Three Years Later...

By: Sonali
Sonali participated in our Summer Summit and Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy programs. A native Chicagoan, she is currently a student at Tulane University. 

The summer after my sophomore year in 2014, my father signed me up for a program called the Global Philanthropy Summit with an organization called Allow Good. I was reluctant to wake up early during my first week of summer to drive to Evanston in rush hour traffic, knowing no one or what I was going to do that week. Three years later, I am grateful for that week at Allow Good where I learned what the word philanthropy meant or that you did not have to be a millionaire to give to others because of three things-time, talent, and treasure. The vocabulary and knowledge I gained from that week felt much more valuable than anything I had learned in high school. In the spring of my junior year, I had the privilege of going through the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy program, which was essential to helping me form what I may want to study beyond high school. When college applications rolled around that fall, I knew I needed to attend a school with focus on both public service and a degree focused on social good.

Going into my second year at Tulane University this fall, I am majoring in Social Policy & Practice and Political Science, with minors in Management and Spanish. Tulane is also the number one school in the country for public service and I work for the Center for Public Service. Allow Good showed me at a formative age the importance of making change no matter what age you are. Further, it taught me lessons about philanthropy, charity, non-profits, and social entrepreneurship I would have never learned without the Global Philanthropy Summit or Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy. I am grateful for these experiences because I know they fueled my desire to work on public education policy following college.

This summer, I was able to join Allow Good on their Summer Summit, attending some of the same workshops I experienced three summers ago, and also seeing how the program has developed and grown. Not only was it a great refresher to revisit many social enterprises and non-profit organizations, but watching the participants' thought processes and creative ideas was thrilling. It is comforting to see that even in a chaotic society with little attention given to social good in schools, students still demonstrate their creativity and social awareness. To me, the Summer Summit showed me the importance of organizations such as Allow Good, which focus on youth and educating them on what they are capable of.

Life, Lessons, and Learning in Lviv, Ukraine

By: Karin Scott, AfG Program Director

Hi there! I’m so honored to be representing Allowance for Good (AfG) in Lviv, Ukraine over the next two weeks. This partnership between the Society Initiatives Institute (SII) and AfG came about through the Professional Fellows Program at the American Council for International Education. Taras, Founder of SII, came to Chicago in May to work with AfG through this program. You can read more about his experience at AfG here. 

As part of this program, AfG had the opportunity to participate in a mutual exchange trip to Lviv. Our program includes presenting to youth, leading conversation with members of the civic space, and working alongside the SII team. I’m excited to share my experience with you all!

Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet

Upon arrival in Lviv, I was greeted by members of the SII team, Taras and Viktor. As well as a Peace Corps volunteer working at SII, Kendra. They as well as another SII member, Vitaliy, gave me a walking tour of the Lviv city centre. The area includes monuments representing the rich history of Lviv, many grand cathedrals dating back to the 14th century, cafes touting the local coffee-centered culture, ornate government offices, and cobblestone streets that are a trap for uncoordinated tourists (like myself).

Part of the group at Oriyana

My first full day in Lviv began in the Sykhiv district, the home district of Taras and where SII runs many of it’s projects. We began at Oriyana, the school where Taras attended elementary and secondary school. Thehalls were filled with children between the ages of 7 and 17 years old. Secondary school students filled the auditorium totaling around eighty. Taras kicked off our presentation by having the students introduce themselves in English. Then I gave a presentation about American culture and Chicago, which included pictures of everything from July 4th fireworks to Chicago hot dogs to American football. I was able to give my presentation in English without translation because Ukrainian students learn English starting when they are seven years old. 

After the presentation at the school, Taras led me in a tour of Sykhiv. Surrounded by Soviet-style apartment buildings, Taras explained that Sykhiv was built as a place for working people to live, similar to suburbs in the United States, where people commute into the city. Today, Sykhiv is often referred to as a “sleeping district” where people just sleep because they work in other districts. Thus, there are not many things to do or places to see in the district. SII wants to create a positive civic identity for Sykhiv, rather than the passive “sleeping district” identity that it is known for currently.

