The Baldwin Wallace Jacket Philanthropy Program is nurturing the next generation of philanthropists and community leaders through community engagement and experiential grantmaking.
Launched in 2010 with seed funding through Ohio Campus Compact, The BW Jacket Philanthropy Program is a one-of-a-kind academic service-learning program which aims to nurture the next generation of philanthropists and through community engagement and experiential grantmaking.
All students enrolled in a Jacket Philanthropy Program course are partnered with a local non-profit organization to provide direct service and learn the grant proposal writing process (from RFP to funding decisions). Through a student-led peer-review award process, JPP students award grant funding to organizations meeting immediate needs within the community.
Key Program Components:
95%
Community Grant Proposal
Peer-Led Engagement Writing Funding Process
of students “Agreed” or “Strongly Agreed” that they learned how to use their BW education to make a positive difference in the community as a result of their JPP experience.
JPP was recognized for its impact in the region at the 2019 National Philanthropy Day, as the recipient of a distinguished annual award for "Outstanding Youth Philanthropy," one of just six awards presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) – Cleveland Chapter. Eliza Bryant Village, a local non-profit and JPP partner, nominated BW for the accolade.
The Jacket Philanthropy Program has awarded $321,000 to over 50 unique non-profit organizations in Northeast Ohio.
We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to continue to be a part of the BW JPP; we recognize the value it provides far beyond funding. We love working with students to share, teach, and learn, and we know how important these experiences are!”
Grace Hermanns, MNAL Grant Development Coordinator College Now Greater Cleveland
Heatmap of JPP partner locations
Career Pathways: JPP exposes students to non-profit careers, and the role of philanthropy in addressing community needs.
Your support of the BW Jacket Philanthropy Program provides both a transformational learning opportunity for BW students through hands-on service-learning and the grant proposal writing experience. In addition to this student impact, JPP has had tremendous community impact by engaging over 50 non-profit organizations and awarding over $321,000 in funding to support new and existing community programs.
JPP was an absolutely critical step in my career as a fundraiser. Not only was I able to leverage my experience into a grant proposal writing internship, but I have used the skills I learned through the JPP – research, clear communication, and attention to detail – in every phase of my career since then. I cannot say enough good things about this program!
- Melissa Waddell, ‘19, Director of Development, Cleveland Public Theatre
• Health Literacy Assessment (Seeds of Literacy)
Public Health students worked with Seeds over multiple JPP courses to develop, pilot and administer a Health Literacy Assessment to support adult literacy learners.
• Survivor Fund (Collaborative to End Human Trafficking)
The JPP grant provided seed funding for a survivor fund to support basic needs of individuals on their pathways out of trafficking including housing assistance, bus passes and more!
• Books Like Me Program (Cleveland Kids Book Bank)
A JPP grant funded the purchase of books with diverse characters and culturally relevant stories to be distributed to Cleveland Kids Book Bank partners.
• Healthy Homes Initiative (St. Clair Superior)
Each class awards $5000
JPP grant funding supported the Healthy Homes Initiative an ambitious program to annually address 50 homes and assist homeowners with lead paint in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood.
• Second Steps Early Learning Program (Family Life)
With the grant funds received through the BW Jacket Philanthropy program, the Family Life Child Care Center was able to purchase a social-emotional curriculum titled, Second Steps Early Learning program focused on mental health and behavior regulation.
Over 65 proposals from local non-profits were submitted for JPP course projects for the 2023-2024 program.
Over 1200 BW students have participated in a Long-term impacts of experiential philanthropy: JPP Courses have included:
• BUS 310: Human Resource Management
• ENG 309: Grant Proposal Writing
• PHT 375: Health + Social Justice
• PHT 700: Grantmaking + Administration
• PHL 276: Environmental Ethics
• PSY 215: Child Development
• SOC 303: Urban Community Life
• SOC 320: Victimology
A JPP Alumni Study was conducted in 2018 to recognize the 10th anniversary of the program. This study explore the LONG TERM impact of the JPP experience on program alumni - comparing civic knowledge, behaviors and attitudes of JPP alumni compared with non-JPP alumni . Through a survey tool and focus groups the study found significant impacts in the following areas:
• Total philanthropic giving – mean financial contributions (JPP alumni were gave more than double than non-JPP alumni
• Civic Minded Graduate scale – significantly higher mean scores for JPP alumni on civic minded graduate knowledge
• Knowledge of the Non-Profit Sector (career opportunities and awareness of community needs) Both survey data and focus group narratives convey the tremendous takeaways JPP alumni identified from their experiences including an introduction to nonprofit and philanthropy-based career opportunities, exposure to education about and awareness of community issues and the complexities of addressing community needs, and development of an understanding of the systems and structures of charitable giving and the needs, challenges, and dependence on philanthropy.
• Civic Identity Development and Civic Self-Efficacy increases Both survey data and focus group narratives suggest the development of civic self-efficacy and a sense of civic responsibility that extends beyond that of students who do not participate in a philanthropic-based service-learning course during college.
Read all about it!
JPP faculty, Dr. Lisa Green and Dr. Christy Walkuski have published an article in the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, sharing details of the 2018 alumni study, which demonstrates the long-term impact of the JPP program on students and alumni.
Article: Green,L. & Walkuski, C. (2020). Paying It Forward: Does Teaching Philanthropy Change Behavior After Graduation? JNEL, 10 (20).