Students in the Baylor University "Philanthropy and the Public Good" course presented $52,500 in grants to nine local nonprofit organizations Tuesday at McLane Stadium.
Baylor is among 17 universities that participate in The Philanthropy Lab, a hands-on philanthropy education programs that ignites student's interest and participation in philanthropy.
Dr. Andy Hogue taught the course throughout the semester. This is the fourth semester a Baylor class has awarded the grants to local organizations. Since the fall 2014, the class has given away more than $275,000 to local nonprofits.
"We can only do this if we were given funding to do this. We've got some wonderful donors who partner with us, who believe in this vision and this mission," said Hogue. "But the students themselves are just phenomenal. They work really, really hard."
Hogue said students operate as a foundation board of directors and they decide how and where to give the funds. They contact local organizations, visit the sites and look at the needs of each organization. The students worked with more than 60 nonprofits before narrowing down who they would be distributing the money to.
"One of the things we are trying to teach is how a community works, how a community thrives and the variety of ways in which that happens," said Hogue. "But also how we might contribute to that. Part of that is through our time and service but it's also through our financial means. So one of the things that we're trying to instill is a life of generosity."
Students were tasked to evaluate community needs in six key areas: Health and Wellness; Hunger and Homelessness; Children, Youth and Education; Human Services and Civil Rights; Community Development; and Culture, Arts and the Environment.
"I managed to see Waco in another light," said James Porter, a junior Baylor student in the course."It went from a stereotypical small city which I came into, to a thriving, loving, well-known close knit community that Waco truly is."
Students presented grants to the following organizations:
Communities in Schools of the Heart of Texas: $5,000
Restoration Haven Inc.: $10,000
Nurse-Family Partnership at Baylor Scott & White: $8,160
Court Appointed Special Advocated of McLennan and Hill Counties (CASA): $2,340
Waco Civic Theatre: $7,000
Waco Community Development Corporation: $5,000
Texas Hunger Initiative: $5,500
Family Abuse Center: $4,500
Creative Waco: $5,000
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