Sykhiv recently revitalized their large public park as way to create a space for Sykhiv residents to enjoy and to bring other residents of Lviv to Sykhiv. The park includes a main path as well as open spaces to host community events. SII recently held a festival, Sykhiv Fest To Go, in this area that was very well attended by Sykhiv residents. More activities and festivals have been planned for this space in the spring when outdoor activities can resume. On the edge of this park is a large cathedral deemed Pope John Paul II because of his visit to the cathedral in 2003, a very important moment for the Sykhiv community.

Top: Art piece at the Crimean bakery

Bottom: Mural  by SII to represent the community and police working together

After touring the park, we visited the popular Crimean bakery in the area, which was started and operated by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Crimea. Many of the baked goods are traditional Crimean dishes, which of course we had to taste. One was a pastry filled with sheep meat and onions, which was savory and delicious. Another was a traditional cheesecakes made with marshmallow cream and caramel. The smell of freshly baked bread made me want to stay there all day. On the wall there was an artistic figure of the Crimea region that reads “Crimea is Ukraine.” According to the International Displaced Monitor Centre there are approximately 1.4 million IDPs in Ukraine.

Our final stop was Dzerelo, a rehabilitation center for youth with mental and physical disabilities. The facility was opened in 1993 and is committed to consultation, rehabilitation treatment, education, and counseling of both children with disabilities and their families. SII has partnered with Dzerelo to launch an Inclusive Friendly project. This campaign is to spread awareness about the need for inclusive spaces in Ukraine. Most businesses, restaurants, schools, residences, and other buildings are not accessible for individuals who are differently abled.

At Dzerelo, Taras hosted a conversation about his time as a Professional Fellow in Chicago and the project he launched as a result of this program. The program will occur in three stages, with the goal of creating a strong civic society and positive identity in Sykhiv. Other members of civic society were present, including individuals from Better Sykhiv and Group 100. Taras used the examples of Chicago neighborhoods he visited to explain this concept of civic identity. He explained how Andersonville, Edgewater, Chinatown, and Ukrainian Village utilize their unique identities to make their citizens proud and attract visitors. Taras led the group in a brainstorm about possibilities and weaknesses in Sykhiv. In small groups we brainstormed ways to overcome some of these weaknesses and as a result create a positive Sykhiv identity. I will be continuing this conversation with the SII team by leading a workshop about Asset Based Community Development.

Wall at youth center - "Love what you do, do what you love!"

On the second day I worked in the SII office with the team and met two more members, Anna and Olya.We prepped for the team retreat, which will occur on Thursday. In the afternoon we visited the Lviv Regional Youth Center where I presented about philanthropy and social responsibility. The audience discussed the challenges of achieving social responsibility in Lviv, as this is a new concept for the community. Other topics of discussion included corporate giving, how to educate others about philanthropy, and where to find resources about philanthropy best practices.

As you can see, my days in Lviv will be full of tours, learning, discussion, and connection. I’m looking forward to sharing more in the days to come!

Lessons in Corporate Philanthropy

By: Tim
Tim is a participant in Allowance for Good's Fall 2015 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy class in the Elmhurst location. 

"I am a catalyst for good because... I want to improve the world" Tim, at the ELP Elmhurst class.

Corporate philanthropy is the giving of profits or resources from a corporation to a charitable cause. When asked about philanthropy, most people think about cash.  However, facilities, services, and time are also considered types of philanthropy.

Certain employers offer matching gifts programs.  With matching gifts, a company will match an employee’s cash donation to an eligible nonprofit organization at some set ratio. With grants, the company provides a nonprofit with money to accomplish an agreed-upon purpose.  The company can also provide volunteer grants, in which the time of the corporation’s employees is also donated.

Reasons for corporate philanthropy could come from a commitment to the common good, a sense that the company is making a community investment, or even that it is a good marketing tool. Whatever the reason, research has shown that corporations with sound corporate philanthropy perform better than those without it. Emily taught me that corporations should have a social responsibility toward philanthropy.  She taught me that employees of a corporation play a significant role in corporate philanthropy.  Using matching gifts, employees can make a larger donation to their charity.

Employees can also donate their time and expertise, which can be as valuable as money. If a corporation doesn’t currently have a philanthropy program, the employee can be instrumental in providing rationale as to why corporate philanthropy is important and then assisting the company in setting one up. When I am in the working world, I can see myself becoming involved in philanthropy by providing donations of both time and money. I enjoy working with other people towards a common goal, and employing our unique abilities to accomplish it.

