hub initiative underway.
CCC has asked CAP to help build a clearer picture of community need, its position within Cambridge's broader service ecosystem, and where the most meaningful gaps and opportunities lie — potentially including housing, workforce development, and food security. The team will also help CCC develop practical impact metrics for its current programs, building on the qualitative feedback that has guided decisions to date. This project is a great fit for volunteers who enjoy translating ambiguous, mission-driven questions into a concrete analytical framework, blending market/landscape analysis with community and public-sector stakeholder mapping. You'll work directly with CCC's leadership — eager for an outside perspective — on findings that will shape how a beloved, 97-year-old institution prioritizes its next chapter.
Community Foundation for MetroWest
Since its founding in 1995, the Community Foundation for MetroWest (CFMW) has awarded more than $42 million in grants and supported over 1,000 nonprofits, improving quality of life across 30+ MetroWest communities and 700,000 residents. Its data-driven approach is anchored by a comprehensive needs assessment, tracking nearly 70 social and economic indicators to guide strategic grantmaking and community investment in support of meaningful, long-term regional impact.
To deepen its impact, CFMW has launched a series of Action Projects targeting systemic barriers in equity in education, workforce development, and housing and homelessness prevention, with a fourth — ART builds — launching soon. CFMW has asked CAP to develop a data-driven measurement framework to assess these projects' effectiveness, strengthen resource allocation, and more clearly demonstrate value to corporate and individual donors. This is an ideal project for volunteers interested in community development who want to help a high-performing foundation evaluate, improve, and scale initiatives that create lasting change for underserved populations.
MassHire Metro North Workforce Board
With a mission to serve 20 cities and towns north of Boston, MassHire Metro North Workforce Board (MassHire) develops partnerships, generates resources, and advocates for workforce solutions that result in a skilled workforce, prospering businesses, and equitable access to meaningful career pathways. Through career centers, industry partnerships, and youth programs, MassHire connects approximately 12,000 job seekers annually with meaningful career pathways while helping regional employers meet their workforce needs.
Building on a strategic framework developed with CAP five years ago, MassHire has asked CAP to help create its next three-year strategic plan. With stronger data systems now in place, the project will establish clear priorities, goals, and KPIs, sharpen MassHire's operating model, and shift its focus from services delivered to outcomes achieved — all while navigating significant uncertainty in federal workforce policy and funding, as well as AI-driven changes in jobs, skills, and employer needs. This project will appeal to volunteers interested in workforce development, data-driven strategy, and operating model design who want to help a proven regional leader adapt to a rapidly shifting labor market.
Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast Inc.
Celebrating its 20th year, Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast (MMBNE) believes that every baby deserves the chance to thrive. MMBNE provides equitable access to safe, lifesaving human donor milk to fragile newborns, through hospital partnerships and direct orders. Donor milk protects premature babies from serious conditions and is the standard of care in neonatal intensive care units when maternal milk is unavailable. Donor milk also helps promote breastfeeding outcomes, resulting in significant maternal and infant health benefits. In 2025 MMBNE provided over 200,000 bottles of donor milk throughout the northeast, serving approximately 22,000 babies in need. Annually, MMBNE supplies 13% of all donor milk in the US.
MMBNE is now seeking CAP's assistance to build a multiyear expansion plan that aligns its infrastructure and facilities with growing demand for donor milk. As a primarily fee-for-service organization (philanthropy is just 10% of the budget, with no government funding), MMBNE is outgrowing its current rented facility and needs a well-researched cost/benefit model for a potential move, including financing options. This project will appeal to volunteers with financial modeling and real estate/facilities expertise who want to help ensure Massachusetts has the capacity to provide lifesaving donor milk to every baby who needs it.
Nonprofit VOTE
Since 2006, Nonprofit VOTE has helped nonprofits across the country strengthen democracy by engaging the people they serve in voting — equipping food banks, health centers, libraries, and other trusted community groups with nonpartisan tools and training. Nonprofit VOTE also manages National Voter Registration Day, which has helped more than 6 million Americans register or update their registration since 2012.
