December 13, 2007
Students Take Over Donor-Advised Funds
More colleges are offering students courses and programs in nonprofit management and fund raising, but few have the resources to give them real-world lessons in how to invest, and give out, charitable funds.
A program called Students4Giving, announced today, will give student groups at five institutions $15,000 each. The students will oversee the donor-advised funds and decide which charities in their communities should receive grants.
The money comes from the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, in partnership with Campus Compact, a coalition of more than 1,100 college presidents “committed to fulfilling the civic purpose of higher education.”
To be considered for the program, students and faculty members were asked to submit proposals outlining how Students4Giving’s activities could become part of course work, what goals would be set, and how the participants would evaluate the results. Of the applicants from 35 institutions, five were chosen: Boston University, California State University at Fresno, Portland Community College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Whitworth University.
Maureen F. Curley, president of Campus Compact, said the proposals show that students pursuing majors outside of nonprofit management are also thinking about careers in that sector. Boston University’s award is going to students taking a business-management class; another award goes to a program that will be operated through an accounting course, she said.
Lynne Blanchard, director of the Carolina Center for Public Service, at Chapel Hill, said that although the university has been able to provide traditional course work in nonprofit management, having real money for students to oversee will provide a better opportunity for learning.
At North Carolina, beyond making grant decisions, the students are also required to do fund raising and to decide how to invest the money among 13 options. Fidelity requires that each group donate 50 percent to 75 percent of the funds by May. Any remainder can be used the following semester.
Erin Strout | Posted on Thursday December 13, 2007 | Permalink
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