Next fall students at Binghamton University will have the opportunity to participate in a hands-on philanthropic project designed to hone their skills in decision-making — a program that is available at only nine other schools across the country.
This student-run program will require its participants to make informed decisions as to which non-profit organizations in the Greater Binghamton community they will distribute money to, according to a press release from BU.
BU is one of 10 institutions selected to participate in the program. David Campbell, an assistant professor in the College of Community and Public Affairs, said that BU’s proposal to Campus Compact, the national organization that works in collaboration with the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund to sponsor Students4Giving, was well-received.
He said the application was the highest rated among applicants because it demonstrated a “plan that was workable and clearly integrated into the work of a course.”
Campbell also said that it was clear from the proposal that students could “learn about philanthropy through the project.”
The main goal of Students4Giving is for students to decide how to dole out $15,000, which was invested by the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund and Campus Compact, among local non-profit groups.
Any non-profit organization in the local community where students in the Department of Public Administration or the Department of Social Work have previously interned is eligible for donation. But no organization that Students4Giving participants are currently involved with is considered eligible because it is considered a conflict of interest for students to give grants to their own organization, Campbell said.
In order to participate in Students4Giving, it is required that students enroll in Campbell’s course, “Issues in Nonprofit Organizations,” next fall. While this course is geared toward students in the Department of Public Administration and the Department of Social Work, it is really open to anyone interested in philanthropy and/or participating in Students4Giving.
Campbell said that there are several benefits to participating in this program for those considering a career in philanthropy, or even business.
The program gives “students a chance to learn about philanthropy,” a chance “to learn about careers in nonprofit organizations” and the opportunity to “get hands on experience with thinking through how to [distribute] money systematically.”
The course is also geared to teach students about the history and current trends of philanthropy, which is certainly beneficial to any student interested in pursuing philanthropy, Campbell added.
“This project offers BU as a whole, and those of us lucky enough to be involved in the project, a unique way to create some links to the larger community, which is very much what the College of Community and Public Affairs is all about,” said Sarah Maximiek, a BU student who will be taking Campbell’s course and participating in Students4Giving.
Maximiek said she hopes that organizational skills will improve with the course.
“I think I will learn a tremendous amount about fundraising and philanthropic organizing,” she said.
As of now, Students4Giving is planned as a two-semester project. However, Campbell stated that as part of the program, students will be raising money to supplement the $15,000 already invested in order to “sustain the project.”
According to Campbell, a primary mission of the program is for students to learn how to make the types of decisions they will be faced with “when they’re leaders,” and it is therefore essential to prolong Students4Giving.