Pay It Forward!

The OSUM Pay It Forward Project evolved from the federal Pay It Forward Student Philanthropy Initiative, which addresses critical economic needs in communities through student-led grant making and volunteerism. As part of our commitment to sustain the federal Pay It Forward Philanthropy Initiative’s philosophy, United Way of Marion County and The Ohio State University at Marion have provided grant funds totaling $5000 for this semester’s English 2367.01S course. With this project, in the classroom and via site visits, students learn about community needs and the efforts of local organizations to meet those needs. They will request and evaluate proposals from several organizations, then determine how to award grant money of up to $5000 through a competitive process. Through this work, it is our hope for students to learn the important role philanthropy plays in sustaining and improving our local community, to apply academic course content in service to the community, and to become engaged citizens.

Eligibility

To be involved in the initiative, an organization must be a 501(c)3 non-profit and a United Way of Marion County partner agency or related organization, with a project that responds to one or more of the following needs areas: health, education, income or safety net. These projects must benefit the local community of Marion County.

Application & Evaluation Process

Those wishing to participate must complete and submit a grant proposal by September 23, 2019. The Request for Proposal, grant application and evaluation process mirrors the one currently used by the United Way of Marion County. Students will review the grant applications in October and select three finalists.

These three organizations will work with the students throughout the semester (October-December). During this time, students will engage in (at least) three specified interaction times. The first will be an informational session where either students visit on-site for an observation/tour, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the practices of the organization or where the organization comes to campus to give a presentation to the class about the organization. The second will be interviews with either administrators, volunteers, individuals served by the organization, or some combination of these groups. The final time will be when a small group is researching and gathering information needed for our celebration. Each of these visits will last approximately an hour and can be held at your location or on campus. To accommodate the class schedule, it would be preferable if students could accomplish these objectives during class time, Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00a.m. -12:20p.m.

After the observations, interviews, and research, students will decide how the funding will be awarded. Up to three organizations can receive funding per semester. Those chosen to receive an award will receive no less than $500, and the maximum award is $5,000. Funds will be awarded at a celebration ceremony at the end of the semester (December, date TBA). After receiving funds, a project liaison will visit all grant recipients to evaluate how the funds were used and the impact of the grant funds.

Click here to print the RFP.

Grant Application

Marion-area non-profit organizations may apply for Pay It Forward grant funds by completing the application below. Please provide as much detail as possible about your organization and its community impact.

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about either eligibility or the process, please feel free to contact Amy Tibbals via email at tibbals.3@osu.edu or by phone at (614) 595-2682.

Review Process & Tools

Blue and gray logo reading Clear Impact Academy and Certified Results-Based Accountability Professional

Special thanks to our UWNCO Bold Goal Champions.