Philanthropy Webquest
Introduction
Your great aunt Tilly, a wealthy woman and respected local philanthropist, passed away after a long illness and short stay in hospice. To everyone’s surprise, she generously gifted $50,000 to all of her grand nieces and nephews … with one stipulation: a portion of your choosing must be donated to charity.
Task
Determine how much of your Aunt Tilly’s gift will go to which charity or charities.
Process
First, you will need to define “philanthropy.”
Next, since your Aunt Tilly is hoping you will become one, define “servant leader.”
Then choose a philanthropist/servant leader from the Our State of Generosity website [http://ourstateofgenerosity.org/profiles/]. Write about that philanthropist, answering the following questions:
- How did he/she choose which organizations and/or causes he/she wanted to serve?
- What does he/she do to support the organizations? (Think gifts of time, talent and treasure.)
Before you start writing checks, you’ll want to identify what issues are most important to you, clarify your preferences, and select an organization that you can count on to use your gift wisely.
Check the three issues below that mean the most two you.
- Animal Welfare
- Bullying and Intolerance
- Education
- Environment
- Health & Wellness
- Homelessness & Poverty
- Hunger
- Literacy
- Military & Veterans
- Senior Citizens
Now, think about where you want to make an impact.
- In your neighborhood?
- In your state?
- Across the country?
- Internationally?
Do you want to support a large or small charity? A new charity or an old one?
You can find charities to support using tools like GuideStar and Great Nonprofits, or choose one that you are already familiar with. Be sure to take a close look at each charity’s website.
- What is their mission?
- What are their goals and accomplishments?
- Are they similar to your idea of making a difference?
Once you have chosen a charity, you will need to decide how much of your great Aunt Tilly’s generous gift you want to donate. How will you decide? Share your rationale in an essay.
Present your gift-giving rationale to the class.
Reflection and Evaluation
- What patterns do you see in your classmates’ choices of charities, reasons for donating, and amounts of their donations?
- What do you make of these similarities and differences? How will they impact your decision to give real gifts of time, talent and treasure in the future?
- Use the attached Rubric to evaluate the Philanthropy Webquest.
