Community Service/Fundraising

Community Service/Fundraising is one of the four pillars the PwC Scholars program focuses on to develop future leaders.

Community Service Project

Each year the PwC Scholars develop and execute a large-scale community service project with a local non-profit organization. The students in the program also fully organize and implement several events on campus to support the annual project's fundraising goal of approximately $15,000. Throughout the year, students volunteer over a thousand hours towards the project. Volunteer hours are spent working directly with the local organization to develop a project that meets their needs.

The project culminates in a Community Service Day (typically at the end of April), in which all of the Scholars spend the entire day on the project build with the help of alumni from the program, faculty and staff from Binghamton University and representatives from PwC in New York City. Past projects include:

  • Truth Pharm (2022-23): Scholars worked with a non-profit organization that aims to reduce the harms caused by substance abuse. Through interior and exterior improvements, Scholars created a welcoming space by installing new floors, painting and organizing. They also educated their peers by offering a free narcan training to students on campus and assisted in putting together narcan kits. Read more here.
  • Stand With Me (2021-22): Scholars constructed a staircase, roof, and stone walkway with Habitat for Humanity to provide external access to the organization's upstairs training room.
  • Gigi's Playhouse (2020-21): Scholars converted a room into a fully functioning kitchen area and created a jobs-skills development program to held Gigi's participants land jobs in the community. Scholars also held a number of virtual events with participants, including Zumba and baking classes. Read more here.
  • American Civic Association (2019-20): Scholars installed a mirror-flower mosaic outside the building and renovated a storage room, transforming it into a computer lab. Read more here.
  • Kali's Klubhouse (2018-19) Scholars worked with Kali's Klubhouse in Apalachin, NY., an organization that promotes rehabilitation to youth at risk and children with disabilities using mounted and unmounted equine activities. The Scholars provided a variety of services to help advance their cause, including aesthetic improvements to a newly constructed classroom and outside facilities, installation of kitchen cabinets and a library nook, and implementation of a career development program. Read more here.
  • Helping Celebrate Abilities (2017-18) Scholars painted and renovated the facilities and installed interactive wall panels and mosaic lighting in the interior. They also created an outdoor learning space with a garden, pergola and fence. The group interacted with the students at the preschool throughout the year and held various holiday-themed events. Read more here.
  • Binghamton Housing Authority (2016-17) In addition to creating a new indoor library, Scholars renovated the courtyard area for residents by replacing the metal benches with wooden seating. The also replanted the garden beds, installed a large mosaic and held game nights and other fun events with the residents.
  • Salvation Army (2015-16) Scholars updated the Salvation Army kitchen with new cabinets, appliances and larger counter spaces to better service the community, and painted a lively mural to beautify the space. In addition, many Scholars volunteered at the soup kitchen in order to better connect with the project and the people they were helping.
  • Our Space at Recreation Park (2013-15) Scholars partnered with Binghamton Parks and Recreation over a two-year span to create a handicapped-accessible playground, revitalize the baseball fields, and design and paint murals around the park.
  • Walnut Street Park (2012-13) Scholars installed playground equipment, painted a mural and cleared two adjacent vacant parking lots, converting them into garden spaces.

Applications for consideration as a recipient of this grant are accepted starting in December. Applications are due by mid-April. You can apply here:
PwC Scholars Community Service Interest Form

Please contact Molly Pianella at mpianella@binghamton.edu for more information.

2023-24 Community Service Project

The PwC Scholars worked with Rise and Ross Park Zoo in Binghamton, N.Y. for their 2023-24 community service project.

Rise is a local shelter with residential, advocacy, and counseling services to assist families who experience or are threatened with domestic violence. Through Rise's programs and services, they assist people with legal and court related options, provide them with information and supply basic needs, including therapeutic services with a licensed social worker on staff. To help Rise, our students crafted motivational art works, put together care packages, created welcome binders, built a mud kitchen and constructed a guard rail. 

As a regional leader in wildlife conservation, Ross Park Zoo dedicates itself to promoting awareness and stewardship of our natural world through education, protection and community engagement. At the zoo, the Scholars worked on the demolition and clean-up of the old peacock habitat, raked leaves and surveyed attendees to learn more about their interest in zoos.

Marketing, fundraising events and project design are planned for the entire academic year. 

Fundraising

First-year fundraisers

First-year fundraisers are annual events run by the newest Scholars in the program, with the goal of raising money for the spring community service project and teaching new Scholars the process of developing, planning and executing a successful fundraiser.

At the beginning of their first semester, the new scholars are split into two teams. Each team will plan a fundraising event, and elects two chairpersons to lead meetings, mediate decisions, and communicate ideas. Over the course of the semester, the teams discover how to create a successful fundraiser under the direction of the Vice President of Fundraising. Students learn the process of idea creation, logistical planning, effective marketing, and event execution through the development of the fundraisers. Scholars learn the importance of communication and proper delegation of tasks to maximize efficiency.

Ignite

Different companies volunteer their professionals to join SOM students for a unique networking event of solving brain teasers and puzzles. Past participating firms have included: Deloitte; EY; KPMG; PwC; Deloitte; CBIZ; Grant Thornton; Protiviti; RSM; FORVIS; Visions FCU; Geico; GE; Morgan Stanley; Goldman Sachs; Macy's. 

"Date" Auction

The date auction is a unique networking opportunity that gives SOM students the chance to bid on and win casual networking "dates" with top professionals within various business industries. "Dates" can include dinners, office tours and bowling events.

MarketWatch Competition

SOM students can build their portfolios and learn how to invest in the stock market through a virtual simulation without losing any real money. By reacting to markets in real time, participants have the opportunity to compete against their friends and classmates for prizes. 

Money Allocation

All proceeds from fundraiser events put together by PwC Scholars throughout the year are donated to the annual community service organization the program decides to help during the spring semester.