Binghamton University student philanthropy program awards over $15,500

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Binghamton University philanthropy students have announced the recipients of over $15,500 in grant awards for 2019. The University’s Philanthropy Incubator program, which involves undergraduate and graduate students from two different courses, has awarded over $150,000 to Broome County nonprofit organizations since its inception in 2009.

Undergraduate students in the Philanthropy and Civil Society course are giving away a total of $10,000 as follows:
The undergraduate students learned earlier this week that the Learning by Giving Foundation had awarded them an additional $2,000 to give to local organizations. They have not yet decided how to distribute that money.

• $7,500 to Truth Pharm, a local grassroots organization that aims to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with substance-use disorders. The grant will provide support for a therapeutic harm reduction support group for people struggling with opioid addiction.
• $2,500 to the American Civic Association to support its mission to provide assistance to immigrants in the United States who have settled in Broome County.

Graduate students in the Issues in Nonprofit Administration course will award $5,500 to VINES (Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments), a local nonprofit, to support its mission to develop a sustainable and just community food system. The graduate students raised the $5,500 through “Party with a Purpose,” their annual fundraising event to support local organizations.

David Campbell, associate professor of public administration and instructor for the two courses, said the students have selected organizations that are working on some of the most important issues we confront today: the opioid crisis, sustainability and immigration.

“The students have shown leadership in embracing real-world issues, and taken the initiative to address them. They are providing funds that support recovery for people struggling with opioid addiction, investing in making Binghamton a welcoming place for new immigrants and giving money to build a more sustainable Broome County.”

The program involves students enrolled in Binghamton University’s College of Community and Public Affairs and across the University who learn about philanthropy’s role in addressing community needs, and how to manage and lead nonprofit organizations effectively. The grant funds are raised in two ways, through the graduate student-led fundraiser, “Party with a Purpose,” and through support from the Learning by Giving Foundation, founded by the philanthropist Doris Buffett, which has supported student philanthropy at Binghamton University since 2010.

For more information about the Philanthropy Incubator or the grant awards, contact David Campbell at 607-777-9181 or dcamp@binghamton.edu.