Submit Proposal

campusCATALYST is now accepting proposals for the Fall 2010. If your nonprofit is interested in hosting a campusCATALYST team, please complete an online application and submit by May 8, 2010.
Submit Proposal Here

Our Services

campusCATALYST provides small to medium-sized nonprofits with pro-bono consulting for a period of 10 weeks. The engagements are generally aligned with the academic calendar and begin in September, January and March of each year. Proposals are generally due in May, November and February respectfully.

Each Community Analyst team is comprised of 5 undergraduate student leaders, supported by a MBA mentor and an academic professor. All Community Analysts have been selected through a rigorous application process and take a for-credit class on non-profit management and the social sector where client satisfaction and project performance is a large part of the grade.

campusCATALYST focuses on 5 issue areas and 3 practice areas, with the ultimate goal of helping nonprofits achieve organizational sustainability and community collaboration.

To accomplish one of our goals of creating a more coherent social service network campusCATALYST will focus on five issue areas. Through strategic selection of local nonprofits with overlapping client demographics, campusCATALYST teams will address not only tactical operations, marketing, communications and development, but will focus on partnership building in an effort to transform the complex web of nonprofits into a more seamless social service safety net.

Issue & Practice Areas

Issue Areas

With an innovative and strategic portfolio approach to impact, campusCATALYST focuses on five crucial issue areas

1. Youth & Education
2. Employment
3. Housing
4. Health
5. Arts & Culture

From job training programs to affordable healthcare to activities that keep children engaged after school, this approach recognizes that addressing the root poverty-related issues requires a strategic and comprehensive approach that provides critical support and promotes community collaboration.

Practice Areas

campusCATALYST teams, supported by their academic and professional advisors, will provide service in three key areas:

1. Tactical Operations, focused on building capacity and strengthening infrastructure.

• Strategy & Planning, Program Evaluation, Organizational Development

2. Partnership Building, in an effort to promote collaboration and create a more approachable social service safety net

• Strategic Alliances/ Partnerships & Mergers

3. Marketing, Communications and Development

• Marketing, Online Media and Web Strategies

Client Requirements

• Executive leadership must be supportive of project idea and direction
• Attend weekly meetings on time and participate fully in brainstorming
• Provide Community Analysts with all necessary information about the organization
• Inform appropriate staff within the organization about the project and its progress, particularly the leadership; if the Executive Director is not the primary contact, he/she should attend the presentations during Weeks 4, 8 and 11
• Communicate openly and promptly with Community Analysts
• Provide thoughtful feedback and direction

Submit Proposal

If your nonprofit is interested in hosting a campusCATALYST team, please complete an online application.
Submit Proposal Here

Case Studies

The Talking Farm, a small but active nonprofit in the Evanston/Skokie area, is an organization aiming to promote healthy, organic, and locally-grown food within the community through education, job creation, and ultimately, the production of organic foods grown in-house on their local farm. The cC team was commissioned to brainstorm a way to measure the impact of The Talking Farm on community beyond simply compiling anecdotal feedback.

Click here to read the full Case Study

FAQs

What are some examples of your previous projects?

Below are a few of the projects we have worked on. Check out some our case studies and testimonials to understand fully the type of work we do.

• Delivered strategies to implement fundraising and marketing plan for academic program for at-risk students
• Developed cost requirements for organization through a comprehensive business plan
• Designed leadership and team-building curriculum for high school students that promotes focus on wellness issues
• Designed product line to increase revenue in order to help the organization reach independent financial sustainability
• Drafted sustainability business plan to solicit donor funds
• Developed metrics systems for the organization’s various programs to determine outcomes as measured against the new mission statement
• Standardized marketing methods and internal communications in order to help achieve a more consistent perception from the community and donors

When do I apply?

The Community Analyst program is a quarterly program at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

Spring Quarter 2010 Deadline: February 13^th, 2010

Engagement: March 29^th – June 14^th, 2010

Fall Quarter 2010 Deadline: May 8^th, 2010

Engagement: September 20^th – December 13^th, 2010

How much time do I need to commit weekly?

campusCATALYST asks that students entering the program set aside a substantial amount of time to work on the project (6-10 hours/week each or about 30-50 hours/week as a team).

campusCATALYST also asks that a contact person at the nonprofit organization commit to a one-hour meeting each week with their undergraduate team on or near campus. This meeting time can be flexible, though, in order to accommodate busy schedules. This meeting provides the team with a chance to update the client on the project’s weekly progress as well as ask and answer questions. The team may also communicate with the contact person and other members of the organization as needed throughout the week (e.g. emails to gather information, etc.).

Would the students be doing any of the work in our offices, or would it be mostly outside?

campusCATALYST asks each team to visit their organization in-person at the beginning of the project in order to learn more about its culture and mission. For the remainder of the project, however, the team will do the bulk of their work remotely, making site visits when needed (e.g. to conduct staff interviews).