Students4Giving: Inspiring Philanthropy's Future 2008-2009 Request for Proposals
Proposals for the 2008 Students4Giving initiative are no longer being accepted.
Learn more about Students4Giving.
Campus Compact and the Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund℠ are delighted to announce the 2008-2009 Students4Giving Request for Proposals to educate and inspire a new generation of philanthropists in a new era of giving. The Students4Giving initiative will provide 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. Campus Compact member colleges and universities are invited to respond to this Request for Proposals to be eligible to participate in Students4Giving as one of ten new programs located throughout the country. Each participating school will be allocated $15,000 in assets earmarked exclusively for charitable purposes which will be managed through a Giving Account®, a donor-advised fund at the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund. Participating programs will also receive additional funds for administrative support. Proposals must be received by Campus Compact by 5:00 p.m. EST Friday, June 20, 2008.
The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund (the "Gift Fund") is an independent public charity with a donor-advised fund program. An individual donor-advised fund at the Gift Fund is referred to as a "Giving Account." Generally, donor-advised funds are established by individuals as part of their overall financial plan which incorporates a lifetime commitment to philanthropy and a desire to create a legacy. After making an initial contribution to the Gift Fund and establishing a Giving Account, individuals recommend grants to IRS-qualified public charities of their choice over time. Grant making through a Giving Account provides flexibility in charitable donations and grant making, tax benefits and the potential to give more as a result of the Gift Fund's investment pool program. As one of the nation's largest public charities, the Gift Fund has granted more than $7.7 billion to more than 118,000 nonprofit organizations since its inception in 1991. More information about the Gift Fund can be found at www.charitablegift.org.
Campus Compact is a coalition of more than 1,100 college and university presidents — representing some 6 million students — who are committed to fulfilling the public purposes of higher education. As the only national association dedicated to this mission, Campus Compact is a leader in building civic engagement into campus and academic life. Through our national office and network of 34 state offices, member institutions receive the training, resources, and advocacy they need to build strong surrounding communities and teach students the skills and values of democracy.
Overview and Objectives
The Students4Giving initiative seeks to acknowledge and advance philanthropic education efforts at colleges and universities throughout the country while encouraging community-based learning and partnership with local nonprofit organizations. The primary objectives of the Students4Giving initiative are the following:
- Provide a framework for philanthropic education emphasizing community-based knowledge with both grant making and fundraising dimensions.
- Encourage long-term educational use of donor-advised funds through the development of infrastructure for continued growth, grant making and sustainability.
- Provide an opportunity for students to manage the philanthropic process (i.e. creating a philanthropic mission statement, researching nonprofits, selecting grant recipients, etc.) and to learn to manage charitable funds to achieve stated philanthropic goals.
- Provide an opportunity for students to learn about the grant making process and to understand the impact of their choices.
- Create and support campus infrastructure for education focused on the nonprofit sector and the resources that sustain it.
Resources and Support
Colleges and universities selected to participate in the Students4Giving initiative will receive the following:
- A $15,000 contribution to the Gift Fund to establish a Giving Account in the college or university's name.
- $3,000 in administrative resources to support costs associated with course/program design and administration (including general facilitation, materials, travel, stipends for guest speakers, distribution of Requests for Proposals to nonprofit organizations, etc).
- Technical assistance from Campus Compact and the Gift Fund, including regular opportunities for communication as programs progress through the academic year.
Guidelines and Requirements
Proposals should contain the following components:
- Program design that links the management of the Giving Account to related academic courses or structured learning opportunities.
- Program design that incorporates both fundraising and grant making dimensions of philanthropy, encouraging student learning about the need for ongoing fundraising to meet long-term community needs.
- Program design that incorporates a plan for continued use of the Giving Account and related philanthropic education opportunities, including how faculty/administrators plan to incorporate the program in future academic sessions.
Students4Giving is intended to add value to existing or emergent educational programming — to provide additional resources and learning opportunities for a course on philanthropy or for a course or program focused on specific community challenges, for example.
