Rustandy Center Offers COVID-19 Volunteer Opportunities

During times of uncertainty, we tend to turn to our communities for help.

At the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, we’re also adapting and working to find the best way forward during this COVID-19 crisis. As the social impact hub at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the Rustandy Center remains committed to helping our community members solve complex social and environmental problems.

In that spirit, we’ve developed new offerings in response to the COVID-19 crisis: 

If you’re a Booth student …

To support nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and social enterprises who are facing unexpected challenges due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Rustandy Center is launching Booth COVID-19 Volunteers, a new volunteer program to connect students interested in offering their time and talents to organizations in need. Learn more and apply. 

Questions? Contact Wai-Sinn Chan at wai-sinn.chan@chicagobooth.edu.

If you’re a nonprofit …

We understand that many of Chicago’s nonprofits, government agencies, and social enterprises are responding to extreme challenges and providing services for an expanded range of needs. In order to help organizations continue to deliver vital services to the people most-impacted by this crisis, we are accepting nonprofit applications for support.

Volunteer opportunities should fill a need directly created by the COVID-19 crisis, be temporary and project-based, and leverage Booth students’ professional and academic expertise. Learn more and apply.

Questions? Contact Wai-Sinn Chan at wai-sinn.chan@chicagobooth.edu.

If you’re a small business …

We know that local small businesses are also experiencing significant challenges during this time. Given its deep experience within the entrepreneurial sector, the university’s Polsky Center will run a similar program to provide small business support. You’ll find a list of resources for small businesses here. If you know of relevant opportunities for this program, please reach out to the Polsky Center’s E.J. Reedy at ereedy0@chicagobooth.edu.

The Polsky Center is also hosting a new Small Business Bootcamp series the week of April 13. 

For the latest COVID-19 health information and related University of Chicago campus announcements, visit https://coronavirusupdates.uchicago.edu.

At the Rustandy Center, we’ve also adapted our existing spring programming to help you achieve your social impact goals, so keep an eye out for virtual events featuring leaders in philanthropy, sustainability, healthcare, social entrepreneurship and other fields. 

If you have any other questions about how the Rustandy Center can help, please email Rustandy.Center@chicagobooth.edu and we’ll connect you with the right person.

Caroline Grossman, ’03, is the senior director of programs and global initiatives at the Rustandy Center, Chicago Booth’s destination for people committed to tackling complex social and environmental problems. She’s also an adjunct professor of strategy at Chicago Booth.