Program Logistics

Philanthropy Education and Service-Learning

Participating faculty infuse the study of philanthropy as a core component of the discipline’s coursework; meanwhile students identify community needs, establish funding criteria, issue and evaluate Requests for Funding Proposals (RFPs) and engage in group decision-making to award actual funds to local nonprofit organizations benefitting one of three needs areas: children and youth programs; neighborhood development and revitalization; and/or hunger, homelessness and health issues. Each student also provides up to 15 hours of volunteer work with a nonprofit agency as part of the service-learning aspect of the course. This service component helps to inform the philanthropy pedagogy of the courses while providing students a more thorough understanding of the agencies and their community work.

Ohio Campus Compact can provide training and support for faculty that includes sample syllabi, articles, online resources, suggested course activities, and curriculum development resources including: course expectations, syllabus recommendations, implementation timelines, reflective essays, classroom resources, information for identifying suitable 501(c)3 organizations, sample outreach letters, and suggested readings.

Goals
Pay it Forward will cultivate a new generation of philanthropists and address critical economic needs by engaging students in innovative learning and service to help build the capacity of local charitable organizations. Specifically, Pay it Forward will:
Award charitable dollars to worthy non-profit organizations with strong proposals that address immediate economic needs.
Build stronger communities through a skill based volunteer force that contributes both hours served (up to 15 hours per student) and financial resources ($2000 recommended per course).
Provide students with the intellectual knowledge and practical experiences needed to manage philanthropic funding, including skills such as conducting needs assessments, establishing funding criteria, researching local nonprofits, interviewing community members, and developing writing, decision-making, accounting, and evaluation skills.
Engage students and faculty with local communities in order to promote understanding and connectedness.
Serve as a model for passing along the practice and knowledge of philanthropy and volunteerism.