When we think about the educational tools that colleges and universities employ to develop active and engaged citizens, we may first think about service-learning courses, organized days of service, and other academic and non-curricular programming to involve students in reflective service opportunities. Most civic engagement activities invite students to learn by giving of their “time and talent,” but rarely provide opportunities for students to learn by giving “treasure.”
Many schools across the country have begun to experiment with both course-based and non-curricular opportunities for students to develop civic competencies by giving away cash. These experiential philanthropy courses engage students in the development of philanthropic priorities, community needs assessment, and the nuts and bolts of the grant making cycle, while encouraging the expansion of partnerships between colleges and universities in new ways.
In partnership with the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund and the Corporation for National and Community Service, Campus Compact supports student philanthropy by providing colleges and universities with the educational resources and initial funding to engage students in strategic grant making activities within the context of community-based learning.
- Students4Giving, an initiative to educate and inspire a new generation of philanthropists in a new era of giving.
- Pay It Forward, an initiative to strengthen local communities through student-led philanthropy.
- Teaching Philanthropy Resources, a compilation of current research efforts, syllabi and program models on philanthropy, and grant making resources.
