UNK philanthropy class awards $10K to Buffalo County nonprofits

IMG_9979

KEARNEY – Nine nonprofits in Buffalo County received a total of ,000 in grant money to fund 11 projects as part of a philanthropy class project at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

On Wednesday, UNK students in the Marketing 388H “Philanthropy: Learning to Give” class hosted its awards ceremony and named nonprofit organizations that received grants through their class’s Community Enrichment Grant.

The grant, funded by the Learning by Giving Foundation, teaches students the importance of giving by allowing them to understand the process by which philanthropic work takes place.

Throughout the semester students worked in four focus areas – health, poverty, mentoring and education – and decided within those groups how the grant was to be allocated. Students created a grant application, advertised the grant, reviewed applications, made onsite visits and ultimately hosted the awards ceremony.

This is the fourth year the UNK philanthropy class has been available for junior- and senior-level students, but it is the first year the class has been offered as an honors only option.

Twenty-six applications were received, and grants ranging from $200 to $2,450 were given to the following nine nonprofits:

HelpCare Clinic $2,450 to cover costs of crucial medications and lab work to assist low-income and uninsured patients.

The S.A.F.E Center $1,900 to create a project called “Blooming,” which helps youth develop an understanding of healthy relationships by creating and caring for a garden and to provide clients staying at S.A.F.E. Center shelters much needed resources for their self-sufficiency.

ARC of Buffalo County $1,700 to sponsor a formal dance to help teens and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities develop social skills.

Buffalo County Community Partners $1,000 to develop and implement a unified strategy for bullying prevention among youth.

Junior Achievement $800 to provide Junior Achievement curriculum for elementary students in Kearney Public Schools with goals of increasing their financial literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship. Lessons are designed to impact future economic success of young citizens.

Elm Creek TeamMates Program $800 to provide materials and resources for mentors and mentees to engage in more meaningful activities and conversations together to further strengthen their relationships.

Families CARE $650 to provide supplies for an educational seminar on budget and meal planning for low-income parents.

Kearney Concert Association $500 to bring award-winning a cappella vocal band “Six Appeal” to Kearney to conduct an educational workshop at Kearney High School.

Kearney Literacy Council $200 to provide books to children and encourage literacy.

 

-30-

Media Contact: Todd Gottula, UNK Director of Communications, 308.865.8454, gottulatm@unk.edu
Source Contact: Sri Seshadri, Marketing & MIS Professor, 308.865.8190, seshadris@un

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *