Update: The $1 Million Challenge achieved its goal on June 30, 2019. A record-breaking 1,881 Benjamin Franklin Society donors unlocked the additional $1 million for the Wharton School. Read more about the impact their donations will have at giving.wharton.upenn.edu.
The Benjamin Franklin Society (BFS) has been the University of Pennsylvania’s leadership annual giving circle for over 60 years. Every year, members of the Society gift upwards of $2,500 to The Wharton Fund — an unrestricted fund that allows donations to go directly where Wharton needs them most.
To commemorate the founding of Wharton in 1881, an exciting challenge has been issued to the Wharton community by a select group of leadership donors. The goal: gain 1,881 members of the Benjamin Franklin Society in the 2019 fiscal year, which will unlock an additional $1 million in funds benefiting the School. (Why such a specific number? 1881 is the year Wharton was founded as the first collegiate business school.)
From reducing tuition costs to enriching academics, research, and partnerships, here are a few ways those funds continue to support vital Wharton resources.
5 Resources Supported by The Wharton Fund:
Wharton San Francisco
18 years in SF
1,100+ degrees awarded
Strategically placed in the middle of tech giants and start-ups, the San Francisco campus is a platform for student, alumni, and University partners to engage on the West Coast. It’s home to the West Coast cohort of the MBA Program for Executives (EMBA), the Semester in San Francisco cohort of the full-time MBA program, and the Open Space Pilot program that provides free co-working space for Penn alumni.
MBA Career Management
3,700+ appointments booked
1,200 students advised per year
With hundreds of employers offering jobs to Wharton students every year, MBA Career Management is essential in providing career support for students and alumni on both Coasts as well as building strong relationships with employers like Salesforce, Lyft, Airbnb, Estée Lauder, and BlackRock. There were over 1,000 career coaching sessions given in the 2018-19 academic year, including on-site advising programs during Reunion Weekend and Wharton Global Forums.
2401 Walnut
500 students every weekday
200+ special events hosted in a year
9,000+ event attendees
The 2401 Walnut facility is located close to Center City where most Wharton MBA students reside and exists for the primary purpose of enhancing MBA student life. Serving as a hub away from campus, the space is used for individual or group study, meetings, small gatherings, special events, club activities, and more.
Wharton Graduate Association (WGA)
100+ events organized in a year
WGA is an independent, student-run, non-profit organization that manages MBA student activities and initiatives and strives to build an inclusive community. WGA leaders communicate directly with Wharton’s administration to help provide monetary and logistical resources to over 150 student-run clubs and events, from conferences to scavenger hunts.
Global Modular Courses (GMC)
3-7 days in another region of the world
400+ participants per year
The first Global Modular Course launched in 2009 with a focus on healthcare in India. Following its success, Wharton Global Initiatives worked with Wharton faculty to build out courses at 12 destinations across the globe, partnering with local institutions like Tel Aviv University, Guanghua University, and Singapore Management University. Regularly in high-demand, GMCs are the only Wharton courses that bring EMBA, MBA, and undergraduate students together to meet speakers, visit companies, and explore relevant business topics on location.
Become a BFS member and help Wharton unlock $1 Million.
— Gloria Yuen
Posted: June 12, 2019
