MGT 303: Managing Projects and Teams – Team 1 Field Project

Lincoln Park Community Services x Maison Parisienne

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Natalia, Mandy, Kara, Alaina, and Kira

Brief description of the project  

Our team partnered with Maison Parisienne, a French café in Lincoln Park, to host a fundraising event supporting Lincoln Park Community Services (LPCS). Leveraging a team member’s connection to the café, we organized a two-day in-person fundraiser offering tiered donation incentive. Between May 6th and June 1st, Maison also conducted a passive fundraiser through their “round-up” option at checkout. All donations went directly to LPCS, with Maison generously covering the cost of our items handed out during in-person tabling: coffee, cookies, and the raffle prize. Through tabling efforts, online giving, and passive fundraising, we raised a total of $1,331. The campaign was promoted through social media, campus outreach, and LPCS’s own channels, successfully raising both funds and awareness for LPCS’s mission. 

 

Brief description of the charity  

Lincoln Park Community Services is a year-round, multi-site organization that has supported adults experiencing homelessness since 1985. With two main locations at 600 W. Fullerton and 1521 N. Sedgwick, LPCS provides shelter for over 120 individuals each night. Their comprehensive services include three daily meals, educational programming focused on literacy, and permanent supportive housing throughout Chicago—from Austin to Rogers Park to South Shore. One of the reasons we chose LPCS is because they are dedicated to empowering individuals and helping individuals achieve long-term stability. 

Factual analysis of success in terms of project objectives  

Our project set out to raise funds and increase awareness for Lincoln Park Community Services (LPCS) and their impact on the local community. By hosting the event in the heart of Lincoln Park, we were able to reach new audiences, many of whom were unfamiliar with LPCS and became interested upon learning that it directly benefits their neighborhood. This local connection sparked meaningful conversations and increased engagement, even among those who did not donate. We distributed flyers, shared LPCS’s mission, and promoted the event through multiple channels to ensure visibility.   

In terms of measurable outcomes, we successfully exceeded our goals. Our fundraising target was $1,200, with a best-case projection of $1,500. We raised a total of $1,331, surpassing our original goal. Beyond the financial success, we achieved significant outreach, raising awareness about LPCS through direct interactions, tabling, and social media. Overall, the event effectively fulfilled both our fundraising and awareness objectives, creating a meaningful impact for LPCS. 

Lessons learned about managing projects  

1. Clear communication is key, having regular updates between the team members, but also between the organization and any other outside contacts. Our first order of business when starting this project was establishing solid modes of communication. Between our team members, texting in a group chat was the most convenient, whereas with Maison Parisienne, our team member Alaina was able to communicate directly with her manager or talk with the team in person on shift. As for LPCS, we reached out to one of the directors from their website and we were then able to get in contact with someone via email whose focus was on helping fundraise and spread awareness of our event. 

1. Double-check logistics and make sure everything is set and ready. Our banner was too big to place in front of the table, which could have been problematic. Yet, it worked out better for us because we were able to gain more visibility with it on the window behind us. This ties in to being flexible and adaptable, even if something doesn’t go as planned. 

 

Advice for future teams doing similar projects  

• If your project goal is to get the most amount of donations possible, consider multiple days of tabling or conducting the event vastly helped improve our turnout. We found more people approaching the table during slower hours when there were fewer crowds. Having both Friday and Saturday greatly benefited our monetary outcome as well as implementing the Toast round-up system for 4 weeks, so we started generating passive income from the get-go. 

• If you are fundraising, try to see if the non-profit can help create a donation site. We noticed that GoFundMe profits from various fees, so it is way more effective to have a private link where the funds go directly to the non-profit. We were lucky because the LPCS already had one, but it may also be possible to create one. Since we had no expenses, we were also able to say “all proceeds go directly to LPCS” which appealed to everyone. 

Photos of Project

Flyer for Event

Team on days of event

Table set up during event

Raffle Prize and Winner

       

Huge thank you to Maison Parisienne, LPCS, and Prof. Cook for making this project such a success!

