Learning to Give, Curriculum Division of The LEAGUE
The LEAGUE
- teachers
- parents
- students
- youth workers
- faith groups
- independent schools
- find lesson plans
- browse resources
Purpose:
Duration:
Two Fifty-Five Minute Class Periods
Objectives:
The learner will:
- explain how endowments (giving of grants) are related to the role of foundations.
- identify criteria for issuing a local grant.
- create a simple application form for issuing a local grant.
Service Experience:
Students will research worthwhile causes they may wish to support with the funds raised in Lesson Four: Connecting Poetry with Philanthropy. They will determine criteria for giving money and make a decision on whom to support.
Materials:
- Getting the Background on Foundations (Attachment One)
- Newsprint, markers, masking tape
- Computer with Internet capabilities.
Instructional Procedure(s):
Anticipatory Set:
Imagine you are Bill Gates and have five million dollars to give to a beneficial philanthropic cause. How would you decide where to spend the money? How would you determine whether or not the cause was worthwhile? Would you make the decision by yourself or would you use a committee? Begin the sentence with, “ If I were Bill Gates...” Write at least seven sentences on this topic.
- Go over the responses to the Anticipatory Set. If you have Internet access for students, have them research foundations and the definitions of foundation, endowment and grant. If not, use the information provided in Getting the Background on Foundations (Attachment One) or on the “Learning to Give” Web site. Go over the definitions of foundation, endowment and grant. Explain how foundations work. Ask students if they know of any local philanthropists or groups that have given money to a foundation or local cause. Have the students research the local community foundation and report on the causes it supports.
- Discuss the concept of needs versus wants. Ask students to name items that are needs for humans (food, clothing, shelter, companionship) and wants (anything other than the basic needs). What are needs and wants of communities? How are they provided in communities (provided by government, individuals and families, nonprofit organizations and for profit organizations)?
- Split the class into small teams. Tell them that they have the funds collected in Lesson Four: Connecting Poetry with Philanthropy to donate to a local philanthropic cause. Have students brainstorm a list of criteria for giving money to a worthwhile cause. Using the Internet or local sources, they may research those causes they are considering for support. Have the class report on the information obtained and select one or more groups to support.
- So that students become familiar with the work of foundations, they may design a simple application form for grant requests for an imaginary amount of $500. Each group should put their application on newsprint or poster board and display the created form clearly within the room.
- Have groups report back to the whole class and the class will then generate a grant application form from the work of the individual groups.
Assessment:
The grant application form and criteria for giving money to a worthwhile cause may serve as the assessment.
School/Home Connection:
- Interactive Parent / Student Homework:
Students should discuss with their families what criteria they use (or would use) to determine what needy causes are worth supporting.
Extension:
Invite a representative of the local community foundation or the group which will be receiving the funds to speak to the class.
Bibliographical References:
Learning to Give Web site. http://www.learningtogive.org
Lesson Developed and Piloted by:
Pat GrimleySt. Charles Community Schools
Anna M. Thurston Middle School
St. Charles, MI 48655
Handouts:
Handout 1Print Handout 1
Getting the Background on Foundations
Definitions:
foundation
An organization created from designated funds from which the income is distributed as grants to not-for-profit organizations or, in some cases, to people
endowment
Funds intended to be kept permanently and invested to provide income for continued support of an organization
grant
A financial donation given to support a person, organization, project or program. Most grants are awarded to not-for-profit organizations
grant proposal
The document submitted to the foundation or other potential funding source in which the organization presents its request for support
What is a Foundation?
“ A foundation is a charitable nonprofit that supports charitable activities in order to serve the common good.”
Foundations exist either in trust form or as corporations. They receive their own funds originally from individuals, families, corporations or other nonprofits and usually create endowments, with grants being made from the income earned from investing those endowments. Their donors are entitled to certain charitable tax deductions.
What Are the Major Types of Foundations?
The IRS classifies foundations either as:
private foundations, which receive the bulk of their support from a single donor or a few donors, or as
public grantmaking charities, which receive a significant portion of their support from the general public.
Private foundations include the following:
- Family foundations are usually founded by an individual or a family and are generally operated by members of that family. Examples include: The Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation, The Annenberg Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation, Inc.).
- Corporate foundations are created and funded by companies as separate legal entities, but (are) operated by a board of directors composed of company officials. Some corporate foundations are endowed, but most receive an annual contribution from their supporting company for the purpose of making grants. Some companies form corporate contribution offices, which, unlike corporate foundations, are under the full control of the company and are not required by law to follow the same IRS regulations as corporate foundations. Many companies maintain both corporate foundations and corporate contribution offices. Corporate foundation examples include: Dow Chemical Company Foundation, Daimler-Chrysler Corporation Fund and the Ford Motor Company Fund.
Independent foundations operate independently from their original donors or original source of funds. They may have been started by a family, but the family has ceased to serve on the board, or they may have been formed through the assets of an entity such as a disbanding HMO. Independent foundation examples include: W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Kresge Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
Public grantmaking charities include community foundations as well as some other entities.
- Community foundations are operated by and for the benefit of a specific geographic region. They receive their funds from a variety of donors and provide a vehicle for donors to establish endowed grantmaking funds without incurring the costs of starting a private foundation. Community foundations are administered by a governing body representative of community interests.
Other public grantmaking charities also exist, including some service club foundations such as a local Rotary Foundation. They generally have a somewhat narrower grantmaking focus than do community foundations and may or may not have endowed funds.
—Excerpted from the article “What Is a Foundation” by Jerry Musich as printed in the Indiana Donors Alliance Review (Summer, 1998, p. 9).
Reprinted with the kind permission of the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance.
Taken from: http://www.learningtogive.org
Unit Contents:
Overview:Poetry of Giving (The) Summary
Lessons:
- 1.
- What Is Poetry and Where Can You Find It?
- 2.
- Sounds of Language (The)
- 3.
- Painting Pictures with Poetry
- 4.
- Connecting Poetry with Philanthropy
- 5.
- If I Were Bill Gates
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to freely use this information for nonprofit (noncommercial), educational purposes only. Copyright must be acknowledged on all copies.
Comments
The culminating activity was wonderful. The students really enjoyed it and because it was "real world" they worked very hard on the poems for their cards.