In 2018, Indiana Philanthropy Alliance and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy partnered to host a free 4-part webinar series designed to support next-gen leadership and giving. Sessions featured national experts and IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy faculty and students sharing research, resources, and examples of classroom-based grantmaking programs.
The second webinar, “Helping Students Learn by Giving,” addressed the need for informed, skilled, and thoughtful philanthropic leaders to address our current and future challenges.
Faculty from Columbia University and staff from Magnified Giving explored classroom-based grantmaking programs, which are creating next-gen change agents by igniting students’ interest in philanthropy. Students who participated in the Learning by Giving and Magnified Giving curriculum shared how it helped them, as students, become effective givers by making real dollar grants to nonprofits in their community.
Featured speakers included Greg Witkowski, Columbia University; Kelly Collison, Magnified Giving; Alison Kaufman, Magnified Giving; Emily Jones, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy & IU Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center.
An example of experiential learning, the Learning by Giving program is powered by the Learning by Giving Foundation, founded by Doris Buffett. $10,000 grants are primarily made to college courses at partner universities. Students work their way through the grantmaking process and invest the money in a nonprofit organization, as explained in this short 60-second video. The impact of Learning by Giving’s investment in students is seen the below graphic.
At Magnified Giving, a similar model is employed, with the focus being on high school students at partner schools in the Cincinnati tri-state area. Donors have the opportunity to see their donation “magnified,” knowing that their dollars will still go to a local nonprofit, but that students are also learning the philanthropic process throughout the class. This year, more than 3,500 students at 100 schools will receive $1,000 to grant back to the local nonprofit community.
The 2018 Youth Philanthropy Series incorporated YPII’s 4-pillar model of Serving, Giving, Leading, and Engaging to highlight the progression of youth taking action and engaging others in their communities. It was tailored for foundations, youth-serving organizations, and nonprofits interested in engaging young people in philanthropy.
For breakfast, I had a banana with almond butter and decaf coffee.
Author: @jmarkland