Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO
The mission of Northwest Missouri State University Student Philanthropy and Civic Engagement Project is to prepare students to lead nonprofit fundraising and giving initiatives.
Educational Framework and Management of the Giving Account
As a pilot project, the University will utilize two existing programs collectively as the academic and co-curricular aspects of the project. The Student Leadership Program which consists of four seminars, reflective papers, and one group project will provide the academic framework for the project. The Student Leadership Program spans the entire academic year. Students enrolled in this course/program must attend four seminars throughout the fall semester, prepare a written reflection paper on each seminar, and complete a group project during the spring semester. Each seminar consists of six hours of instruction via faculty lectures, guest speakers, group work, assessment activities, and hands on exercises. In conjunction with the academic program, the Office of Volunteer Programs, Service Learning, and Civic Engagement, will develop one section of the Student Leadership Program which will be designated for the Student Philanthropy and Civic Engagement Project. This section is specifically designed to provide students opportunities to contribute to the success of the nonprofit sector through efficient non profit management practices and entrepreneurial approaches to solving community problems and will offer specialized seminars in Building Community Partnerships, Principles of Philanthropy, Grant Writing and Evaluation, and Nonprofit Organizational Management.
Each seminar has specific educational goals and learning outcomes which will be measure by a pre and post assessment as well as by the reflective paper. The learning outcomes for each seminar include the following:
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Building Community Partnerships
- Identify critical needs within the community
- Identify and analyze socially significant needs and resources within the community
- Identify the nature and magnitude of community problems
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Principles of Philanthropy
- Identify basic knowledge and skills in philanthropic strategies, tactics and techniques
- Understand the basic strategies and tactics utilized by philanthropic organizations to maintain or improve the quality of life in communities
- Explain the history of philanthropy, different types of foundations and giving, models of philanthropy, and current topics and trends
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Grant Making and Evaluation
- Identify effective grant making
- Identify components of a request for proposals (RFP)
- Identify components of program evaluation and outcomes
- Identify methods of grant making
- Developing grant making guidelines
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Nonprofit Organizational Management
- Identify types of nonprofit organizations
- Identify effective mission and vision statements for a nonprofit organization
- Describe the components of program design and management, governance, budgeting and reporting requirements
- Identify components of fundraising and outcomes measurements
- Develop a plan for management of the Giving Account
The student leaders, through the group project component during the spring semester, will establish a philanthropic foundation based on the needs identified in the environmental scan conducted as part of the Building Community Partnerships seminar. The students will determine critical issues of the community as well as the resources available in the community. The results of the environmental scan will guide the students in determining the mission, vision, goals, scope and focus of their philanthropic foundation. As part of the group project, they will develop funding criteria and a request for proposals (RFP) process based on the content from the Grant Making and Evaluation Seminar. RFPs will be sent to nonprofit organizations with a focus of the foundation or granting agency in the area of the need selected by the students.
The student leaders will evaluate the RFPs based on proven organizational success, capacity for implementation, focus on identified need, impact on the community, evidence of sustainability, and measurable outcomes. The student leaders will select an application or applications for funding during the midpoint of the spring semester.
The management of the Giving Account will be established from the components outlined in the Non Profit Organizational Managementseminar. The students will establish a plan to allocate 75% of the funds to the applicants and set aside the remaining funds for future allocation. Additionally, students will develop a sustainability plan for the philanthropic foundation through fundraising such as event fundraising, major donor giving, grants, and investment strategies. Students will be required to develop a fundraising plan that enhances the Giving Account brining it back to the original $15,000 and that fully supports the mission of Students4Giving.
In addition to the student fundraising efforts, the Office of Volunteer Programs, Service Learning and Civic Engagement will prepare proposals to seek operational funds that will assist in sustaining the program with a goal of developing a new cohort of philanthropic individuals.
Educational Goals and Assessment
The goal of Northwest Missouri State University Student Philanthropy and Civic Engagement Project is to develop in students the desire, skill and power to become philanthropic individuals and to become effective nonprofit organizational leaders. The objectives of the project are:
- Provide twenty-five student leaders with an intensive and intentional education in community engagement, philanthropy, grant making, fundraising, and non profit organizational management.
- Provide students with hands on opportunity to manage a philanthropic organization.
- Provide students with an opportunity to develop proposal guidelines and award grant funding.
- Provide students with an opportunity to be directly involved in sustaining the Giving Account through a student developed model based on the giving cycle model.
- Develop partnerships with community nonprofit agencies and organizations.
Assessment of the project will be determined by a pre and post assessment given at the beginning and at the end of each seminar measuring the learning outcomes established for each seminar and by a formal overall course evaluation completed by the students at the end of the semester. Likewise, student reflection papers for each seminar will be used in the evaluation of the project. Additionally, recipients of the Giving Account will be asked to complete an evaluation of the RFP process and a report of use of the Giving Account funds including outcome achieved as a result of the funds received from the Giving Account. The success of the project will also be determined by whether or not the Gift Account is increased and sustained over time.
Development of Grant making
Support for the grant making process will be provided by the Director of Volunteer Programs, Service Learning, and Civic Engagement and through the Grant Making and Evaluation seminar. Likewise, a grant consultant will provide instruction and guidance in grant evaluation and assessment. Additional expertise will be provided by the Director of the Northwest Foundation in terms of the philanthropic process, investment management, and development of a fundraising plan.
Ongoing Financial Support
Students participating in the pilot project will be responsible for developing a sustainability plan for the Giving Account fund. In order to ensure long-term sustainability of the philanthropic foundation, the special seminar course will continue in conjunction with support from the Office of Volunteer Programs, Service Learning, and Civic Engagement with the group project component focusing on continuing the annual RFP process, investment management, and fundraising for the philanthropic foundation. Through this on-going course, the students will develop real-world skills that can be applied in their own communities as adults and will develop a culture of philanthropic fundraising and giving.
