Social Impact Consulting Projects
As the hub for social impact, we bridge the gap between Booth students and alumni looking for hands-on learning in the social sector and nonprofits seeking pro bono expertise to solve strategic problems and guide decision-making.
Through these social impact consulting opportunities, the center helps mission-driven organizations fulfill their potential.
Consulting Opportunities for Nonprofits
Connect with Booth faculty, students, or alumni to get access to thought leadership in the social sector. The programs outlined below include consulting as a component.
Booth Social Impact Lab Courses
In Booth lab courses, MBA students work with nonprofits and other organizations to address specific social or environmental problems. Guided by faculty experts, students develop solutions and present their insights. We facilitate the following lab course focused on social impact:
Net Impact Board Fellows
This program matches Chicago Booth students with nonprofit organizations to serve as nonvoting members on their boards of directors. Board Fellows also perform a strategic consulting project of the nonprofit’s choosing.
Learn More about Net Impact Board Fellows
Booth Social Impact (BSI) Student Group
This student group connects Chicago nonprofits with teams of Booth students for pro bono consulting services. Each student team is paired with a professional consultant who provides guidance and industry best practices. Together, these emerging leaders help participating organizations tackle strategic issues, identify growth strategies, and overcome business challenges.
Booth Alumni Nonprofit Consultants (BANC)
BANC supports Chicago-based nonprofits with pro bono strategy, planning, and advisory services delivered by Booth alumni with diverse experience across industries and functions. By tapping into Booth alumni skills and expertise, nonprofits see a measurable impact in their ability to advance their objectives.
campusCATALYST
Each quarter, campusCATALYST recruits 25 undergraduates and 5 MBA mentors to conduct a 9-week consulting project with 5 local nonprofits. Student teams work on a 9-week consulting project to address nonprofit needs in operations, marketing or strategic partnerships.
Learn More about campusCATALYST
Polsky Center’s Small Business Growth Program
Offered by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Small Business Growth program pairs small teams of highly-skilled University of Chicago students with local small businesses, helping them address key business challenges and determine new strategies for business growth.
Learn More about the Small Business Growth Program
“When you’re on the inside, it’s hard to see your organization’s challenges clearly—or the solutions. Our [student] team from the lab course helped us find the confidence to make bold decisions that balanced building quality programs with long-term scale and growth.”
—Kristina Lowenstein, Honeycomb cofounder and executive director
Get Involved
We invite you to partner with us as a sponsor or client in one of our social impact lab courses. Please note there are a limited number of opportunities each year. For more information, visit Social Impact Courses and then contact Wai-Sinn Chan if you have further questions.
Stories from Our Community
Booth students offer pro bono support to Chicago nonprofits
The Net Impact Board Fellows Program matches MBA students with nonprofit organizations to serve as nonvoting members of their boards of directors.
Booth students offer pro bono support to Chicago nonprofits
The Honeycomb Project
The Net Impact Board Fellows work with the Honeycomb Project, a nonprofit that hosts hands-on volunteer opportunities to help families learn about and address social challenges facing Chicago.
The Honeycomb Project
Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School
Booth Social Impact (BSI), works with Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School to maximize students’ preparedness for work-study opportunities.
Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School