-Team 1

Learn more about Lincoln Park Community Services and how you can get involved here: https://www.lpcschicago.org/

 

Description of the project

Our team worked with the Elizabeth Ann Seton Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen to raise money and collect nonperishable and monetary donations through a tabling event on the first floor of DePaul’s Lincoln Park Student Center! Leading up to the tabling event, which was held on June 3^rd, 2025, we created flyers, posted them around campus, created social media posts, shared them with the DePaul community, and gave short-and-sweet speeches during our other classes. Beyond collecting donations, we also prioritized community engagement during our tabling event to encourage the DePaul community to provide future investment, interest, and service to the Seton Pantry, as well as spread awareness about food insecurity in Lincoln Park and the greater Chicagoland area. After our tabling event, we inspected donated nonperishables for their quality, presentability, and if they met the requirements for donations provided to us by the Seton Pantry. After sorting through the goods, we measured the amount of nonperishables and money donated through cash and online via the QR code that the Pantry provided. Finally, our team members delivered all proceeds and donations to the Seton pantry.

Description of the charity

The Seton Food Pantry has been in continuous operation since 1980. The Pantry is an independently run and financed, non-sectarian, and inter-faith program affiliated with St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Parish in Chicago. The Seton Food Pantry proudly serves the general public and provides social services on a non-discriminatory basis. These services include regular social worker drop-in services, serving over 250 meals every week throughout the year, and offering hygiene kits & food for families needing supplemental assistance.

Factual analysis of success

Our team projected three possibilities for our project objectives and outcomes. Throughout the project, we used several KPIs, including collection amounts for the donation and individual community engagements. In advance of our tabling event, we predicted three general outcomes for our fundraiser: best-case, likely case, and lower yield scenarios. Our best-case would have been 500+ individual items collected, our likely case was 250 individual items collected, and our lower yield scenario was 100 individual items collected. Our team ended up collecting 41 packages, many of which contained smaller individual items, amounting to an estimated 90 individual items collected. We also collected around $150+ during our collection period, which started before our tabling event. Although we collected the low-yield scenario, we had over 50 community interactions at our event, and we are still very pleased with the amazing support and donations we received from the DePaul community!

Lessons learned about managing projects

Our team went through a major pivot in our project and its objectives two weeks into the quarter, evolving from our original plan of a bowling project to our amazing fundraiser for the Seton Pantry. This left us with less valuable time to develop our project and created several roadblocks we had to navigate. We learned that team success won’t work without having a structured plan; that having contingency plans and determining our critical path is necessary for the timely completion of projects, and that work breakdown structures should strike a balance between well-structured and flexible for when unexpected obstacles pop up along the way!

Advice for future teams doing similar projects

As a team that went through changes and many unexpected situations, we advise any future teams to follow their project responsibility matrices closely, create a Gantt chart early on, make regular in-person communication and meetings if possible, and start their project the very first day it is assigned.

1. Project Description: Bingo Night With a Purpose

We organized a Bingo Night event on June 3rd, 2025 from 6pm to 7:30om, at DePaul University’s Schmitt Academic Center. The event served a twofold purpose: generating funds for Catholic Charities USA and generating awareness of career opportunities in skilled trades among the underrepresented and lower-income population. The activity was kept simple, interactive, and mission-focused. We charged $5 per ticket, provided unlimited rounds of bingo, and provided prizes ranging from pasta and cooking baskets to gift cards, beauty kits, and more. The idea was to have a social, low-key environment where students could raise money for a good cause and have fun. We had plenty of feedback from attendees which was overwhelmingly positive with many expressing appreciation for the charity we decided on. The proceeds from the event were donated in full to Catholic Charities USA in order to help further their mission to serve vulnerable populations across the country. 

 

2. Information about the Charity: Catholic Charities USA

Our beneficiary, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), is a 501(c)(3) charity that has been a pillar of American social support since its establishment in 1910. CCUSA offers food aid, housing, and disaster assistance nationwide. More significantly for our project’s topic, the organization also addresses vocational readiness, collaborating with local agencies to enable people to gain access to trade schools, apprenticeships, and career progression opportunities. In so many ways, the poverty-stricken neighborhoods where college just isn’t in the cards financially, the opportunities provided by programs such as these give a life-changing opportunity at stability and success. Much of CCUSA’s success comes from its thousands of dedicated volunteers who assist with distribution, resume building workshops and more which makes it a true community-powered organization.

