Students award $5,000 to Onondaga County nonprofit

Maxwell students enrolled in a pilot class, ‘Philanthropy and You,’ will award a grant donated by Syracuse University alumni and staff at a reception in the Founder’s Room at the Maxwell School at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Students in an undergraduate Public Affairs Program (PAF) at the Maxwell School formed a board of directors of the Foundation of Young Philanthropists this semester and have selected a local nonprofit to award a $5,000 grant.

“The grant monies are being donated by a member of the SU Board of Trustees, other alumni from the SU and Maxwell development offices and SU staff who are passionate about instilling the importance of philanthropy in our students,” says Carol Dwyer, class instructor. “These are the leaders of the next generation and it is important that the sharing of their time, treasure and talent be an integral part of their life journey.”

The idea for the class is the brainchild of Syracuse University alumna Helene M. Kahn (PAF major, ‘10) and now an associate with SU’s Office of Development. Kahn proposed the concept to William D. Coplin, PAF chair, and Dwyer, director of the Community Benchmarks Program, which are based in the Maxwell School.

The class focuses on the history and evolution of nonprofits in the United States, nonprofit board governance and the importance of philanthropy. Thanks to the many speakers who came to the classroom, students learned how to design a grant application, screen proposals and evaluate the financial statements of each organization. Students narrowed the grant submittals to six organizations to which site visits were made before a final decision was reached.

The class will continue to be offered each fall.

Contact: Carol Dwyer, 443-3934