Resources for Student Service Organizations

The Haas Center offers resources to student service organizations (SSOs).

If you lead or are interested in leading a student service organization, we offer:

• Recruiting opportunities for your organization through the Cardinal Service Fair and other events
• Advising through Haas staff and peer advisors
• Resources such as meeting spaces, storage space, and transportation options (described below)

In some cases, we may ask you to meet with Haas staff or peer advisor before requesting these resources. 

Meeting Space  |  Storage Space  | Advising  |  Funding and Transportation  |  Training  |  Additional Center Resources  |  Contact Us

Meeting space

The Haas Center has several meeting spaces available for student service organizations. Haas Center staff have room reservation priority during regular business hours (M–F, 8:00am–6:00pm, excluding university holidays).

Of course, space is limited. If the Haas Center cannot accommodate you, search alternate campus meeting spaces. 

• Student service organizations (SSOs) engage in direct on/off-campus public service and are provided priority access to Haas Center meeting/event spaces.
• Before requesting space, please review the Haas Center's space use policies.  
• Weekly/recurring meetings are requested and scheduled on a quarterly basis.  Request approval is based on availability and whether the student organization agrees to and has honored space use policies. Student organizations that don't honor space use policies will be denied reservations for the subsequent quarter(s).
• To increase your chances of reserving your meeting or event space, provide 2-3 possible start times (e.g., 6:00, 6:30, 7:00) AND locations (e.g., Haas 212, Haas 312, etc.).

Request space 

Storage space

Registered student service organizations may request storage space for group-related materials. Storage space is extremely limited and the spaces are not secure. Anything of significant value should be stored elsewhere. Storage requirements:

1. Ensure all stored materials are
   • necessary for your organization's specific needs (cf. "general-use supplies" in condition 4, below)
   • kept in boxes or other lidded containers (i.e., not loose on a self and/or likely to fall when a cabinet door is opened)
   • organized such that cabinet doors or drawer close
   • non-hazardous/non-toxic (i.e., no lithium-ion batteries, no volatile organic compounds, no flammable objects (e.g., lighters), etc.) – please reach out to Haas SEL Team member if you have questions
   • non-perishable and unopened food items (i.e., commercially-wrapped; nothing that will attract rodents, ants, etc.)
2. Actively use the storage space for ongoing SSO activities (i.e., no item(s) should be stored that aren’t regularly used) – storage will be periodically checked.
3. Use Haas Center-provided general-use crafts and office supplies located in the Center's 1st floor hallway (built-in cabinets and shelves), rather than keeping redundant crafts or office supplies in your allocated storage. You may donate your SSO's unused materials for general use.
4. Use storage space only for the allocated duration of your approved storage space request (i.e., failure to remove stored items within 5 business days from the end of your approved request will result in items being reallocated to other Stanford University uses).
5. Summer storage requires reapplication by May 31 by the newly (re)elected SSO leader; if no leader has been selected by May 31, then the current leader is required to email Geoff Baker <glbaker@stanford.edu> to discuss options. Items will be removed from storage if no explicit request is received.

Request storage space

Advising

Individual students and student service organization leaders can receive comprehensive advising.

In collaboration with the Office of Student Engagement and other offices (e.g, Centers for Equity, Community and Leadership), the Haas Center's Student Engagement and Leadership (SEL) team can help with many advising needs:

• Transactional: how to organize an event, recruit new members, or secure funding
• Transformational: how to engage in continuous improvement for ethical and effective public service, ensure intentional service outcomes, network with experts in the field, etc.

Make an advising appointment

Funding

Event co-sponsorship

Haas Center Event Co-sponsorship

The Haas Center will consider support in amounts of less than $500 for major events with significant funding needs.  Requests must be made a minimum of 30 days in advance of the event.  Events must be related to public service and align with the Haas Center's mission: to realize a just and sustainable world through service, scholarship, and community partnerships. 

Request Event Co-sponsorship

If you are experiencing a temporary personal financial challenge from a hardship or are seeking funds for an opportunity related to your academic, professional, and/or social development, see the Opportunity Fund. To find more campus funding resources, check out this compiled list of campus grants.

Transportation 

The Haas Center provides transportation grants to subsidize transportation for public service activities to and from a service location. Grants are up to $200/student or $500/SSO per quarter (i.e., ≥2 students affiliated with the same SSO are limited to $500 [combined] per quarter). Students and groups receiving a transportation grant must re-apply at the beginning of each quarter. Transportation grant requests open for upcoming quarters during the last week of the current quarter.