 

Website: catholiccharitiesusa.org

Donation Link: https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/ways-to-give/give-now/

Phone Number: (703) 549‑1390

 

3. Measuring Success: Objectives vs. Outcomes

The goals that were established were relatively straightforward:

• Raise donations of $500
• Host 60 guests
• Raise awareness of trade careers and CCUSA’s mission

 

We drew a total of $230 and hosted 16 guests, and while the numbers fell short of our better hopes, the evening was still a success. Students were engaged actively, and the revenues went directly to a well-known charity. More importantly, guests left with an improved understanding of the reason for the night. Guests questioned, participated willingly, and appreciated the effort and cause. Our staff arranged the event seamlessly, and we were solution-driven when immediate decisions needed to be made, such as repairing a last-minute room change and accepting unforeseen payment mediums like PayPal.

 

4. Project Management Lessons

Planning the event gave us direct experience of managing a project from beginning to end. We encountered both expected task and unexpected issues that taught us several key lessons in project management. Important lessons were brought out:

 

• Start Promotion Early and Use Multiple Channels: We learned the hard way that flyers and word-of-mouth are not enough. Teams should in future events use emails, social media, and class announcements to reach more people. Overall, we should have looked more into partnering with student organizations in order to boost awareness. We also should have given ourselves at least 3 weeks of promotion and given out weekly if n0ot daily reminders. 

• Clarify the Message: Some students who learned about Bingo Night were uncertain whom the fundraiser was supporting. Messaging is crucial. Upcoming teams can be louder and more consistent in clarifying the cause so participants appreciate the impact of their contribution. This highlights how even small communication gaps can weaken a campaign’s impact. 

• Stay Flexible and Responsive: Challenges like a sudden venue change or limited payment options, if unaddressed, could have derailed the event. What made the difference for us is staying calm and thinking on our feet to keep things running, since flexibility is essential when managing real-time logistics. Thirty minutes before the event our assigned room was changed from 160 to 161 and we had to redirect people quickly and assign someone outside the door. We learned that a strong contingency plan such as having a backup payment plan and extra flyers to place in front of the new room can make or break an event when things don’t go as planned.

 

5. Advice for Future Teams

In regards to advice for future project teams, here is what we learned:

• Choose a format you can manage efficiently. Bingo Night worked because it was simple, scalable, and fun. Choose an event format that fits your availability and budget so that you can focus on making it meaningful.
• Choose the right partner. Catholic Charities USA was communicative, collaborative, and like-minded. Having a mature, mission-driven organization brought credibility to our effort.
• Communicate and work together on a constant basis. Our crew made it through because everybody pulled their own weight and stayed current. Provide clear assignments, use shared tools, and check in regularly to make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

 

In the end, Bingo Night was more than a game night. It was a student-led initiative to raise consciousness, benefit a reputable charity, and remind our campus community that there are ways to help create careers for those in need. With appropriate support, those avenues can develop long-lasting, impactful change. Through this event we were able to spotlight the mission of Catholic Charities USA and highlight the importance of creating opportunities for individuals who lack access to traditional educational paths. 

Project Description

Our team organized a one-day fundraising and awareness event at DePaul University’s Loop Campus on June 2nd to support Connections for Abused Women and Their Children (CAWC), a Chicago-based nonprofit aiding survivors of domestic violence. The event centered around a donation booth where participants could contribute for a chance to win a raffle prize. To further engage attendees, we designed an interactive trivia game with questions about domestic violence. Participants who answered 4 out of 5 correctly earned a bonus entry into the raffle.
We also distributed informational pamphlets and displayed QR codes linking directly to CAWC’s donation portal and resource pages, including their 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter details, and counseling services. Promotional efforts included flyers across campus, social media posts, and personal outreach to maximize participation. The event was structured to educate the DePaul community while raising funds for CAWC’s critical programs.

