Students in Philanthropy Lab, a WashU Sociology course supported by the Gephardt Institute and The Philanthropy Lab national organization, granted $68,000 to nonprofits in the St. Louis region during an event held at Stix House last week.
WashU Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and Lisa Weingarth, Senior Advisor for St. Louis Initiatives, joined the Philanthropy Lab students on Thursday, April 25. They welcomed representatives from the nonprofits, and celebrated the record amount of funding in the course’s four-year history at WashU.
“One of the great things about Philanthropy Lab is your opportunity to really get engaged here in the St. Louis community and really make a difference,” Martin said. “Your willingness to engage in that way is terrific. This community pulled together in really important ways, and I’m really proud of that.”
Philanthropy Lab is offered once each year at WashU — taught for two years now by Professor Barbara Levin — and at 20 other universities around the country, under guidelines from the The Philanthropy Lab national organization. The course gives students a theoretical and practical understanding of philanthropy, through classwork, workshops with philanthropy professionals, and the process of visiting, interviewing, and vetting local nonprofit organizations.
“Our students have had the opportunity to learn from all of you and our nonprofit professionals and volunteers, getting a perspective that I hope they find both unique and meaningful,” Levin told the representatives of local nonprofits on Thursday. “You, the nonprofit professionals and volunteers, do fantastic work every day. Our 18 students recognize this and are challenged to think about their role in the world beyond the academics and beyond the campus.”
Among the students’ conclusions, from their meetings with nonprofits and philanthropy professionals, is that a polished video or presentation for seeking funding was less impactful to them than making a personal connection with nonprofit leaders and learning about the ways they care for their communities.
“When organizations are younger, they might not have that experience with the grant application writing process,” said Jordyn Krinsky ’25. “Just because something may not be as well written, doesn’t mean that the organization isn’t having the same sort of impact. So that was something that I took into account when reading the grant applications.”
It was that consideration that prompted the students to grant a minimum of $3,350 to all the organizations they considered for funding. With oversized checks at the ready, the students granted $10,000 to Almost Home, $3,350 to Caring for Kids St. Louis, $3,350 to Crisis Nursery St. Louis, $3,350 to EarthDance Farms, $5,000 to East Side Aligned, $10,000 to Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, $3,350 to the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, and $10,000 to A Red Circle, and $16,700 for Trans Housing Initiative STL,
Looking to the future, the Sociology Department and the Gephardt Institute aim to continue offering Philanthropy Lab each year.
“Philanthropy Lab offers applied civic learning for students that significantly shapes their outlook on philanthropy as a vehicle for social change,” said Stephanie Kurtzman, Executive Director of the Gephardt Institute. “At the same time, it brings tangible benefits to the St. Louis non-profit community through a thoughtfully managed grant process. Every dollar we are able to raise for the course goes directly into the St. Louis community. This course is a true ‘win-win’ for student learning and community impact.”
Philanthropy Lab is offered each spring and is made possible in part by generous donations to the Gephardt Institute. If you would like to make a gift to support Philanthropy Lab, please contact Colleen Watermon at cwatermon@wustl.edu.