campusCATALYST to Launch Third Year

campusCATALYST to Launch Third Year of High-Impact, Community Consulting Program

Chicago, IL, September 19 – Two years ago, campusCATALYST embarked on a two-fold mission to build the capacity of local nonprofits and cultivate a commitment to civic engagement among students of all backgrounds and ambitions.
Today, that mission has blossomed into a full-fledged program that brings together undergraduates, MBA students, and community nonprofits to “change the world smarter.” campusCATALYST trains students and matches them with nonprofits to collaborate on ten-week consulting engagements with topics ranging from marketing strategy to volunteer recruitment to board development. With 2 years under their belt and fully operational programs at both Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, campusCATALYST hopes to expand their reach and deepen their impact over this coming year.

This year, campusCATALYST will engage 150 talented, passionate college students in quarterly, for-credit classes. Professors, guest speakers and MBA mentors provide instruction on topics such as financing nonprofits, performance measurement, and cross-sectoral leadership. In turn, student teams of five, supervised by business school students, put their problem-solving skills to work through pro-bono consulting engagements with nonprofits in the surrounding community.

For 2009-2010, campusCATALYST will partner with 30 local nonprofits. “We are thrilled to work with new nonprofit clients and build upon past relationships,” says Board Member Molly Day. “This year we are striving to engage our students and nonprofit partners in a joint effort to not only build internal capacity, but also a stronger, more cohesive social service network in the Chicago area.”