Pay+it+forward

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**Pay it Forward: A hands‐on approach to student philanthropy ** Jodi Benenson, PhD candidate, Brandeis University [benenson@brandeis.edu]

Erika Moldow, Senior Research Associate Center for Youth and Communities, Brandeis University [emoldow@brandeis.edu]

Andrew Hahn, Professor and Director, The Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy, Brandeis University [ahahn@brandeis.edu]

**Keywords:** Philanthropy, Pay it Forward initiative, curriculum development, Campus Compact, grant making

**Conference track:** Higher education student outcomes

**Format:** Research/Scholarly paper

This paper examines student philanthropy courses through Pay it Forward (PIF), a course‐based service‐learning initiative engaging college students throughout Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. This study surveys 1,628 students enrolled across 111 courses and shares findings about student demographics, previous experience with philanthropic activities, course activities, confidence in philanthropic skills, and perception of course impact.
 * Summary **

In recent years, student philanthropy has become the focus of programs across higher education institutions and states (Olberding, Neikirk, & Ng, 2010). Although parents, religious life, organizational associations, and neighborhoods can affect the ideals that lead to engagement in philanthropic behavior (Bjorhovde, 2002; Daloz, 1998), not all students are getting these experiences. Olberding (2009) defines student philanthropy as “an experiential learning approach that provides students with the opportunity to study social problems and nonprofit organizations, and then make decisions about investing funds in them” (p. 463).

This session will showcase the PIF project, a $1.4 million federally‐funded initiative of Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky Campus Compacts that aims to develop a new generation of philanthropists through an innovative course‐based experiential learning program (Pay it Forward, 2012). Participating faculty make the study of philanthropy a core component of the coursework and each course receives $2,000 dollars to award to nonprofit organizations in the community. The primary goal of PIF is to address critical needs in campus communities through student‐led grant making and volunteerism.

The initial findings demonstrate that after the PIF course, students feel most confident in articulating views different from their own, participating in group decision making, establishing goals and priorities for funds, understanding how nonprofits address societal needs, volunteering after graduation, and believing they can make a difference in their local community. These findings will strengthen the understanding of experiential learning courses and expand this aspect of philanthropic studies literature.

Ahmed, S., & Olberding, J. C. (2007/2008). Can student philanthropy help to address the current nonprofit identity crisis? A case study of a multiyear, multidisciplinary project at Northern Kentucky University. //Journal of Public Affairs Education, 13//(3/4), 593-615.
 * References **

Ashcraft, R. F. (2002). Philanthropic studies curricula in higher education. //New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, 36//, 101-118.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Astin, A. W., & Sax, L. J. (1998). How undergraduates are affected by service participation. //Journal of College Student Development, 39//(3), 251-263.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Berkshire, J. C. (2007). Guiding future philanthropists: A handful of grant makers support efforts to teach college students how to give intelligently. //The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 19//(4).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bjorhovde, P. O. (2002). Teaching philanthropy to children: Why, how, and what. //New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, 36//, 7-20.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Daloz, L. (1998). Can generosity be taught? In //Essays on Philanthropy No. 29//. Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, Indianapolis, IN.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Falk (2002). Teaching the next generation about philanthropy: A case study of the AFP New Jersey chapter’s Youth in Philanthropy Program. //New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, 36//, 55-72.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Irvin, R. A. (2005). The student philanthropists: Fostering civic engagement through grant making. //Journal of Public Affairs Education, 11//(4), 325-336.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Millisor, J., & Olberding, J. C. (2009). Student philanthropy in colleges and universities. //Academic Exchange Quarterly, 13//(4), 11-16.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Olberding, J. C. (2009). ‘Indirect Giving’ to nonprofit organizations: An emerging model of student philanthropy. //Journal of Public Affairs Education, 15//, 463-492.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Olberding, J. C., Neikirk, M., & Ng, D. (2010). //Student philanthropy: A handbook for college and university faculty//. Highland Heights, KY: Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement at Northern Kentucky University.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pay it Forward -PIF. (2012). //Pay it Forward – Ohio Campus Compact Website//. Retrieved from: http://www.ohiocampuscompact.org/programs/payit-forward/

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Payton, R. L., & Moody, M. P. (2008). //Understanding philanthropy: Its meaning and mission//. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tice, K. (2002). Engaging youth in philanthropy. //New Directions for Philanthropic Fundraising, 38//, 408.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wish, N. B., & Mirabella, R. M. (1998). Curricular variations in nonprofit management graduate programs. //Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 9//(1), 99-110.


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