Giving for the Greater Good
Pepperdine University - Graziadio School of Business and Management - Graduate
This past year, Pepperdine University’s graduate chapter demonstrated a committed and creative approach to fundraising and supporting their local community by organizing events including a Casino Night, Halloween Costume Party, and Volleyball Tournament. Each of these events drew a large crowd and raised money for great organizations like the Boys & Girls Club, the Children’s Lifesaving Foundation, and the Special Olympics of Southern California. Way to go Pepperdine!
Impact Treks: Field Trips with A Focus
University of California, Berkeley - Haas School of Business - Graduate
Impact treks were a trending event idea in our network this year and the University of California, Berkeley’s graduate chapter organized an especially cool 2-day “Patagonia/Parks” impact trek. 16 of their chapter members traveled to Patagonia headquarters in Ventura, California where they engaged in a roundtable sustainability discussion with staff, and received surfing lessons afterwards from several of the staff members! The next day, they traveled to Santa Monica for a chat over coffee and a hike with the Parks Project, a clothing retailer which helps fund park-related conservation projects.
Spotlight on Social Impact
University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School of Business - Graduate
Attracting new members and keeping them engaged are two of the biggest challenges that chapters face every year. A great way to tackle these challenges is to organize a sustained engagement week or month. The University of Pennsylvania graduate chapter’s Social Impact Week, which included 7 speakers who shared their insights on a spectrum of topics from global leadership in social impact to democratizing Africa, 6 dinner conversations with faculty on impact topics, and a meal accompanied by a discussion with the chef of a sustainable restaurant is an excellent example!
Innovation through Education: Social Entrepreneurship
London Business School - Responsible Business Club - Graduate
Organizing programs and initiatives is a great way to develop chapter leadership skills and work towards achieving Gold status, and we were pleased to see so many original programs and initiatives this past year. London Business School’s graduate chapter blew us away by helping design a Social Entrepreneurship course for the Summer 2015 and Fall 2015 terms in conjunction with LBS' academic offices. The course, co-taught by LBS professors and practitioner partners, aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the dynamic field of social entrepreneurship.
First Year: Rising Star
Lagos, Nigeria - Professional
Many of you know how challenging and time-consuming it can be to start a chapter, and we want to recognize the professional chapter in Lagos, Nigeria for their incredible dedication and success over the past year. Since their chapter launched in August 2014, they have grown to 18 members and have already organized 6 events, including an Impact at Work program and a pro-bono consulting program through which they have already put in 112 hours of work!
Going for Gold
Temple University - Undergraduate
The Chapters Team wants to congratulate Temple University’s undergraduate chapter for their incredible development over the past year. They have experienced unbelievable growth throughout 2014, organizing 22 events, 2 programs, 4 collaborations, hosting their annual Fair Foods Conference, and achieving Gold chapter status! Keep up the great work!
Thinking Outside the Box: Exceptional Events
University of Virginia - Undergraduate
Creativity is a valued trait in the sustainability field and we want to highlight the University of Virginia’s undergraduate chapter for running a slew of original events this past year. They hosted an Environmental Art Activism Festival, which began with a solar hot air balloon launch and included musical performances, gallery openings, and the unveiling of a phenological clock! Their Improv for Interviews workshop used the principles and practices of improvisational theater to prepare attendees for future job interviews. Finally, the sustainable cooking class they organized taught attendees how to make delicious vegetarian food with sustainable ingredients.
Student Conference Pioneers: Doing Good To Do Well
IESE Business School - Graduate
IESE Business School’s graduate chapter accomplished a great feat this past year by organizing and running their annual Doing Good To Do Well Conference. Since its inception in 2001, this 2-day event has grown to become the largest student-run conference in Europe. The 2015 conference, which hosted over 500 attendees, included speakers from Patagonia, BMW, IBM, and ExxonMobil who sparked discussions on the responsibility businesses had to society and to their stakeholders.
Inspiring Engagement: Membership
New York University - Stern School of Business - Undergraduate
High membership retention is an essential component of running a successful chapter, and New York University's undergraduate chapter created an innovative way to achieve this through their Net Impact Membership Program. The program allowed chapter members to collect points for every speaker series, workshop, or mentorship event they attended. Gold members (members who collect 10 points) were invited to an end-of-the-year alumni dinner, where they had the opportunity to connect with Net Impact alumni and discuss social impact work. Additionally, this program recognized the most interested and involved members, putting them at an advantage for securing future leadership positions.