Nonprofit VOTE's proven twenty-year model is being tested by a rapidly changing environment: funding volatility, rising community needs, and a complex policy and legal landscape that can make nonprofits hesitant to offer nonpartisan voter engagement. Working alongside Nonprofit VOTE’s leaders, CAP volunteers will help answer fundamental strategic questions — how to evolve while building on a successful model, where to lead versus partner, and how to strengthen sustainability under multiple future scenarios. This project offers volunteers the chance to help a nationally recognized nonprofit navigate a pivotal moment and build a practical roadmap for strengthening democracy through America's nonprofit sector.
North Bennet Street School
Founded in 1881, the North Bennet Street School (NBSS) trains students for careers in traditional trades that use hand skills in concert with evolving technology, to preserve and advance craft traditions, and to promote greater appreciation of craftsmanship. NBSS is the only school in the U.S. offering comprehensive certificate and trade-based training in fields like piano technology, carpentry, jewelry making, locksmithing, and violin making, preserving and advancing craft traditions for the modern era.
Growing interest in hands-on learning and tangible craft, partly in response to an increasingly digital and AI-driven world, has elevated demand for NBSS's programs. NBSS has asked CAP to help develop a long-term business plan through growth opportunity evaluation, market and pricing analysis, business model development, and scenario planning. This project will appeal to volunteers interested in detailed market and competitive analysis and financial modeling, with the chance to help NBSS identify the most sustainable, mission-aligned path for expanding access to craft education and strengthening career outcomes for students and alumni.
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) is a trusted provider of sexual and reproductive health care, education, and advocacy, serving more than 40,000 patients each year while reaching thousands more through evidence-based sex education programs such as Get Real. In addition to school-based education, PPLM has built innovative programming that equips parents and caregivers with the knowledge and confidence to have open, informed conversations with young people about relationships, consent, and sexual health.
Recent federal funding changes–including the loss of Medicaid reimbursements and the termination of a five-year, $5 million federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention grant in its second year–have created significant financial pressure. In response, PPLM has asked CAP to help transform its Education Department into a scalable, market-responsive enterprise–expanding professional development for educators, growing parent and caregiver offerings, and scaling nationally through a train-the-trainer model. This project will appeal to volunteers interested in business model innovation, market analysis, and revenue diversification who want to help a national leader in reproductive health build a more resilient financial model while expanding access to high-quality sex education.
Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services
For more than 55 years, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) has helped older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers live independently with dignity. Today SCES is one of Massachusetts' largest Aging Services Access Points and Area Agencies on Aging, serving more than 12,250 individuals annually through a $45 million organization with 140 employees.
As demographics shift, healthcare delivery transforms, and public funding grows uncertain, SCES is asking a fundamental question: what organizational model will best position it to thrive over the next decade? Rather than a traditional strategic plan, SCES is seeking a collaborative thought partner to challenge long-held assumptions, evaluate its role in an increasingly integrated healthcare and community-based care system, and identify strategies to strengthen financial resilience. With a highly engaged CEO, executive team, and Board, SCES is well-positioned to turn recommendations into action — making this a strong opportunity for volunteers who want to help guide an established, mission-driven organization through a defining moment of transformation.
Watertown Boys & Girls Club
With a mission to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens, the Watertown Boys & Girls Club (WBGC) serves around 800 annual youth members, including at-risk youth and those from immigrant and low-income families. Club programming provides enrichment and support in education, health and wellness, athletics, social-emotional learning, community engagement, skill building, and career readiness through its flagship After School Drop-In program, a summer camp, and a newly launched licensed after-school childcare program for grades K–2.
As demand for affordable childcare grows, WBGC hopes to use its newly redeveloped building to help meet that need and generate more fee-for-service revenue. WBGC has asked CAP to help develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the next 3–5 years to solidify its vision, assess organizational capacity, and explore how to become more self-sustaining. This project will appeal to volunteers interested in youth development, childcare programming, and business model design who want to help a trusted community organization turn a major facility investment into lasting impact.