American Humanics

Student Philanthropy Project

at
California State University, Fresno

Part of Students4Giving:
A national initiative of Campus Compact and
Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund with additional funding from
Fresno Regional Foundation and American Humanics, Inc.
Philanthropy
 The giving and sharing of one’s time,
talents, and treasure (i.e., money) for
the sake of another or for the common
good.

 No matter how little one has, one can

always give and share something for
the benefit of others.
 Data on Philanthropy in the U.S.

 70% of U.S. households donate to charity—

an avg. of 2% of HH income (4X greater
than that in Canada & England)

 45% of Americans over 18 volunteer an

avg. of 4 hours per week totaling 20 billion
hours nationwide.
 AH Student Philanthropy Project
at California State University, Fresno
 Provides hands-on
experiences in philanthropy
and leadership

 Allows students to develop

contacts with community
organizations
 Engages students in assessing community needs
and learning how to request and evaluate funding
proposals from organizations that meet those needs
 Student Process
 Identified community needs & possible funding
areas
 Intensive board development training with Dr.
Jackie Ryle: covered mission, vision, purpose
statement, Board members’ roles and
responsibilities
 Developed student Boards of Trustees
 Spring 2007, two student Boards of Trustees: Housing
and Youth
 Spring 2008, three student Boards of Trustees: Women &
Girls, Re-entry/Restorative Programs, and Environment 
 Student Process, cont.
 Identified local organizations for each focus area:
 Spring 2007, 24 organizations addressing housing and
47 youth-oriented organizations were identified
 Spring 2008, 33 organizations addressing each of the
three funding areas were identified

1. Developed a Request for Proposals (RFP)

2. Scheduled site visits and interviews w/ EDs
3. Invited proposals from at least three to four
organizations per funding area
4. Evaluated organizations’ proposals
5. Scored the proposals and oral presentations
6. Planned Press Conference and Awards Event
 Organization Process
1. Received AH Community Grant RFP
2. Hosted AH Site Visit Team
3. Submitted written proposal
4. Delivered an oral presentation

5. Received
notification of
grant award
6. Attended press
conference &
Awards Event
 AH Student Philanthropy Project

Spring 2007
 Began with collaboration by the American
Humanics Program at California State
University, Fresno and the Fresno Regional
Foundation (FRF)

 Initial grant of $8,000 to re-grant supplied by

FRF

 Students awarded grants totaling $4,000 to

three organizations in May 2007
 AH Student Philanthropy Project

Spring 2007 Outcomes

 Students grant $4,000 to 3 organizations
 Valley Teen Ranch: $1,000

 Provided an opportunity for boys en-

rolled in its programs an opportunity to
learn responsibility & social skills through
participation in a high school prom.

 Encourage Tomorrow: $1,000

 Enhanced the Las Hermanitas (“Little Sister”) Mentoring Program, a
component of the La Rosa Program at Roosevelt High School.

 Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries: $2,000

 Provided both “macro” and “micro” support for quality and affordable
housing in Fresno, by focusing on: 1) Community Organizing training
and development of Lao and Hmong language organizing curricula and
2) Management and support for FIRM’s first affordable housing
redevelopment project on Tyler Street
 AH Student Philanthropy Project

Spring 2008
 Part of the Students4Giving: A National Initiative of
Campus Compact and Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund
with additional funding from Fresno Regional
Foundation and American Humanics, Inc.
 Fresno State was one of five academic institutions
nationwide to receive oversight of a $15,000 donor-
advised fund to be used for grants to local nonprofit
organizations.
 We awarded a
total of $8,000 to
2 local nonprofit
organizations.
 AH Student Philanthropy Project

Spring 2008 Outcomes

Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County: $4,000
Will introduce a new program, “Date SMART” (Skills, Mastery, And
Resistance Training), for 60 young women ages 13-18 at the East
Fresno and West Fresno clubs and help participants gain the knowledge
and skills necessary to establish fun, safe, and mutually-supportive
dating relationships by confronting attitudes and behaviors that
contribute to abusive relationships.
 AH Student Philanthropy Project

Spring 2008 Outcomes

River Tree Volunteers: $4,000
Will purchase three additional canoes which will increase its capacity
to expose a greater number of volunteers to the San Joaquin River in
order to plant trees and remove trash and debris. The organization
regularly cleans along 33 miles of the San Joaquin River between
Friant Dam and Skaggs Bridge County Park.
 AH Student Philanthropy Project

Fall 2007
 During Fall 2007, students enroll in the second of the
two-course sequence for the Student Philanthropy
Project, “Grant Writing and Evaluation”
 Students gain grant writing experience through service-
learning projects with local nonprofit organizations
 Students also learn how to evaluate organizations
funded through the Student Philanthropy Project by
conducting site visits with the Executive Director and
staff of the organizations and reviewing program
outcomes from the prior spring semester.
 AH Student Philanthropy Project

Fall 2007 Outcomes

 GRANT WRITING:
 At least two students successfully assist in researching and/or
preparing grants that result in at least $12,000 to two local
nonprofit organizations (adds to the total of over $500,000
during the past five years)
 EVALUATION:
 Students conducted site visits and interviewed the staff and
clients of Valley Teen Ranch, Encourage Tomorrow, and FIRM
—the three organizations that received funding in Spring 2007.

 Students prepared evaluation reports assessing the return on

the investment (ROI) from the original grant.
 Funding Available for 2008-2009
Students4Giving Program
 The RFP for the 2008-2009 Students4Giving
program is now available online: 
http://www.compact.org/students4giving/2008/
 Ten new colleges will be funded for 2008-2009
 Proposals for 2008-2009 are due to Campus
Compact on June 20th, 2008
 Students from participating pilot campuses were
invited to be involved as part of this year's proposal
review committee. 
 WANT TO LEARN MORE?
American Humanics Nonprofit Administration Program
Department of Sociology
College of Social Sciences
California State University, Fresno
http://www.csufresno.edu/ah
 Dr. Matthew A. Jendian, Director;
Associate Professor of Sociology; matthewj@csufresno.edu;
 Dr. Don Simmons, Instructor; dsimmons@csufresno.edu
 Dr. Dan Griffin, Instructor; danielg@csufresno.edu
 Dr. Jackie Ryle, Instructor; drjryle@mac.com
 Ms. Ashley Howard, AH Student Philanthropy Project Co-
coordinator & Instructor; ashleyreneehoward@gmail.com