 

Charity Description

Connections for Abused Women and Their Children (CAWC) is a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to helping survivors of domestic violence find safety, healing, and independence. At the core of their services is Greenhouse Shelter, Chicago’s first domestic violence shelter, which provides 24/7 refuge for women and children. When the shelter reaches capacity, its Emergency Hotel Shelter Program ensures no one is turned away, offering temporary housing with full access to support services. Immediate help is always available through their 24-hour hotline (773-278-4566), where trained advocates provide crisis intervention and safety planning.

Beyond emergency shelter, CAWC offers a full spectrum of support to help survivors rebuild their lives. This includes individual and group counseling for adults and children, specialized life skills training, and comprehensive legal advocacy, from help with protection orders to immigration support for undocumented survivors. Their innovative programs extend into hospitals through the Hospital Crisis Intervention Project, bringing crisis services directly to patients, while their Humboldt Park Outreach Program ensures culturally responsive care for Latino communities. With plans for a new Transitional Housing Initiative, CAWC continues to expand its commitment to providing not just immediate safety, but long-term stability for survivors and their families.

 

Factual Analysis of Success

The project successfully met its core objectives of raising awareness about domestic violence and supporting Connections for Abused Women and their Children (CAWC). We distributed all of our 300 informational pamphlets halfway through the event, which helped educate attendees about the signs of abuse, available resources, and ways to support survivors. We collected over $200 in donations, which met our expectations given the scale and timeframe of the event. The overall turnout and engagement of around 100 students showed that our messaging resonated with the community. Participants asked thoughtful questions, took materials home, and expressed support for the cause.

Pamphlets:

Best Case: 300 informational pamphlets

Most Likely: 200 informational pamphlets

Worst Case: Less than 100 informational pamphlets

 

Donations:

Best Case: $ 400

Most Likely: $ 200

Worst Case: $ 100 or less

 

Engagement:
Best Case: 100 or more visit the table

Most Likely: 60 students visit the table

Worst Case: 40 or fewer students visit the table

 

Lessons Learned

This project taught us that communication can make or break a team’s effectiveness. We learned the hard way that vague roles and sporadic updates create chaos, like when we wasted time duplicating work or missed key details with a DePaul admin. But when we started assigning clear responsibilities, setting hard deadlines, and checking in daily, everything clicked. The biggest lesson? Proactive communication isn’t optional. Whether it was dividing tasks for event prep or troubleshooting last-minute issues, we saw how staying in sync transformed stress into teamwork.

While fundraising was our initial goal, we quickly realized that awareness-building had its own profound impact. Early on, attracting student engagement was difficult until we revamped our approach, like offering free informational materials with small incentives, which sparked conversations. We saw firsthand that educating peers about domestic violence resources (like CAWC’s hotline) often led to deeper engagement than donations alone. The #EndDomesticViolence hashtag and QR codes helped amplify this. By pivoting to prioritize education, we learned that awareness doesn’t just support immediate needs; it fosters long-term community involvement and advocacy, which is equally critical to the cause.

 

Advice for Future Teams

If you’re embarking on a project like this, one of the most important things to prioritize is communication. Make it a habit to communicate frequently and respectfully. Keep each other updated, not just on progress, but also on challenges or ideas. Transparent communication builds trust and prevents misunderstandings before they become problems.

Time management is equally crucial. Start early. Don’t wait until the deadline is looming to begin significant portions of your work. Instead, plan and break the project down into manageable tasks. Assign realistic deadlines to each one, and aim to complete them a little earlier than needed. This buffer will give you space to refine your work or handle any surprises that come up.

Structure your workflow. Having a periodic and organized timeline, such as using a weekly or bi-weekly task schedule, will help keep the project on track. When each person knows what’s expected and by when, the entire team functions more efficiently.

Support your teammates. If someone is struggling, step in and offer help. Projects like this are team efforts, and your collective success depends on how well you collaborate and support each other.

Hold regular check-ins. Weekly meetings, whether in-person or virtual, help you track progress, resolve issues, and make decisions collaboratively. It also gives everyone a consistent space to be heard and feel involved.

Lastly, and just as importantly, enjoy the process. This project is not just about the final result, but about everything you learn and experience along the way. When you approach it with curiosity, enthusiasm, and mutual respect, your work and your time together will be not only productive but genuinely rewarding.