Philanthropy = Love of Humans

By: Nia
Nia participated in Allowance for Good's 2015 Global Philanthropy Summit in June, which focused on Global Engagement.

This summer of 2015, I have done a lot of programs but one I will never fail to remember is the Global Philanthropy Summit I did late June. For starters, the majority of kids my age are not even familiar with the word philanthropy. Right on day one the camp taught us what philanthropy truly is. It’s not just for rich people, and it’s a long term commitment and service to groups and organizations. It’s like community service but a full time and forever impact on the group. That idea made me smile because there is such a great joy that comes from giving back to the world and to do it long term seemed like an impact I know I wanted to give.

Nia, center, discussing with other GPS students.

For some, you might not know that philanthropy means the love of humans. Just the thought to being a part of something that can bring love to humans was something that compelled me in immediately. I truly want to thank GPS for the commitment and ideas they gave to me from this camp.

Not to mention, from this wonderful, and inspiring camp lead me to get my backpack for this upcoming school year. One of the speakers was from CAUSEGEAR which is a low-profit group that helps people with economic problems of their low pay in India. I loved their idea and I loved their backpacks and I went home immediately and bought it so now I have it for this school year.

An organization like that, that was helping people in India really made me think about global engagement. During this camp we talked a lot about how to globally change the world, I mean why be small and change only your neighborhood. Go big or go home! At camp we learned about how to be globally engaged and know that the blessed area we live in, is not at all the norm for the rest of the world. We have a lot, and great resources as well. So we should make a change as big as we can and really help the world.

Any student who wants to come to a camp to learn about how they can make a change and get inspiration from leaders should no doubt sign up as soon as they can. This summit was a great impact on me and I can’t wait to grow up and join the world of philanthropy.

Corporate Philanthropy in Action

By: Arielle
Arielle is a participant in Allowance for Good's Winter 2015 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Explorers class.

The Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy course is not my first exposure to Allowance for Good. I spent a week of my 2014 summer in its Global Philanthropy Summit, a sort of crash course in Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship. After that week I was hooked. I had always had a passion for philanthropy, inspired by pretty much everyone in my family. My Dad is in charge of Pro-Bono work at his law firm, my Mom works for two public health non-profits, and my Aunt works in marketing for JUF, another non-profit. So, I was familiar with the concept of “giving back,” but I didn’t really know the details because no one sits a child down and explains the who, what, where, how, and why of philanthropy-- except of course AFG.

This past week we focused on socially responsible corporations, ranging from Warby Parker, which donates a pair of glasses for every single one of its products sold, to companies that encourage volunteering or match the donations of their employees. There are lots of ways that a company can fit philanthropy into its mission, and based on the rising popularity of socially responsible companies among consumers, not doing so could be devastating. In addition to these examples, there are still other ways to integrate philanthropy into a company: a corporation could use its brand name or money to raise awareness of an issue (for example, Always’ #likeagirl campaign); donate a portion of its yearly profits to a cause (e.g., Patagonia donates 1% of its profits to saving the environment); or implement specific ways to encourage volunteering, such as allowing employees days off to volunteer, offering the specialized services of the company for free, or providing other incentives (perhaps financial) for employees who volunteer.

After learning about the different ways corporate philanthropy is possible, we put the lesson into action. Our job was to determine how the hypothetical (or maybe future company run by AFG) bicycle company, “GetThere” should integrate philanthropy into its mission plan. The students split up into two groups and were joined by the board members, to make a plan. After going through a variety of ideas, my group settled on a bike safety program. This would involve teaming up with the local governments of our store locations to create bike paths, and providing free helmets to those who need one, but cannot afford one. This plan, if put into action, would have numerous benefits. Not only would there be a safer space for bikers, but the anxiety caused by bikers on the road would be reduced for drivers, and it would make GetThere a more sustainable company. With the danger of biking as transportation reduced, more people would bike, increasing the demand, and therefor the sales. This would also create a brand awareness for GetThere, hopefully bringing more bike-buyers to that store. This past week was a great one, and I am sure this information will come in handy when dealing with corporations.

Arielle, far left, brainstorms with her ELP classmates.