Best Practices and Program Examples
Creativity, partnership and planning are the cornerstones of successful campus Students4Giving efforts across the country. When designing a course or program, consider the following best practices:
- Be creative about fundraising to sustain the Giving Account. For example, a philanthropy course might partner with a nonprofit management course focused on fundraising to replenish the college's Giving Account over time. A "Giving Circle" might be established in the fall and tasked with matching the funds that will be distributed in the spring.
- Begin early. While the grant making course and primary activities will not occur until the spring semester, preparatory activities can occur throughout the fall/winter terms. For example, a winter term course in community needs assessment could provide the basis for a spring grant making effort. Students could be provided with winter break reading assignments.
- Plan for the logistics involved with the grant making cycle. Consider using administrative monies to secure the assistance of a graduate student for additional administrative support (i.e. coordination of site visits, award ceremonies, etc.) or plan time for student teamwork.
Giving Account Guidelines:
Administration and management of the Giving Account is subject to the terms of the Gift Fund's Policies and Guidelines Program Circular. The Tax Identification Number of the college or university will be used to establish the Giving Account and a faculty advisor or administrator will be named as the Primary Account Holder. Giving Accounts will be maintained in the name of the selected college programs for continued contribution, investment and grant making beyond the spring 2009 academic semester. Students, in partnership with faculty/administrators, will develop grant making guidelines and related processes, including research and decision making regarding recommended grant recipients. In conjunction with faculty advisors, students will develop and implement a fundraising plan to ensure sustainability of the Giving Account indefinitely or for a specified period of time. For example, if a class decides to recommend a grant in the amount of $10,000 from its Giving Account to a local nonprofit during the semester, $5,000 will remain in the Giving Account for a future term. These resources should be supplemented through additional student fundraising or campus contributions over time.
In addition to the Gift Fund's standard Giving Account program policies and procedures as detailed in the Gift Fund's Policies and Guidelines Program Circular, participating programs must comply with the following requirements related to Giving Account management:
- Between 50-75% ($7,500 - $11,250) of the Giving Account must be granted during the spring semester 2009 (i.e., by May 1, 2009).
- Giving Accounts will be overseen by the administrators and students involved with the specific program ("Account Holders").
- All grants recommended through the Giving Account must be made to eligible Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) public charities. Standard Gift Fund grant making guidelines also apply.
- Participating schools must submit a list of organizations (on Gift Fund Grant Recommendation Forms or online) to which they would like to recommend grants from the Giving Accounts before the end of spring semester 2009. Grants will be made to charities through the Gift Fund as soon as possible after receipt of the grant recommendations.
- All funds held in the Giving Account must be EXCLUSIVELY for charitable purposes, specifically grant making only. No funds from the Giving Account may be used for administrative or other expenses.
For additional information on the Giving Account program, visit: www.charitablegift.org.
By participating in Students4Giving, colleges and universities will be expected to maintain regular communication with Campus Compact and Gift Fund liaisons, to participate in media and promotional activities (i.e. public awards ceremonies) and to participate in a documentation of reflection on the experience (including interviews of students, faculty, community partners). This will be used by Campus Compact and the Gift Fund for both evaluation and media purposes. Colleges and universities will also be required to submit a brief mid-semester and end-of-semester report. Participation in this program is subject to all rules and guidelines of the Gift Fund unless otherwise noted. Campus Compact and the Gift Fund reserve the right to change, alter or terminate the initiative at any time.
Selection Process and Timeline
Proposals are due to Campus Compact by 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, June 20, 2008. A national external review committee comprised of individuals with expertise in grant making and philanthropic education will review applications. Finalists will be invited to provide additional information before final decisions are made. College and university winners will be announced mid-August. Planning will begin in fall 2008, with primary grant making activities occurring through courses and campus programming during the spring 2009 semester.
Learn more about Students4Giving.
Being a part of Campus Compact has let us touch the heart and soul of building better communities while improving teaching and learning for faculty and students. James A. Drake, President, Brevard Community College