About Our Project
Our team was focused on raising funds for PAWS Chicago through in-person events and a digital donation link. Our events were titled “Dine & Rescue for PAWS Chicago” and we hosted two events, one in collaboration with Lou Malnati’s in Lincoln Park and the other in collaboration with Cody’s Public House in Lakeview.

Wednesday, May 21st – Lou Malnati’s Lincoln Park: We hosted an all-day fundraiser (11 am to 11 pm) with Lou Malnati’s which was set up through GroupRaise and provided us with 20% of the pre-tax purchase amounts. Participants for this fundraiser could dine-in, take-out, or order delivery, either mentioning that it was for PAWS Chicago or by using our designated promo code. This event did not require group member attendance throughout the event which made it more accessible for our group.

Saturday, May 31st – Cody’s Public House Lakeview: We hosted a 3 hour raffle event at Cody’s Public House in which participants could purchase raffle tickets, starting at $2/ticket (with the ability to be as low as $1/ticket if they purchased 20 or more). Prior to the event, we worked to secure sponsorships and donations, which allowed us to raffle off 8 baskets at our in-person event. As the event was at a sports bar, we did have to limit participation to those 21 years of age and older.

Prior to our events, we hosted 3 promotional tablings on the 11th floor of the DePaul Center. We also posted a total of 60 flyers around the Lincoln Park and Loop Campuses to promote the event and we reached out to family & friends to attend our events or donate directly.

About the Charity
PAWS Chicago is one of the largest comprehensive No Kill animal welfare organizations in the nation, building programs to end the killing of homeless pets. More than 24,000 homeless and at-risk cats and dogs pass through PAWS Chicago’s Medical Center each year. PAWS is known for healing and rehabilitating around 4,500 sick, injured, and homeless cats and dogs annually, and finding them loving families through its adoption program. PAWS Chicago also operates the city’s only high-volume spay/neuter clinic, providing more than 17,000 low-or no-cost spay/neuter surgeries each year, reducing pet overpopulation at its source. Their website is: http://www.pawschicago.org Their phone number is: 773-935-7297 Their location is: 1997 North Clybourn Ave. Chicago IL 60614

Analyzing Success
We focused on 5 project success measures as success can not be accurately measured if you are only examining one metric. A description of our project success measures, goals, and actual results are shown below.

Tabling and Raising Awareness – Contact Information Received
Goal: Contact information from 10-30 people
Actual: Contact information from 41 people (exceeded goal)
Lou Malnati’s Event – Funds Raised
Goal: $75-150
Actual: $66.20 (short of goal)
Cody’s Public House Event – Participants
Goal: 15-40 people
Actual: approximately 30 people (met goal)
Cody’s Public House Event – Funds Raised
Goal: $50-100
Actual: $296 (exceeded goal)
Direct Donation Link – Funds Raised
Goal: $100-300
Actual: $367 (exceeded goal)

Overall, we felt that we were very successful in our project, we initially were aiming to raise a total of $450 for PAWS Chicago and raised a total of $729.20. Additionally, we exceeded our goals for 3 of the 5 project success measures, met our goal for 1 of them, and only were short of our goal for 1 project success measure.

Lessons Learned
We learned a lot from this experience and had three primary takeaways.
1) Communication & trust are crucial: we were as successful as we were because we communicated often and trusted that all of the group members cared about the project and would complete their assigned tasks. This is not to say that we didn’t have accountability measures in place, we did, but we always went into team meetings with the assumption that our group members would have done what they said they would, which allowed for more positive and productive conversations.
2) Success is proportional to input: we all cared very much about our project and put a lot of work and effort into the project which directly related to our output and success on the project. Without the level of dedication we had, we would not have raised as much money as we did.
3) Goal setting provides motivation and a sense of achievement: by setting goals as a group and as an individual you are able to compare your progress to the goals and provide motivation to get the work done. Additionally, by having goals set, you are able to more accurately reflect on the project and feel accomplished about everything you have achieved, especially if you exceed your goals.

