"There is a lot of emphasis here on the impact for the greater good. The Wharton Social Venture Fund has had a lot of support in trying to create a new course and also raise a fund.”
Professor Leonard Lodish on the Wharton Program for Social Impact
Student Profile
Leadership and Service
At Wharton, social responsibility has been woven into the curriculum and culture since Joseph Wharton founded the school in 1881. At Wharton, students make an impact on campus, in our local community, and in the wider national and global community. Now, more than ever, responsibility for our planet and society is an important theme in business.
Wharton Graduate Association
Wharton supports students’ active involvement through the Wharton Graduate Association (WGA), which brings together Wharton and Penn faculty, students, and external organizations to find entrepreneurial business solutions for social problems. More »
BizWorld
BizWorld is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching children about business and entrepreneurship. Through a classroom simulation, groups of elementary and middle school students, led by Wharton volunteers, start their own businesses designing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling a product. More »
Wharton Energy Club
The Wharton Energy Club is Wharton's home for Clean Technology and Renewable Energy. As one of the world's largest and most impactful industries, the Energy industry provides a platform to drive immense change in global climate, geopolitics, and society at large, while still having a profitable career. More »
GUIDE (Guiding Undergraduates)
Wharton MBA students mentor Wharton undergraduates, sharing their professional and life experiences. More »
Wharton Health Care International Volunteer Project
The Wharton Health Care International Volunteer Project (WHIVP) is designed to give students of Wharton's Health Care Management Program, the opportunity to apply their skills to service projects in the health care systems with severely limited resources and gain experience in international health. More »
International Development Club
The International Development Club helps students learn more about international development through a tailored microfinance course and speaker series. Also provides opportunities for students to partner and consult with microfinance institutions, intermediaries and socially responsible institutions, and micro-entrepreneurs.
Wharton International Volunteer Project
This program gives students the opportunity to spend two to three weeks volunteering business skills to nongovernmental organizations in underdeveloped and developing countries. Past projects have been conducted in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. More »
Wharton Nonprofit Board Leadership Program
The Nonprofit Board Leadership Program ("NPBLP") at the Wharton School was launched in the spring of 2005 with the goal of creating an experiential learning environment for students that would also support local nonprofits. More specifically, the NPBLP seeks to provide second year MBAs with a greater sense of how their leadership skills can be used to make a significant contribution within the nonprofit sector. The program is rooted in a commitment to serving the long-term needs of nonprofit organizations in the Philadelphia area. Together, it is envisioned that both Wharton and local nonprofits can help each other succeed and achieve a rich understanding of the growing intersection between business and nonprofit activities. More
Wharton Social Impact
Wharton Social Impact (WSI) Wharton's chapter of the national Net Impact organization, is a professional club committed to shaping business education and fostering career opportunities that aim to improve society as a whole.
SPIF (Summer Public Interest Fund)
SPIF encourages and supports first-year students who wish to pursue careers in areas that serve the public good by supplementing their summer salaries. The fund is financed entirely by fellow students who pledge 1% of their summer salaries to students who work in the public interest. More »
Wharton Tax Assistance Program
This student-organized program joins the Campaign for Working Families to bring millions of dollars to low- and moderate-income working families by increasing the number of Philadelphia residents who file for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Organized by Wharton students, trained Penn and Wharton volunteers give free tax assistance to West Philadelphia community members. More »
