April 2025 Newsletter
Summer Impact Internship Funding Application
Applications due
Wed. April 16
Each summer, Business+Impact awards competitive grants for summer internships in the nonprofit or public sectors to MBAs and BBAs in the Ross School of Business as well as MPP students in the Ford School of Public Policy.
The application for these monetary awards has a first deadline of Wed, Mar. 12, and a final deadline of Wed, Apr. 16. Award decisions will be based on the level of need (taking into account other funding being received), consideration of the position, the organization’s impact, and the quality of the application.
Info Sessions for Nonprofits: Build Your Board and Boost Capacity
Info Sessions:
Tues, May 13 @ 4-5 pm
U-M Detroit Center, 3663 Woodward Ave #150, Detroit
Wed, May 14 @ 4-5 pm
NEW Center, 1100 N Main St, Ann Arbor
Thurs, May 8 @ Noon – 12:30 pm
Zoom
Apply by Sun, July 13
We invite nonprofits serving Southeast Michigan to join us for an information session about our Nonprofit Board Fellowship Program. You will learn about the program requirements, goals, and timeline. Eligible nonprofits must be registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4), have an operating history of at least 2 years, a minimum of 5 board members, and a minimum of 2 board meetings between October 2025 and April 2026. Please email boardfellows@umich.edu with any questions about the sessions.
2024-25 Board Fellows Experiences in the Field
During the 2024-25 academic year, participants in Business+Impact’s 25th annual Board Fellowship program have served as non-voting members of local nonprofit boards while completing small strategic projects. This year’s cohort features students from Michigan Ross, the Ford School of Public Policy, the Medical School, the School of Architecture & Urban Planning, the School of Education, the School of Social Work, the School for Environment and Sustainability, and the School for Public Health. We interviewed a few of our Board Fellows and learned a bit more about their personal experiences with the program.
Impact Studio Hosts First-Ever Impact Venture Demo Day
On Friday, April 4, over 20 student social impact ventures from the Ross Impact Studio, the UM Center for Entrepreneurship, Zell Lurie Institute, optiMize and the UM School of Information gathered at the Ross School of Business Winter Garden to showcase their business prototypes to the UM and regional business community.
Congratulations Graduates!
We at Business+Impact have come to know many students at Ross and across campus through our programs and partnerships. We will miss all of you graduating students, but we’re excited to see the impact you make in your careers, and we wish you all the best. Keep in touch with B+I by following us on LinkedIn, and we hope to partner with you sometime in the future!
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Student Loan Repayment Program for Full-Time MBA Alums in Social Impact Careers
Through the Impact Advantage Program, alumni of the Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA Program (2021 grads and after) who pursue a career in the public or nonprofit sectors can apply for student loan repayment assistance. For those graduates accepted into the program, Impact Advantage will cover a portion of their Ross-related loan obligations — up to $7,500 per year for five years — while they are employed full-time at a social impact organization.
Applications for this program will be accepted in October 2025, but all of you upcoming graduates should save the date!
Ross Event:
SOCENT SPOTLIGHT
My Solar Wealth
In this interview, we shine the light on MySolarWealth, which provides highly economical, 100% sustainable energy without the middleman (the grid) for small and medium-sized businesses in Europe.
Growing up, Rui Wang (BBA ’27) often traveled with his younger brother along Portugal’s stunning coastline. These trips made Rui deeply aware of the beauty of nature—and sparked a desire to work on something that could preserve it for future generations.
We caught up with Rui Wang soon after his second place finish in the Michigan Business Challenge Seigle Impact Track.
Map Your U-M Journey with the Impact Roadmap
The Business+Impact Impact Roadmap (UMImpactRoadmap.com) provides you with a single location for all social impact on the U-M campus. Here you’ll find all of the events, courses, people, and key partners working to use their learning to make a real impact in the world.
At the University:
FORD SCHOOL
Visions of a Just Future
Tues, Apr. 15 @ 4:30-6 pm
Weill Hall, Room 1120
Join the Ford School’s Center for Racial Justice for a rich conversation with three esteemed scholars and CRJ Visiting Fellows – whose art, scholarship, and activism expand our political imagination for transformative social change. The Fellows Amanda Alexander, Charlene Carruthers, and Bianca Wilson will be in conversation with Ford School Dean, Celeste Watkins-Hayes. This event is co-sponsored by the Trotter Multicultural Center and the Spectrum Center.
