The Denison Venture Philanthropy Club is issuing a request for proposals from local nonprofit organizations to receive a grant of $10,000 and 200 student volunteer hours. Proposals, which indicate how the grant may increase the organization’s ability to make a positive difference in the lives of others, should be emailed to Daweed Abdiel by Thursday, September 8, 2016.
The Denison Venture Philanthropy (DVP) was founded in 2008 and is dedicated to bringing positive and meaningful change to the local community. The DVP learns about the community and engages in a process of philanthropic evaluation and giving, with the end goal of investing $10,000 and 200 volunteer hours to help the chosen Licking County organization increase its ability to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
After receiving the proposals, individual members of Denison Venture Philanthropy will perform preliminary research and then contact a selection of organizations to be interviewed about their proposal. After interviews are conducted and further deliberated, DVP members will vote for one organization to receive the grant.
Following the selection of this year’s recipient, members of DVP will volunteer their time in support of the beneficiary from January through May, and will subsequently collaborate with the chosen organization to conduct a brief outcomes assessment of the gift-making process. Previous years’ awardees include the Center for Disability Services, Licking County Humane Society, Licking County Coalition for Housing, Pathways of Central Ohio and the Lookup Center.
Grants for the Denison Venture Philanthropy program are mostly funded through the generosity of David Kuhns, a member of the Denison class of 1968. In 2008 Kuhns challenged Denison students to organize an effort based around philanthropy – but one that also required an investment of student time as well as dollars. The DVP creates strong ties between the college and the community and offers students experience with real-world issues.