Support Hands-On Philanthropy Education
The "Philanthropy: Power of Giving" course educates students to ensure that all charitable gifts given to nonprofits make a measurable impact on our society.
The "Philanthropy: Power of Giving" course envisions a society that values the importance of philanthropy and philanthropy education in order to strengthen the impact of every dollar given to charitable causes.
What is the “Philanthropy: Power of Giving” class?
“Philanthropy: Power of Giving” is a course offered at The University of Texas at Austin that teaches students the necessary skills to responsibly donate money to exemplary charities. Prior to donating the money, students will become experts on how to research and evaluate nonprofits. After a semester of debates, the class thoughtfully decides on which charities will receive funds. This intensive evaluation process of each nonprofit that is considered ensures that the students have confidence in the nonprofit that they have collectively chosen.
Why does my donation matter?
With the help of your donation, this class can be continued in the future. The students are giving away real money, which means the course needs donors to be sustainable. In addition to supporting philanthropy education, your donation will ultimately be given to a nonprofit that has been carefully researched and selected using criteria the students have learned throughout the course. Your donation will also be matched dollar for dollar.
What criteria is used by the students to choose the nonprofits?
The students of the "Philanthropy: Power of Giving" course exhaustively evaluate the nonprofits on many factors. Most primarily they are looking for transparency, measure of impact, financial responsibility and effective leadership.
1. Measures of Impact
There is not a universal manner in which to measure the impact of all charities. However, each organization should have a method to assess the work they are doing and how it is impacting the overall improvement of their community or the world. Additionally, it is important to the students that the impact the nonprofit is making remains in line with their organizational mission.
2. Effective Leadership
The people in charge of a nonprofit are integral to the success of the mission. The students are aware of the experience and qualifications of the executive director and the reputation of the board, two factors that are often indicative of the nonprofit’s potential to accomplish their mission.
3. Financial Responsibility
Students learn how to analyze the IRS Form 990, a form detailing annual financial activities and accomplishments. Using this document, information concerning what the money is going towards, how the employees are compensated and other related details illustrate whether a charity is responsibly allocating funds.
An organization in the nonprofit sector is necessarily held to a higher standard than other types of organizations because donors expect their contributions to effect change. Openly releasing financial documents, acknowledging weaknesses in their work, describing how they will fix them, and a general practice of ethical behavior is critical for the development of trust between donors and the nonprofit that is supported.
To what types of charities does the class typically donate?
The class supports a wide array of 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Donations have been used for disaster relief efforts, child abuse investigative services, environmental agencies and many other significant causes with local, national or international scales.
Some examples of nonprofits that have been supported in the past include:
Helping Hand Home for Children, Autism Trust, The Center for Child Protection, Brother’s Brother Foundation, KIPP Austin, Austin Child Guidance Center, and Mercy for Animals
There is a great variety in the nonprofits that have been supported in the past, but no matter the mission, each nonprofit is transparent, ethical and reputable.