At the beginning of the Spring semester, students from the Global Perspectives on Leading and Investing in Social Change class were presented with the opportunity to give a $7,500 grant to a nonprofit of their choosing at the end of the semester. On May 18, the class hosted a ceremony to provide Camfed, which supports marginalized girls to go to school, succeed and lead, with the $7,500 grant (provided by the Do Good Institute).
Throughout the semester, students learned about global giving and styles of philanthropy, researched issue areas, developed a mission statement, wrote grants, reviewed applications and virtually visited nonprofits and NGOs to determine which organization would receive the grant.
The class was challenged to come up with a cause to support and specific organizations to benefit from the grant. After weeks of research, papers and debates, the class agreed on the issue of education access. Their mission was to fund an organization that provides educational opportunities to traditionally marginalized or overlooked populations in the developing world and wanted the organization to have a community-based approach.
Camfed is an international nonprofit organization tackling poverty and inequality by supporting girls to go to school and succeed, and empowering young women to step up as leaders of change. The organization invests in girls and women in the poorest rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa, where girls face acute disadvantage, and where their empowerment is now transforming communities.
Brooke Hutchinson, co-director, Camfed USA Foundation joined the ceremony by Skype. She said, “We really appreciate the thoughtful and meticulous approach your class took in this process. This investment will have a lasting impact on our organization and the girls we serve. We can’t thank you enough.”
The other organizations in the running were American India Foundation, Educate Lanka Foundation, Free the Kids, and Nascent Solutions.
Bob Grimm, director of the Do Good Institute offered a few remarks during the program, encouraging students by saying, “You can do the impossible for any issue you’re passionate about, and you can do that now by combining your head and heart. You can change the world for good.”
The Global Perspectives on Leading and Investing in Social Change course, taught by Alex Counts, founder of the Grameen Foundation, is one of two courses in the spring semester that teaches students about philanthropy and gives them the opportunity to give a $7,500 grant to an organization of their choosing.