• Public transportation: Expenses such as bus or train fare may be paid directly by the Haas Center or by reimbursement.
• Personal car fuel: Students can be reimbursed at the rate of $0.7 per mile. If your grant request is approved, you will receive detailed information on how to process your reimbursement request. Reimbursements must be requested within 60 days of the travel.
• Uber
  • A Haas Center Student Engagement and Leadership team member will help you connect to the Haas Center account.
  • You will receive an email from uber@uber.com. Click "Get Started" and enter information associated with your personal Uber account. If you don't have an Uber account, click "Create New Account."
  • Once you are linked and ready to book a ride, toggle to the "Haas Center for Public Service" payment method before confirming your ride. You must pay for any tip you give the driver.
• Zipcar
  • A Haas Center Student Engagement and Leadership team member will help you connect to the Haas Center account.
  • You will receive an email with a link to join the Haas Center account.  If you don't have an existing Zipcar account, you will need to sign up for your own Zipcar account before you can connect to the Haas account.
  • If you are new to Zipcar, there is typically a 3-7 day wait until Zipcar approves you as a driver. If you've already driven with Zipcar before, you can start driving immediately.
  • Once you are approved, you can reserve cars for the times you requested in the grant. 

Contact Geoff Baker for more information.

Request transportation funding

Training

Workshops

Explore new forms of service, reflect on your experiences, discuss critical issues in public service, and build skills to serve more ethically and effectively. 

We welcome students to request trainings on any topic. Here are some examples of trainings that we host:

• Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service
• How to Start a Nonprofit
• Scaling Social Impact
• Tutoring Techniques
• Mentoring & Coaching Techniques
• Cultural Humility
• Positionality: Examining Power and Privilege Dynamics

For up-to-date news on workshops, see our Workshops page and sign up for the weekly Cardinal Service Digest. 

Enroll in the Principles of Ethical and Effective Service Online Module

Custom Training

The Haas Center can work with registered student service organizations to develop trainings (≥10 people) that support public service. Topics include (but are not limited to):

• Service projects and community partnerships
• Delegation and meeting facilitation
• Building diverse and inclusive organizations
• Mentoring, tutoring, and teaching youth
• Leadership transitions
• Reflecting on a service experience
• Group deliberation and decision making; conflict resolution; engaging in difficult conversations
• Uncovering your leadership strengths and philosophy
• Developing a strategic plan
• Measuring your impact
• Effective instructional planning and facilitation
• Training volunteers

For questions about workshops and trainings, contact Geoff Baker. 

Working with Minors Training

All students and student groups working with minors (any person under the age of 18) must meet several requirements designed to protect youth and Stanford students alike. The Office of Student Engagement helps public service students understand and adhere to University working with minors policies and practices, including background check (i.e., Live Scan) and training.

Visit the Working with Minors page

Additional Center Resources 

Copiers

The Haas Center has two copiers in the workrooms on the first and second floors that students may use.  They are accessed through CardinalPrint. 

Promotional email list

The Haas Center maintains service4all, an email listserv that allows anyone in the Stanford community to promote a service opportunity.

Join the listserv

Activity toolkits 

Activity toolkits are available to assist you and your group in facilitating activities that help promote a sense of community, build leadership skills, and achieve goals for your organization. Contact the advising staff if you would like to borrow one.

Office and craft supplies

Office and craft supplies are available for groups and can be found in the cabinets underneath the student organization mailboxes (across from the BIRC on the first floor).  Some (but not all) of the available items are sets of colored markers, flip chart and butcher paper, poster board, stickers, felt, glue sticks, glitter, colored paper, and scissors.

If your group needs a large volume of supplies, please check with us before ordering to see if we can provide them for you for free. Contact Haas Center advising if you can't find what you're looking for or need to order more.

Button maker

Visit the BIRC on the first floor to learn about how you can make 2.25” buttons with our industrial grade button maker to promote your next student group event. We have supplies for student organizations to make up to 50 buttons. If you need to make more, we’ll tell you how to get your own supplies. Contact Haas Center advising to reserve the button maker.

Receiving mail

The Haas Center has a limited number of small mailboxes available for student organization use. We can’t accommodate large volumes of mail; if your organization needs to receive a large volume of mail on a regular basis, P.O. boxes are available through the post office on campus and can be purchased through your ASSU account. All uses of the Haas Center address for receiving and sending mail must comply with the Haas Center Name Use policy. 

For questions related to any of the Haas Center Resources listed above, contact Geoff Baker.