$15,000 grant to fund student charity efforts

Northwest Missouri State University today announced that it is one of ten academic institutions chosen to participate in the 2008-’09 Students4Giving program made possible through a $15,000 grant sponsored by The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund and Campus Compact.

Now in its second year, Students4Giving promotes philanthropic education efforts at colleges and universities across the country and seeks to inspire young people to become more involved with philanthropy.

Financed by Fidelity, the program is providing Northwest with oversight of a $15,000 Giving Account, a donor-advised fund that will be managed by students participating in a nonprofit and philanthropy course offered during the spring trimester.

Students taking the course at Northwest and a handful of other selected colleges and universities, will acquire classroom and practical experience in using charitable dollars to meet community needs. Activities are to include researching local issues, evaluating IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) public charities and recommending which causes and non-profits are to receive funds.

“The mission of the Northwest Student Philanthropy and Civic Engagement Project is to prepare students to lead nonprofit fundraising and giving activities,” said Amy Nally, University coordinator of volunteer programs and service learning. “Our goal is to develop in students the desire, skill and power to become philanthropic individuals and to become effective non-profit organizational leaders.”

Northwest was chosen from 21 universities and colleges nationwide that submitted proposals to participate in the program. In addition to the $15,000 grant, the Gift Fund and Campus Compact are providing access to charitable planning consultants who will offer guidance and advice.

“The giving initiatives administered through the Students4Giving program illustrate the importance our colleges and universities place on preparing students to tackle today’s most pressing social issues,” said Maureen Curley, president of Campus Compact.

Nally said students taking the course will determine a mission and goals for what is essentially their own charitable foundation charged with spending the $15,000 grant. They will then help prepare funding requests for student groups or non-profit community organization whose objectives coincide with that mission.

“The program gives students hands-on experience that makes the learning process more authentic,” Nally said. “Doing real work in the real world helps students become more socially aware while deepening and improving their learning.”

More than 1,000 students currently participate in service opportunities created by Northwest’s Volunteer, Service Learning and Civic Engagement Center, including Beautifying Residences Using Student Help (BRUSH), the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Celebration, Horace Mann Laboratory School Luncheon and Alternative Spring Break.

As one of the nation’s largest public charities, the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund has granted almost $8 billion to more than 121,000 nonprofit organizations since its inception in 1991. Campus Compact is a consortium that works with colleges and universities to ensure that students graduate with the skills and knowledge to contribute to the common good.

To learn more about the Students4Giving grant, contact Nally through the Office of Student Affairs at 660.562.1242 (ext. 1242 on campus).

For more information, please contact:

Anthony Brown,
News Bureau Manager
E-Mail: abrown@nwmissouri.edu
Phone: 660.562.1704
Fax: 660.562.1900

Northwest Missouri State University
219 Administration Building,
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468

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