Inside Our 30 Year Celebration at SEI Atlanta: Highlights and Takeaways
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Thank you to everyone who joined us at SEI Atlanta on Tuesday, October 28, for the 30‑Year Celebration of Community Consulting Teams (CCT) Atlanta. We welcomed current and former clients, volunteers, alumni, partners, and friends for a night of connection and reflection. We are grateful to SEI Atlanta for hosting and to CCT founder Andrew Feiler for sharing the history that still guides our work today.
Event Highlights at a Glance
Full house of clients, alumni, volunteer consultants, board members, and partners
Founder remarks from Andrew Feiler on the origins and evolution of CCT
Energizing conversations about lessons learned and opportunities ahead
Photos and memories from three decades of nonprofit projects in Atlanta
“This would not still be here if you hadn’t done good work—work that changed lives. It changed the fabric.” — Andrew Feiler
Founder Spotlight: Andrew Feiler
CCT began with a simple premise: talented professionals could support nonprofits with their minds, not just their wallets. That invitation catalyzed a volunteer consulting model that took root in Boston and expanded to Atlanta, where it continues to thrive. As Andrew said, the model endures because the work is real, rigorous, and focused on outcomes that matter for the community.
Andrew, in his own words
“We started with three projects.”
“I found the document with the first three projects on my computer and tried to open it, and it said this version of Word is too old.”
“The tagline is: are you an MBA looking for a way to get involved in the communities in your mind and not just your wallet?”
“I basically ran the group until 1999, and then Cindy Cheatham and Jennifer Pendergast took over, and then I took over.”
“They’ve(CCT Boston) gone through one project cycle. They used to do two. They now do one project cycle a year. They get all of their clients and all of the teams together in the room for a final readout.”
“We went up to Dartmouth to have this meeting with all of the alumni directors of the top business schools… to share information… on essentially supporting, rolling this out to other cities.”
“I think that more dialogue between the organizations(Atlanta and Boston would be great.”
“Thanks for being here. Thanks for all the work that you do.”
What we heard from Andrew
CCT’s origin was a practical response to real nonprofit needs and a desire from business alumni to contribute meaningful expertise.
Early momentum came from matching strong volunteer teams to high‑priority challenges at respected nonprofits.
The program’s staying power is grounded in quality of work and measurable impact on organizations and the people they serve.
For background on the celebration, see our announcement on the CCT blog: Come Celebrate 30 Years of CCT Atlanta at SEI.
The First Three Projects That Set the Tone
Andrew revisited CCT Atlanta’s first three projects and the inflection points they addressed:
Empty Stocking Fund
A beloved holiday program raising funds to provide toys to children in need had grown beyond a volunteer‑only operating model. With a new board and first full‑time staff, the CCT project focused on clarifying board priorities and shaping a strategy for continued growth.
Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
As public interest in preservation increased, Georgia Trust needed sharper strategic focus. The project helped define priorities and align organizational structure, roles, and responsibilities to support that focus.
Hands On Atlanta
Corporate demand for employee service projects was surging. The CCT team worked on how to scale the program and strengthen the processes needed to support expansion.
Why these projects mattered
Strategic clarity paired with operational pragmatism
Capacity unlocked at pivotal transition moments
Proof that skilled volunteers can deliver lasting, organization‑wide benefits
What We’re Learning From Sister Chapters
Andrew shared practices from CCT Boston that continue to inspire cross‑chapter learning:
A single annual project cycle that begins with volunteer recruiting in November and team kickoffs in January
A culminating final readout where all teams present to their clients in a shared forum, followed by a community celebration
Part‑time staff support and teams that strengthen internal operations for CCT, including systems work (he cited Salesforce as an example)
Approximately a dozen projects per year
These elements highlight a disciplined cadence, a culture of peer learning, and an emphasis on operational backbone—lessons that benefit every chapter.
What Makes the Model Work
Quality over quantity: Well‑scoped projects with committed clients and prepared volunteer teams
Rigor with heart: Business discipline applied to missions that change lives
Community of practice: Alumni, partners, and new volunteers learning together across cohorts and cities
Photo Highlights
We captured the energy of the night—smiles, reunions, and conversations that stretched well past the program. We will publish a photo gallery below. If you appear in a photo and would prefer not to be featured, contact us and we’ll update the gallery promptly.
Gratitude
Volunteers and alumni: Your expertise and time are the engine of CCT Atlanta.
Nonprofit partners: Thank you for trusting us with your most important questions.
SEI Atlanta: Thank you for opening your doors for kickoffs, end‑of‑cycle events, board meetings, and this milestone celebration.
Get Involved
If Andrew’s remarks and this milestone inspired you, here are straightforward ways to engage:
Volunteer with CCT Atlanta: Apply to join a future project team at cctatlanta.org/volunteerconsultant.
Partner with us: Explore ways to support or collaborate on the Support CCT page.
Make a donation: Contribute via Support CCT.
Explore more about who we are on About Us, catch recent updates on News & Updates, and see upcoming gatherings on Events.
