Life After Philanthropy and Civil Society
As our semester is coming to a close, we will all be
departing our own ways and heading towards our exciting summer plans. As I graduate Philanthropy and Civil Society,
I am still left with many questions in my mind: Did we donate our funds to the
right organizations? Did we explore every avenue possible in our research? Was
the decision voting process even fair in the first place? As many of these questions will go
unanswered, it is crucial to always remain positive. Of course we made the right decision, and we
have all worked countless of hours in research in an effort to ensure our decision
was perfect. Not everyone may have
gotten what they wanted, but the decision was made by all of us as a collective
unit.
But now what? Do we
all just move on in our lives and forget about the inspiring journey we spent
together? The answer to this question is
no. Majority of us are freshmen or
sophomores, and we still have time to make an even greater impact on Binghamton
and Broome County community. We can’t
just walk past each other in the union and pretend that we don’t know each
other. We have to remember the good
times and the bad, and the heavy responsibility we all faced in allocating
$10,000. We have to keep up with each
other and give updates on our lives. I’m
sure there will be a significant amount of us who will go into a career path of
philanthropy or public policy after taking such a class like this. In my own life, I have decided to enter the
public work force by applying to intern at the Broome County District Attorneys
office. My interview was today, so I’m
sure I’ll hear soon if I got the job or not.
Our class is filled with brilliant and passionate minds, and it would be
remiss if we all didn’t keep in touch somehow.
The best idea that comes to mind, is to create a LinkedIn page in which
we all can keep in touch, and hear about the interesting jobs we eventually
land at some point.
In terms of life on campus, it is crucial that we remember
all of the organizations that applied for the grant. The diverse and innovative grant proposals
that we read were inspiring. If your
favorite organization did not receive the operational or programing grants, I
challenge you to start your own campaigns and raise money towards that
cause. Volunteer your time at one of
these organizations, and show them that you still care. Bring a friend and volunteer for a couple
hours on a Sunday afternoons if you have nothing better to do. We all witnessed the Broome County needs
assessment, and we all know that this county is way far from perfect. Focus on specific causes that are important
to you, and make some sort of impact before you leave this campus on graduation
day. Leave Binghamton University knowing
that you made some sort of difference on the community that supported you for
four incredible years.
Thank you,
Matthew Benak
x
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate this post! I agree that we have all gotten to know each other and it would be nice to still give a wave in passing.
I feel strongly about the point you made that this class should inspire us to get more involved. At least for me, it certainly has. I was very active in my own community througout high school and when I came to college I think I lost touch with this passion of mine to an extent. Volunteering is incredibly rewarding and now that I've become adjusted to college life, I'd love to be able to squeeze it into my schedule for my remaining years in college. Each time we went on a site visit, I left feeling inspired. As cheesy as that sounds, it's true. At times I find it difficult to maintain the passion I feel for giving back to the community beyond "in the moment." I feel that this class has opened my eyes to the huge array of pre-established opportunities to give back and I because of that, I am choosing be more involved.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteThis was beautifully put. I really agree that this class has had a major impact on many of us, and we can't just ignore that and move on. I am so grateful that I am so much more aware of and educated about the local organizations that we can support. The connections we made in this class are ones I hope we can maintain for a long time.
Leaving this class, I feel a lot more knowledgeable about the community we now share. Personally, I intend to use this knowledge to educate other students about the issues and opportunities surrounding us in Broome County. As I recently discussed with my sorority, we are members of this community and should be active in it. I hope to leave a positive impact here by getting involved in local organizations however I can. While I don't know if I will go into the non-profit sector, I aim to apply our ideas of doing good into my everyday life.
I now feel I can accurately assess a non-profit organization. I intend to do so, as I want charitable giving to always be a part of my life. I have learned how to be engaged in my own community, and wherever life takes me, I plan on using the skills I learned here to do good in the world.
I am so proud of all of us, truly. Not only did we come to a decision in an amiable way, but we have grown. Whether it be through our debates and discussions or our site visits, we have learned so much about how to handle differing ideas and establish common ground. As I mentioned in my email to the class, we truly earned that additional $2000 through all our hard work and discussion. This is one of the most rewarding classes I think I will ever take, and I hope many of you feel the same.
I really hope you get that internship! :)
- Becca
This class personally felt very intimate. We learned about what personal struggles motivates our classmates to advocate for organizations through discussions and observing their choice of charity pitch. It was the closest I got to my classmates in any class I've taken so far in college. We definitely will not pass each other without saying hello :)
ReplyDeleteI'm proud of the work we have done in this class and even though things didn't go exactly the way I wanted, which I'm sure is true for most of the class, I'm more than happy with the results. At the end of the day we brought a net gain to the community, which is always something to praise. Learning more about the community in Binghamton and the challenges that these non-profits face and conquer made me proud of my community, here in my home away from home. I hope everything goes well with the internship and to continue to see our classmates around!
Hey Matt,
ReplyDeleteThis class was a journey to say the least. Sure, the final goal of this class was to donate money to organizations, but I feel the class was much more than that. Throughout the semester, we touched on topics ranging from good giving decisions, to balancing the heart and head, to analyzing non-profits. Philanthropy and Civil Society is a class designed not only to give away money, but also to teach us how to become active citizens and better people. Everything we learned in this class was useful, and hopefully we can use what we’ve learned to become great philanthropists. Philanthropy is much more than money, as we learned. And as we end class, I do feel we made the right decision in choosing to whom to donate. Also, I do hope that we can all take what we learned and put it to use in the future, not only in a philanthropic sense, but even in a more general way.
