The Student Organization Catering Fund, presented by UChicago Dining and Chartwells Higher Education, offers the opportunity for Registered Student Organizations to request catering for special events. This catering fund is a line of credit established with Chartwells Higher Education, UChicago Dining’s on-campus food service provider.

Please note, the catering fund only has a finite amount to allocate to student groups each quarter. Make sure you send in your application timely to benefit from the fund!

All Student Organization Catering Guidelines

You request must be received by a UChicago Dining via email (cateringfund@uchicago.edu) prior to the review day. We review applications every Tuesday. Your event date should take place at least 14 days after the nearest upcoming Tuesday. 

Note: Your submissions will receive a response within 24 hours of the review.

All Applications Must Include the Following:

1. A brief description of your event.

2. A description of how having complimentary catering at your event will allow you to expand the reach of your event (additional speakers, enhanced marketing, etc.)

3. The Catering Fund form attached as a pdf.

Student Organization Catering Fund Form >

• These three items (the description of the event, the programming expansion description, and the completed form) will serve as the materials upon which the decisions are made.

• The Catering Fund reserves the right to award only part of the request.

• The Catering Fund will only fund events that are on campus.

• All catering for this fund is pick-up for order under 100 people. Reliable transportation will need to be provided by the organization. Catering may be picked up at the nearest dining commons, including International House.

• Orders for Saturday evening may require special accommodation. Please be sure to apply well in advance of your event so these logistics can be worked out.

• The Catering Fund is not an allocation of money, but rather a line of credit.

Before you make a catering request, consider the following:

• How will you transport your pick-up order? All catering orders for under 100 people is pick-up. This means that you will need to provide a reliable means of transportation, especially for larger orders.

• Where is your event located? Consider whether your location has enough table space to hold your food and beverages, and/or a refrigerator or oven in which to store perishable foods.

• What kind of event are you hosting? Whether it lasts one hour or all day, consider whether your event will be relaxed, with people coming and going, or a more formal affair with a set mealtime.

• How many people will be attending? A good rule of thumb, when it comes to catering, is to provide four to five items per person.

Please feel free to suggest items that you would like to see by emailing cateringfund@uchicago.edu