Student consultants to aid local nonprofits

IU senior and finance major Jasmine Slivka traveled halfway around the world and brought back an organization entirely new to the United States.

After studying at the University of Sydney in Australia last semester and working with an international program called 180 Degrees Consulting, she decided to establish a branch at IU — the first in America.

“When I finished consulting in Australia, they approached me and said they were looking for a branch in America, and they really wanted IU to be the first,” Slivka said.
180 Degrees is an organization that allows students to consult for local nonprofits, she said. Teams of students will help the nonprofits with their organizational issues, such as business planning, event coordination and fundraising.

“Lots of nonprofits lack the necessary resources to reach out to large consulting firms, so we offer the same service,” Slivka said.

These nonprofits are looking for fresh, innovative approaches to running their businesses, Faculty Advisor Jan Hillier said.

“I think that there’s a lot of nonprofit organizations here that could use some outside ideas on ways that they can improve and develop,” she said. “We have many students here at IU that would love to engage with some of these organizations.”

The names of local nonprofits involved have yet to be finalized, but organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jill’s House have applied for 180 Degrees’ consulting services.

Hillier said students will be selected for 180 Degrees and split into consulting teams of about five people each. They will then undergo a structured training program.

“I’ve seen the training program, and it is consistent with what we teach at Kelley,” she said.

Following training, students will be required to meet with their consulting groups as well as with the nonprofit organization they are paired with several times IU senior and finance major Jasmine Slivka traveled halfway around the world and brought back an organization entirely new to the United States.

After studying at the University of Sydney in Australia last semester and working with an international program called 180 Degrees Consulting, she decided to establish a branch at IU — the first in America.

“When I finished consulting in Australia, they approached me and said they were looking for a branch in America, and they really wanted IU to be the first,” Slivka said.

180 Degrees is an organization that allows students to consult for local nonprofits, she said. Teams of students will help the nonprofits with their organizational issues, such as business planning, event coordination and fundraising.

“Lots of nonprofits lack the necessary resources to reach out to large consulting firms, so we offer the same service,” Slivka said.

These nonprofits are looking for fresh, innovative approaches to running their businesses, Faculty Advisor Jan Hillier said.

“I think that there’s a lot of nonprofit organizations here that could use some outside ideas on ways that they can improve and develop,” she said. “We have many students here at IU that would love to engage with some of these organizations.”

The names of local nonprofits involved have yet to be finalized, but organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jill’s House have applied for 180 Degrees’ consulting services.

Hillier said students will be selected for 180 Degrees and split into consulting teams of about five people each. They will then undergo a structured training program.

“I’ve seen the training program, and it is consistent with what we teach at Kelley,” she said.

Following training, students will be required to meet with their consulting groups as well as with the nonprofit organization they are paired with several times