Since 2006, nearly 300 full-time and part-time MBA students and undergraduates have assisted over 80 nonprofits by participating in the Grassroots.org Social Venture Consulting Program.
Through a partnership between the Center For Social Value Creation at the Smith School of Business of the University of Maryland and Grassroots.org, students engage with selected nonprofits to provide MBA and undergraduate students with practical consulting experience and an opportunity to give back to their community. Projects are designed for 60-80 hours over 3 months to address specific issues—whether financial, marketing, operational, organizational or strategic—and to develop the necessary steps to solve the problems and improve the business. Starting in the Fall of 2011, the Program has undergone a substantial expansion. The more universities we can support in administering programs like these, the more organizations we can help and the more social impact we can have. Our goal is to continue to expand, leverage Grassroots.org’s relationship with thousands of 501(c)3 organizations, and standardize the existence of programs like this for schools across the country. ChangeTheWorld was featured at the 2012 Net Impact Conference in Baltimore as a potential resource for students and universities who are seeking non profit consulting projects.
