Kym Klass, Montgomery Advertiser
Original Story
Students in The Montgomery Academy’s Philanthropy 101 class on Thursday gave thousands of dollars to nonprofit and charitable organizations throughout the region.
At the Upper School Building, the 11 rising seniors who took part in the three-week class — which provided them with an in-depth look at the organizations and its operations — each gave $1,200 to their selected nonprofits, a stipend made possible through the W. James Samford Jr. Foundation.
During the class, the students heard presentations about, visited and/or did community service with nonprofit organizations. The following nonprofits are the 2015 Philanthropy 101 recipients:
Brantwood Children’s Home, Dream Court, Dusty Trails Horse Rescue, Camp ASCCA, Common Ground Urban Seed XChange, Father Purcell’s Children’s Center, One Church Mission and Service Dogs of Alabama.
The students in the class were Taimoor Arshad, Cari Budny, Margaret Canary, Anne Morgan Cousins, Collin Darwish, Jeongwoo Kim, Allen Millsap, Madeline Roth, Olivia Rush, Claudia Ann Rutland and Bo Torbert.
“It made me not take for granted what I have,” said Torbert, who worked with Camp ASCCA (Alabama’s Special Camp for Children and Adults). “And to see even people who are given the worst outlook on life, that they still can find a reason to be happy, which is an inspiration for all of us, I believe.”
MA faculty members Denise Wentworth and Mandy Poundstone coordinated the class. “It develops leaders,” Poundstone said of the class. “Our mission at The Montgomery Academy is to develop leaders who can go out and make a difference in the world, and these students have gained a lot of experience over the three weeks that will enable them to really make a difference in our community, or whatever community they find themselves living in.
“The reason we think it’s so valuable is because there’s so much good going on in our community that is done in the nonprofit world. There are children that are helped, and people that are fed, and there are things that really would not happen without that sector of our community. So to educate our students about that sector is really important.”
One of those students, 17-year-old Rush, worked with One Church Mission, which is part of Reality and Truth Ministries, a day shelter on South Court Street that provides showers, meals, washing machines and clothing for the homeless.
“I never realized how nonprofits really affected our community,” she said. “I knew that they existed. I knew kind of the types of things that they did. But I didn’t know the great impact that they make on all different types of people and all the good that they are doing.
“From this, I think I will take away that (nonprofits) … need our time and our energy to volunteer in any way that we can. The options are endless.”
What is Philanthropy 101?
The class was the idea of trustees of the foundation created to honor the life of the late William J. Samford Jr., an attorney and businessman dedicated to helping others.
The course teaches students about nonprofit organizations by hosting representatives from local groups who give detailed presentations on the day-to-day workings of their organization and how their organization helps those in need. Students also spend a portion of each day “in the field,” helping the local organizations directly by volunteering their time. Through this, students are able to question their ability to make a difference and learn various ways to give.
In addition to reading “The Ultimate Gift and A Generous Life: W. James Samford Jr.” to prepare for the course, students also read and discuss selected essays about philanthropy, the nonprofit sector and giving. The Philanthropy 101 teachers as well as Burton Ward of the Montgomery Area Community Foundation presented information on 501(c)(3) designation, evaluation of a nonprofit’s 990 reports and grant writing. Participants researched not-for-profits using guidestar.com and charitynavigator.com
Bo Torbert speaks about his philanthropy 101 project, Camp ASCCA, on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, Ala. (Photo: Albert Cesare / Advertiser)
Located in Alabama on Lake Martin, Camp ASCCA offers campers a wide variety of traditional recreational and educational activities with a unique design for accessibility.
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