Bringing Business Skills to Help Break the Cycle of Homelessness

Nandita Pinisetti, ’05, was hesitant to join the board of Margaret’s Village, a small nonprofit that provides transitional housing and senior services in Chicago’s South Side Englewood neighborhood.

Pinisetti was the first University of Chicago Booth School of Business graduate to be matched with the organization by the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation’s Alumni Board Connect (ABC) program. But while she found the nonprofit’s mission appealing, Englewood was a long way from her home in the western suburbs.

That initial reluctance changed into enthusiasm after a meeting with Margaret’s Village executive director Angela Hicks. Ten years after she first came on board, Pinisetti is now board chair, working with the leadership team to plan a gala to mark the organization’s 50th anniversary this October, and looking ahead to expand impact.

She’s among several Booth alumni and students who have forged deep relationships with the nonprofit.

Five Booth alumni currently serve on the board of Margaret’s Village. Multiple Booth students have served as Net Impact Board Fellows and worked with the nonprofit on classroom strategy projects. A Booth Alumni Nonprofit Consultants (BANC) team worked on a pro bono project for the nonprofit.

What drives so many Booth alumni and students to be involved with a relatively small nonprofit that serves about 400 homeless individuals and 100 seniors each year?

Alumni say it’s a combination of the mission, the organization’s focus on making the most of limited resources, and the ability to drive visible results.

“Margaret’s Village uses every penny to have an impact. Board members have to lean in a bit more than in some other organizations. I enjoy pulling up my sleeves and getting involved,” says board member Mark Weber, ’21.

Brien Johnson, ’88, joined the Margaret’s Village board through the Rustandy Center’s ABC program and was initially attracted by the mission. His involvement deepened as he saw the need and the lack of resources. “Unlike affluent suburbs, Englewood does not have people who can volunteer their talents and time. I’ve become more involved as I spent more time on the board,” he says.

Pinisetti says the opportunity to create impact is compelling. “I tell Booth alums that you can set the direction and see how it evolves,” she says.

Hicks says the Booth connection helped reframe how Margaret’s Village perceived itself. “We are a tiny agency doing big things. The relationship with Booth showed us how impactful we were and how we were surpassing similar organizations,” she says. “That led to a shift in attitude. I don’t say give me the money, I say let me show you what I can do for you and for the community. It’s a different way of thinking.”

Pinisetti notes the growth since she and other Booth alumni and students became actively involved with Margaret’s Village: Over the past decade, the organization’s budget went up from just under a million dollars to about $2.5 million. It received $100,000 from Impact Grants Chicago and more than $475,000 from the Senate Appropriations Committee through US Senator Dick Durbin, and it is working on more proposals. The organization’s logo, website, and brochures were redesigned. Staff pay became more competitive. Margaret’s Village is reimagining its Englewood campus and working with architects to create a master plan that utilizes parcels of unused land next to its existing facilities. Apart from Booth, the nonprofit also has long partnerships with the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine and Harris School of Public Policy.

Hicks points out that Margaret’s Village did not have the resources to handle strategic planning, grant writing, data analysis, marketing, and a slew of other efforts. “We would meet payroll and heave a sigh of relief. When you are in the middle, you can sometimes only see what is in front of you, not the larger picture,” she says. “Booth volunteers brought professional skills and became just as invested as us in our mission. It’s like we are growing up.”

It wasn’t just Margaret’s Village that was growing. Booth alumni, accustomed to working with larger organizations, say that working with Margaret’s Village exposed them to the challenges faced by small nonprofits and led them to rapidly acquire new skills.

Weber compares Margaret’s Village to a bootstrapped startup. “It can be like Whac-A-Mole,” he says of the challenges that the staff face in managing the need to plan, network, tell their story, and raise funds while delivering services and maintaining buildings constructed a century ago.

Johnson heads the board finance committee and is working on a capital campaign to renovate and expand facilities. He had never served on a nonprofit board before but is now learning the intricacies of differing reporting requirements for grants while navigating financial planning with an uncertain revenue stream. “You have to act and think differently,” he says. “It is not like a corporation where you can try to bend it to your will to make quarterly earnings. It is complex and deeply fulfilling work.”

Weber agrees. “I focus on where I can have the maximum impact in terms of my finite time and resources. At Margaret’s Village, I feel like I am having an impact. It gives me a lot of satisfaction,” he says.

As Pinisetti focuses on the 50th anniversary event this October, she thinks of the women and children being helped by Margaret’s Village. Many of the women have gone on to get jobs and, on occasion, earn degrees. “We are very grateful for the University of Chicago’s investment and the Booth involvement,” she says. “Most people don’t invest in the South Side, but when they do, it really pays off. The long-term effect of breaking the cycle of homelessness is huge.”