At the project’s conclusion, the class was able to have a real impact by awarding a $1,000 grant to the NGO of its choice. The funds for the project were generously provided through the HAND Foundation’s Lend A HAND program, which promotes youth philanthropy and volunteerism.

Each student began by researching and selecting one NGO they felt was worthy of the grant. Students were to select organizations that did work outside of the United States and was working to address issues such as poverty, education, gender equality, health, and the environment.

“The entire project was a great experience that allowed us to increase our understanding about both how philanthropy works and how our specific global issues are being addressed in the world,” says Max ’18.

The teacher of the class, Matthew Nelson of the History Department, encouraged students to think about the kind of impact they wanted to have and to listen to their heads as well as their hearts by exploring social issues that were in line with their interests and values. The students also needed to examine each organization critically, looking at their mission, overall impact, and sustainability, as well as investigating how they accomplish their mission and use their resources. Many of the students also reached out to staff at the organizations directly to learn more about their programs and ask questions about their work and needs.

“Learning how to vet and examine NGO’s was a really fun and engaging learning activity,” says Danny ’17. “I learned about many different pressing social issues that weren’t even on my radar before the project began.”

After selecting their NGO, the students prepared and gave a pitch presentation about their organization to explain why it was worthy of the grant. From those presentations, the class voted to narrow it down to three finalists: Love146, which works to prevent child trafficking and exploitation; Days for Girls International, which strives to empower girls and women worldwide with more dignity, health and safety through quality sustainable menstrual management; and Sahar Education for Afghan Girls, which builds schools and educational programs for girls in Afghanistan.

Hand Foundation cofounder Noosheen Hashemi visited the class to hear presentations from the three finalists and help the class decide how the $1,000 grant should be distributed. She asked the students questions about the social impact of each organization and how they were utilizing resources and accomplishing their missions. She also provided insights into philanthropy and nonprofit management.

Ultimately, the class decided to divide the grant among the three organizations. And Ms. Hashemi, so impressed with the students’ research and the organizations’ impact, generously offered to increase the grant to a total of $2,250 so the class was able to award $1,000 for Days for Girls International, $750 for Love146, and $500 for Sahar Education.

“It has really made me feel like I’ve contributed to a cause with goals bigger than myself or my community,” says Kelly ’18, who nominated Girls for Days.

Sophie ’17, who recommended Love146, agrees. “It really teaches students the importance of engaging in the world beyond our communities. Menlo students, myself included, can get caught up in the business and stress of our own lives, but when we take a step back to research and understand such the global issues that so many are forced to endure, it really puts things into perspective.”