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 "Jon has brought his private sector consulting skills and his deep appreciation of strategy to focus on complex development issues concerning providing housing and financial services for emerging populations."
Stewart Paperin, Executive VP The Open Society Institute is one of the world's leading private foundations. Founded by investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993, it is at the center of an informal network of foundations and organizations active in more than 50 countries worldwide. OSI develops and implements a range of programs in civil society.
I have completed two assignments for OSI. The first was with Nurcha, a South African non-profit that finances the building of homes for low-income families. Working together, we identified the market obstacles and needs so that Nurcha can deliver its services sustainable. The second assignment is helping to articulate OSI's strategy for micro-finance.  "Jon Huggett spent an intensive month at Nurcha, understanding the housing environment and our business. The output is a useful document charting the forward in terms of achieving sustainability while remaining on mission. This will form the basis of our strategic planning and fundraising activities.
We have a much better understanding of the economics of our work, and our ability to conduct this kind of analysis has been greatly heightened." Cedric de Beer, CEO Nurcha is a South African non-profit that finances the building of homes for low-income families. Over 100,000 homes have been built with Nurcha help. It has mobilised by $100,000,000 of private capital by working in partnership with commercial banks, the government and donors such as the Open Society Institute in New York.
Chief Executive Cedric de Beer needed to identify the future impediments to the delivery of homes to low-income South Africans, and how Nurcha could grow sustainably. With the support of the Open Society Institute, we identified different segments of the market faced different obstacles, so we could craft Nurcha's priorities accordingly. Analysis also showed how Nurcha can best design and deliver its services sustainably, and which new skills it should develop. Nurcha can now deliver more homes to poor South Africans with a clear focus for action supported by its key investor.  "Jon was exceptional at guiding and focusing our group in order to work through some very difficult issues and challenging group dynamics."
Linda Smith, Board Chair The Board of Choice Humanitarian needed help to address both short term needs, such as leadership and finances, and longer-term strategic questions.
John Beck of North Star Leadership Group and I worked with the Board to help identify options. We visited villages in Guanajuato, Mexico where Choice Humanitarian acts, and then worked with the Board of Directors to develop an action plan to address each of their issues.  The STOP AIDS Project was one of the world's first community based organization dedicated to stopping the transmission of HIV. Founded in San Francisco in 1984 it pioneered many of the approaches, such as working with peers, that have been successful in slowing transmission and have been copied all over the world. I volunteered as a street outreach educator, strategic planner and board member, including serving two years as Board President.
 What I learned teaching business behind bars. It all started for me when I saw a presentation by Khulisa, a nonprofit in South Africa doing re-habilitation programs for prisoners. In Johannesburg I volunteered for Khulisa to teach a class in Leeuwkop Prison on planning for a business.
 Guest lecturer in strategy at American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird).
I led an effort in the UK to raise funds for anti-retroviral drugs for people with AIDS in the care of Samraksha.
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