This class, in a way, became a family. From the charity pitches to presentations, we all collaborated in doing good for not only the local community, but the world. We learned of each other’s motives for being a philanthropist and choosing to do good, we learned of so many different non-profits that are doing great work, and we were able to showcase specific non-profits that meant a lot to us. The class discussions were always tremendously helpful in not only analyzing the tasks at hand, but also in providing a way for people to voice their input on topics that they feel strongly about. In the end, while we were only able to give the grants to two organizations, it is fantastic how much awareness we raised for not only the other organizations, but the non-profit sector in general. The non-profit sector is so vast, and I hope people in the future take initiative in pitching non-profit organizations, or even starting their own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this class and all my classmates. Despite the semester ending, it would not be fair for everyone to completely forget about the journey we went through, as you said. It is crucial to keep the friendships we formed throughout this semester, and always check up on each other to see how and what everyone is doing. I think everyone in the class has a bright future, and I’m excited to see how we can all contribute to making a better world. Some closing advice I can give is: do what you want to do; be who you want to be; don’t let anyone else stop you from reaching your goals; if you are passionate about something, then go for it. I learned a lot from everyone, and wish you and everyone else the best of luck in the future.
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate this blog post and its unique focus on the class itself, and not just the donation. I remember it was in the car ride on the way back from the site visit to Meals on Wheels of Western Broome, the farthest-from-campus trip we made, that some classmates and I reflected on how much we were able to get to know Broome County just from this class alone. Being a Binghamton University student, it is not very often we have a reason to venture off campus to places such as Endicott, the home of Meals on Wheels, or Johnson City, where Helping Celebrate Abilities is. We also were able to meet some amazing people, such as the family-like team that leads the administration for the ACA, as hearing Mayra Garcia speak on the shooting that occurred 10 years ago in the building she works in was truly heartbreaking.
It is because of Philanthropy and Civil Society that we were all allowed to see the city we consider a second home from a different perspective. After all, which other class will require you to walk inside a preschool during classroom hours to meet local nonprofit leaders? I remember once discussing with my fellow classmates before the days of site visits my excitement to return to the beloved Long Island, a place I first compared Binghamton quite harshly to. However, learning about the nonprofits of an area really can teach you a lot of the area you are in, and that is exactly what this class did. I am proud to say my view of Binghamton has changed, and I see this place as more than just an upstate city I attend college in, it is where I can say I have made a lasting impact on in my donation, and a place I can consider my home away from home. Getting to know the city of Binghamton as a college freshman has been quite the ride, but this course has really reserved a special place in my heart for this Southern Tier town.
Hey Matt,
ReplyDeleteI’m so grateful that you wrote about the future of philanthropy in our community. This class has truly taught me to reflect on my core values and why it’s so crucial to give to our local nonprofits.
Although this class has ended and our grants have been given away to organizations of our choice, it’s crucial that we continue to give back to our local nonprofits as much as we can. This is what I wrote in my fourth reflection paper: philanthropy is basically a chain reaction. When we donate to local nonprofits, whether it’s money or time, they use that to advocate for the issues they target and continue to strengthen communities. Teaching the public about the various needs reinforces unity and allows others to participate in the movement to potentially solve the matter. This ultimately leads people to stand up for one another and create a community that urges change.
So, how can we continue this trend where we give back towards our local nonprofits? This is definitely all up to you and how you choose to give. Will you be giving time, money, resources, or something else? Whatever it may be, nonprofits need our help to potentially solve the issues within our communities.
-Jacob Yi
Hi Matt,
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree with you that this class has had a much bigger impact on me than I initially expected. Unlike the majority of the class, I will be leaving Binghamton next week. I have thought a lot about how I can take what i have learned here and apply to my future plans. Next fall, I will be pursuing a graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Hunter College in Manhattan. Although this does not have much to do with Philanthropy, I hope to become engaged with my local community and the students I intend to serve using methods I have learned during our course.
The Binghamton area will always hold a special place in my heart and I know that my classmates will certainly leave a positive and lasting impact on this community. You all have so many talents and skills to share with those who need it. I hope that you will all continue to give your time and spend your money in this area as we have seen the immense impact we can have locally. Best of luck with your internship! This sounds like a great way to continue to be engaged with the Binghamton community.
-Mary Kate
Hello Matt!
ReplyDeleteAs the class comes to an end, I am also left wondering about answers to a lot of the same questions. The biggest question being did we make the ‘right’ decision? While this might not be the best answer, I do not actually believe that there was a ‘right’ decision, because that implies that there was a ‘wrong decision.’ Our choice ultimately helps two organizations continue providing their services to Broome County. Regardless of who we chose, two organizations would have another opportunity to help those in need, which to me, is an amazing thing!
What is important to remember is that the problems facing Broome County will not go away because of our donations, which is why it is important to still stay connected in some way shape or form to an organization you felt attached to. There is a term called the “Binghamton Bubble” which refers to how easy it is to remain sheltered as a student living on-campus. You are not as exposed to the major issues the community faces or the organizations off-campus that help fight said issues. That is not to say we as students are naive, rather it highlights how easy it is to forget about the big picture. Most of us will only be here for 3-5 years, but that does not mean we should not help create change during our time here.
Classes like PPL 280A expose students to how many opportunities there are to volunteer or intern or help a community in need. I hope that students in this class feel empowered and more knowledgable on the issues pressing Broome County and organizations that aim to help.
Similar to what you said, our class cannot simply forget one another. The discussions we have had have been thought-provoking and in a way connected us. We all took the discussions to heart because we knew that that was what we needed to do in order to make the most informed (or should I say 'right') decision possible.
Overall, I am so glad I got to experience this class with this group of classmates. I often left class feeling inspired and eager to continue the conversations we had in class. So I hope we can continue having them now that the semester is over!
Sincerely,
Lexi Murman
P.S. I hope you get the internship!