Pay It Forward awards at McG

McGregor Launches Student Philanthropy Project; Funds Local Non-profits

Student philanthropists at Antioch University McGregor

Yellow Springer Nerak Roth Patterson (center) awarding a grant to the Pregnancy Resource Center of Springfield for its Healthy Teen Parenting Initiative

Antioch University McGregor has launched the Pay It Forward Student Philanthropy initiative awarding grants to three area nonprofits focused on health, hunger, and homelessness among children. This activity is part of a degree program in Human Services Systems. The funding for Pay It Forward is a joint effort from Learn & Serve America, the Ohio Campus Compact, and Antioch University McGregor.

On March 19, the organizations that have been selected by the class’ student philanthropists will receive their awards and celebrate the program’s successes. The three organizations receiving funds this term are Woman Line of Dayton, Springfield Christian Youth Ministries (GirlPower), and Pregnancy Resource Center of Springfield.

“The principle at hand is not just about generosity but about being willing to receive help; to be a part of a larger community that recognizes and celebrates empathy,” said Antioch University McGregor president, Dr. Michael Fishbein.

McGregor’s most recent involvement in this arena is the adoption of a nationwide effort, Pay It Forward: Strengthening Communities through Student-Led Philanthropy. “McGregor is one of 14 colleges in Ohio to receive a grant for this project made possible by generous funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service (Learn and Serve America Higher Education) and Ohio Campus Compact,” said Dr. Iris Weisman, Executive Dean of the School of Professional and Liberal Studies.

The project’s inaugural launch was led by students in the Undergraduate Program's Human Services Systems class. The students were offered a unique chance to learn about philanthropy in a practical and rewarding way by working directly with area non-profits, reviewing requests for proposals for particular needs, creating the rubric for measurement and awarding capacity building funds. They are engaging the surrounding community in this effort through the celebratory event on March 19, highlighting the effects these funds will have, not only with the agencies receiving awards, but especially with those they serve.

“With our support, the class developed every aspect of the program; from the grant application to how they were going to market and promote this endeavor,” said Dr. Jane Brown, chairperson of AUM’s undergraduate Health and Wellness program. The results of this work can be found on the student designed www.payitforwardmcgregor.com – a website where related Dayton area non-profits applied for funding.

The program will also be a component of the summer quarter Human Services Systems class. Working with the AUM Development Director, Kimberly Horton, the group hopes to sustain the initiative, becoming a key component in the advancement efforts of the campus. “We want to engage students with real life experience in organizing and launching philanthropy programs within their community so they are prepared to serve as empathetic citizens in a world of ever-increasing need,” said Horton.

More information can be found at www.mcgregor.edu.