Advice for Future Teams
Our advice to future teams is to choose a group that you feel you can be successful with, not just a group of friends. Our group did not know everyone before starting but we quickly learned the strengths and areas of expertise for each member. Additionally, we would highly encourage that you listen to one another and always maintain an atmosphere of respect. We ensured that this was done in our group by checking in with group members regarding how they were feeling about the project at every step in the process, even before we picked a project focus. This allowed members to feel that their feelings were valid and concerns were addressed. Furthermore, this allowed us to have a more ambitious scope without suffering from scope creep as we made sure all of our plans were reasonable and achievable for everyone in the group, and it allowed all group members to be heard and involved in the decision making process.

Closing Thoughts from Our Group
“This project was unique in nature because it very clearly related to the real world and can apply to future jobs and experiences. I would recommend that groups take this project seriously and put in as much effort as they can so that they can learn from this experience in a more informal environment. This project really helped me grow as a team member and individual, specifically as it related to adaptability and handling rejection.” -NJ

“This project was a great opportunity to connect to local businesses, supporters, and donors. It has allowed me to be creative and challenge my skills one step further in project management. Partnering with PAWS Chicago has allowed me to understand their mission entirely and have more compassion for the homeless pets in Chicago. PAWS was my initial charity I wanted to focus on, and being able to execute a fundraiser for them has been an incredible opportunity. It has been an amazing time working with my team, building relationships and credibility. I hope to work with them again in the future. This project allowed us to thrive, and I am beyond grateful for the support we’ve gotten.” – IB

“These past 10 weeks have been an experience like no other class. This project with PAWS has allowed me to share responsibilities, listen actively, adapt to challenges and experience trust within my team members. I learned how to foster a deeper understanding of how to work cohesively toward a shared goal. Advice: check ins about how we feel about the work load Is important. It helped me be vulnerable with my team and allowed all of us to share what’s been going on outside of the classroom setting and still work together to get the project done” – AC

“After finishing the fundraiser, I honestly felt proud of everything that was accomplished. It didn’t feel like just another school assignment. It felt like we were doing something real, something that mattered. Working on a fundraiser for PAWS Chicago made it so much more meaningful, and it reminded me how fulfilling it is to put energy into something with purpose. It also showed me how powerful a good team can be. Everyone brought something special and the important part is that we all really clicked which doesn’t always happen. I learned a lot, not just about planning and executing a project, but about how I want to work with people in the future. This whole experience left me feeling inspired and honestly kind of hopeful about what’s next. It was great working hard on this project while supporting a great cause with great team members.” – BR

“This project truly pushed me to grow and learn, as I had never done anything like it before. It challenged me to step out of my comfort zone and apply the skills learned in class in a real world setting. I feel incredibly proud of what our team was able to accomplish. Partnering with PAWS Chicago not only gave me the opportunity to support a meaningful cause, but also helped me develop and refine my management skills in a hands-on, impactful way. It was inspiring to see how organization, communication, and leadership can come together to create something that benefits both the community and a nonprofit. One of the most rewarding moments was watching the community unite behind our cause and surpass our donation goal.” – DN

Brief Description:

We hosted a service event to make cards for people in need, through the organization Cardz for Kidz. Participants at this event wrote kind messages and decorated cards to be sent to people in need, including kids, the elderly, and military service members. We hosted our event on the Lincoln Park Campus at the Student Center to attract DePaul students to attend our event. We also accepted donations that went directly to the charity organization. 

Charity:

The charity organization we supported through our event was Cardz for Kidz. This organization was created by Ike Nwankwo, who has had a passion for helping sick and recovering pediatric patients. Nwankwo has personally experienced an illness where he had to stay in the hospital and realized how restricting it was to be stuck in his hospital room while sick.  He gathered people in his community to make handmade cards for patients at the hospital he volunteered at, then realized he wanted to expand the mission. Increased interest from those donating cards made the organization expand its delivery service to hospitalized and/or traumatized children. They now deliver cards to children around the world.  They are based near the West Loop in Chicago. Their website has guidelines for making cards along with instructions for planning a group event, packing cards, and mailing them.  They specify the types of cards they are especially in need of, which include non-seasonal children’s cards, military cards, Spanish cards, and cards for the elderly. 

