“Extreme” E-Student Philanthropy: Expanding Grantmaking Into Fully Online Classes and Assessing Outcomes for Students as Learners, Community Members, and Social Activists

Student philanthropy is an active teaching strategy that enables students to lead a charitable grantmaking process and, in doing so, engage in the curriculum and learn about community needs and nonprofit organizations. About 20 years ago, professors began using the “learning by giving” approach in face-to-face classes. Since that time, some have expanded and innovated. This study is one of the first to examine electronic student philanthropy, or “e-student philanthropy.” Specifically, it looks at “extreme” e-student philanthropy in classes in which both the instruction and the philanthropy experience are fully online (Waldner et al., 2012). This study applies a conceptual framework that recognizes students as learners, community members, and social activists (Britt, 2012), and it analyzes outcomes of e-student philanthropy in three undergraduate classes and one graduate class at a metropolitan university. Survey results indicate the philanthropy experience had positive outcomes for online students on various measures, including interest in the course, learning and applying course material, awareness of community needs, awareness of nonprofit organizations, responsibility to help others in need, and belief they can make a difference in the world.

Responding to Change in Higher Education: The Case of the Nonprofit Leadership Studies Program at Murray State University and Program Identity

Nonprofit studies programs have grown over the past three decades in both number and size. Although scholars have devoted increasing attention to both the field of study and its infrastructure, not much attention has been devoted to the administration of these programs. This study reviews the over three-decade-long history and development of the nonprofit leadership studies program at Murray State University and reflects on the various challenges the program has faced, including enrollment concerns, program reorganization, and declining resources. This analysis highlights the importance of developing a clear program identity, which in this case was shaped around the concepts of service learning and student philanthropy. The conclusions extrapolate broad recommendations that can serve as a road map to similar programs that face common budgetary and enrollment challenges in a changing higher education landscape.

High Impact Practices Through Experiential Student Philanthropy: A Case Study of the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project and Academic Success at Northern Kentucky University

High impact educational practices are active learning strategies that benefit learning outcomes, increase student engagement, and support student retention. This study examines the retention and persistence impact of student philanthropy, an active learning approach that engages students with the community by incorporating a philanthropy component into college courses. Results from this study demonstrate that students who participated in one or more student philanthropy courses had a substantially higher four-year graduation rate in comparison to students overall. Participants also exhibited a greater number of completed credit hours compared to the general university population and a higher semester-to-semester retention rate. This affirms the value of student philanthropy as a High Impact Teaching Practice (HITP) that actively engages students inside and outside of the classroom, around the university campus, and in the community.

Spain, Germany, and the Holocaust: Uniting Global Learning and Student Philanthropy through Transdisciplinarity

While the atrocities of the Holocaust have been well documented, this catastrophic event has been commonly studied through the lens of a single discipline. In a course co-taught by German and Spanish professors in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the liberation of WWII concentration camps, advanced students of German and Spanish at Northern Kentucky University engaged with this topic by analyzing, comparing, and contrasting the German-Dutch (Anne Frank) and Spanish-French (Jorge Semprún) experience. To deepen students’ cross-collaboration, the two classes engaged in a philanthropy project called the Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project. The class received a $2,000 grant, researched and advocated for local nonprofits that addressed topics related to the Holocaust, and collectively decided on the final grant recipient. This article discusses the course structure, objectives, and outcomes of a transdisciplinary approach to literature, along with student feedback about the experience.

Student Philanthropy: Experiencing Grant Proposals From the Funder’s Perspective

Student philanthropy projects empower students to become grant givers. Through learning by giving, students get hands-on practice making decisions with real monetary impact. This article explains the steps in a student philanthropy project in a grant-writing course, illustrating how business and professional communication courses can be a natural partner for this approach. Results of a qualitative survey show how student philanthropy enhances learning by turning the tables, enabling learners to become decision makers with the important responsibility of writing, evaluating, and responding to communication in ways that will have positive effects on nonprofits in their community.

Student Philanthropy: Connecting BSW Students, Schools of Social Work, and Communities

University–community partnerships provide key opportunities for schools of social work to establish mutually beneficial collaborations with the communities that host them. This article explores how a student-led philanthropic initiative can expand and strengthen these partnerships. A new student philanthropy model at an undergraduate social work program that has been implemented over the past 4 years is described. Community agencies were surveyed to evaluate this program's impression on the community. Results point to the program's potential for supporting and strengthening university–community partnerships.