GINSBERG CENTER
Community Interns and Fellows
Apply Now for Community-Based Internship Fund
Apply Now for Community Leadership Fellows
Ginsberg Center is excited to announce the launch of our Community-Based Internship Fund! Made possible by the generous support of University of Michigan’s Democracy, and the Civic Empowerment & Global Engagement Initiative. The Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning offers a year-long fellowship for undergraduate juniors and seniors to provide students an opportunity to apply their existing leadership experience, community-based work, and classroom learning to a real-world internship experience that directly addresses community needs and priorities.
U-M DETROIT CENTER
Environmental Justice and Community Advocacy
Fri, Apr. 25 @ 2-5 pm
U-M Detroit Center, 3663 Woodward Ave #150, Detroit
This event offers an inspiring exploration of community advocacy and grassroots activism within the realm of environmental justice, emphasizing the crucial theme of intergenerational collaboration. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect over a networking lunch and gain insights from a dynamic panel discussion. The conversation will delve into personal journeys into environmental justice, current initiatives, and future visions for impacting change, highlighting the importance of connecting generations to ensure the continuity and growth of this vital work.
CENTER FOR THE EDUCATION OF WOMEN
CEW+ Scholarships
CEW+ has awarded over 1,900 scholarships since 1970. With support from our generous donors, CEW+ was able to expand the program in 2008 to include additional scholarships for students of all genders. CEW+ Scholarships are invaluable and unique in that they are tailored to complement a student’s existing aid package.
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
Social Work Events
Sexuality, Social Work, and Exploring Implicit Bias – May 9
USHERS: Transition-Related Care for Transgender and Nonbinary Populations – June 13
The School of Social Work hosts a wide range of important social impact events that engage students, community, and Social Work leaders.
LSA INSTITUTE FOR THE HUMANITIES
Public Humanities Internship Program
The Public Humanities Internship is a paid internship program that provides 8 selected undergraduate students at the University of Michigan with the unique opportunity to participate in the life of the Institute for the Humanities.Interns interact with each other and other members of our community to explore humanities topics and ideas. They then turn those conversations into humanities-related programs and events geared toward undergraduate students. Interns work 7 hours/week and are paid $18/hour.
In the Impact Community:
D-Prize
Early Decision Application due
Sun, May 18
Regular Application due
Sun, June 8
Can you design a new business or NGO that delivers a proven poverty intervention at scale? Submit your design for a new organization that solves one of our Distribution Challenges below. We will award the most promising teams with up to $20,000 USD to launch their new organization wherever extreme poverty exists. Challenges include Health, Water, Education Agriculture, Livelihoods, Energy, and Public Services.
NEW Center Events
Centering Justice – April 16, May 28
Community Connect – April 17
Board Brilliance – April 18
Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW) in Ann Arbor hosts a wide range of important events to help nonprofits and nonprofit advocates.
Justice for All Summit
The 2025 Justice for All Summit, with the theme “The Power of Inclusion,” invites attendees to explore the different cultural factors that impact how we show up at work. Together with prominent thought leaders in the fields of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and justice, we will collectively develop the tools and skills needed to create spaces where differences are not only recognized but also celebrated as strengths.
Certified Nonprofit Professional Track
A 6-month facilitator-led cohort designed to move social sector leaders to their next level of leadership. The cost of $1,800 includes tuition, all course materials, a complimentary ticket to Elevate – a virtual conference for social sector leaders, access to the learner profile portal, networking opportunities with a 12k-strong community, and a digital badge.
Rally Social Venture Virtual Showcase
Tues, Apr. 29 @ 11:30 am – 1 pm
Virtual
Join us for the Rally W’25 Social Venture Virtual Showcase, where bold ideas meet real-world impact. This event highlights the work of founders who are not just building businesses—they’re creating measurable social and environmental change. These ventures tackle pressing challenges in Central Florida and beyond, offering innovative solutions that address the issues we face in our own communities.
Listen4Good
Register by Sun, June 1 for
Cohort beginning in July
Jump in and begin developing new skills and systems for high-quality feedback practices with your clients. By participating, you’ll also join a vibrant community of over 1,000 Listen4Good participant organizations committed to this work.