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