Project Objectives & Results: 

Participants

Best Case: 175

Worst Case: 5 (our team members)

Most Likely: 70

Actual Results: 15

 

Cards Made

Best Case: 500

Worst Case: 5

Most Likely: 250-300

Actual Results: 100

 

Funds Raised

Best Case: $100

Worst Case: $0

Most Likely: $50-75

Actual Results: $255

 

Social Media Impressions 

Best Case: 1,000

Worst Case: 0

Most Likely: 675

Actual Results: ~1,200

Lessons Learned: 

From managing this project, we learned the importance of communicating with the organization you are supporting early on in the project, ordering supplies as soon as you know what you will need for the event, and establishing clear communication channels with all team members. These three lessons were critical to the success of our event and project. 

Advice for Future Groups: 

The advice we would give to future groups doing similar projects is to always allow more time to complete project activities than you think you will need. There were multiple instances where our activities took longer than anticipated, including getting flyers approved by the Office of Student Involvement and delivering/shipping our finished cards to the organization. Since we hosted our event earlier than needed, we had enough slack time for these activities that took longer than expected. 

Photos:

Brief Description

Our team was tasked with creating a fundraising event for a non-profit organization. We decided to collaborate with NAMI Chicago (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Our team held a tabling event on the 11^th floor of the Depaul Center from 11-3:00p.m. During this event, we provided individuals with information sheets packets on NAMI Chicago values and mission. As well as the services available at DePaul University for students. Provided to us by the Counseling & Psychological Services on the 14^th floor at the Lewis Center. We also gave away snacks to anyone who stopped by. Our team also had DePaul t-shirts at our table. While the snacks were given away for free, the t-shirts were only given to individuals who donated, regardless of the amount. Along with the DePaul shirts, our team gave away merch given to us from NAMI (sunglasses & lanyards).
We also had an event at Vanille Patisserie. During this event, the bakery agreed to donate 15% of all sales from 4-7p.m. Our team also created a donation link, using NAMI’s Do-It-Your-Way campaign. This allows us to track the funds we raised. Our team created an Instagram account dedicated to making posts regarding the events, which we then reposted on our personal accounts.

Brief Description of NAMI

NAMI Chicago is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to raising awareness and prevention for mental health. NAMI works towards promoting community wellness, breaking down barriers to mental health care and provides support for families, professionals, and individuals in the Chicago-land area and beyond. NAMI helps to provide individuals with support groups and works towards providing individuals with resources for legal and housing assistance. The organization also has a helpline, working 7 days a week. The helpline helps connect callers with resources they may need.

Factual Analysis of Success

We created a donation link, through NAMIs Do-It-Your-Way program. This helped us keep track in real-time. We created a worst case and best-case scenario to help evaluate our progress. Our team completed the events with $537 raised. We also kept track of how many people attended our tabling event. We had a goal of 50 people; we had 106 people visit the booth.

Best case: $500 raised, 100 visits at the tabling event

Most likely case: $400 raised, 70 visits to table

Worst case: $300 raised, 50 visits at the tabling event

Lessons Learned

Clearly define expectations and set deadlines early. This allowed us to stay on track and assign work to designated deadlines.

Gather information early and start planning. During the planning stage, our team wanted to contact NAMI immediately. We set up a meeting with NAMI during the planning stage. This allowed us to see when their availability was and their thoughts on our proposed event. This allowed us to be efficient and confirm what organization we were working with

Be adaptable and do not get discouraged. Our team not only had to adapt to each other’s schedules, but our event planning as well. Initially, we wanted to have our event at a different location, but this fell through. We contacted several different businesses before contacting Vanille Patisserie. We felt a sense of discouragement with the idea of having an event at a local but continued to email and reach out to businesses. This perseverance paid off in the end.

Advice for Future Teams

Our advice for future teams is to have a steady line of communication with your team. It can be hard to manage and align everyone’s schedules, but we tried to keep at least 1 consistent day where we had team meetings. If there were any changes in our schedules, we made sure to let each other know. This allowed us to plan ahead of time and accommodate. Our team was able to stay informed and accommodate efficiently.

Pictures of Event