Week 10- Final Post

January 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment

1. I will remember a lot about Main Street! I think the most powerful and influential thing I will take away from this experience will be how rewarding giving back is and how much of an impact you as an individual can have on your community.

2. The most valuable lesson I learned was how important it is to give back and how inspiration and genuine a lot of organizations are in this area. Also, I finally realized that I can make a difference in my community if I put enough effort and passion behind whatever I plan to do in the future.

3. I think I’ll be more willing to donate my time! I’ve always loved volunteering and it provides me with a major feeling of satisfaction. Seeing how passionate all of the employees and volunteers were for the organizations at the panel classes really sparked my desire to start volunteering more!

4. I’d tell organizations to appeal to young philanthropists through social media. It’s a blessing and a curse- it consumes our attention but if it’s for a deserving organization it doesn’t cause any harm! Social media really catches our attention and gets the word out fast and vast throughout the community.

5. I’d tell them that it was the most rewarding class I’ve taken ever! It really changes your outlook on how fortunate we are and that it is our duty to give back and better our community.

6. I’d tell donors that we are the future for our country! Philanthropic youth can cause major communal change that many individuals want to see, but perhaps are too distracted to realize what is going on. Main Street helps students see what we need to work on as a community and the efforts we need to take to make progress for mankind.

7. Given the choice, I’d choose to give away $250. After Main Street, I realized the impact a single dollar has, so obviously I’d rather benefit the whole community then my own personal interests. I’ve learned that even a small amount means to world to organizations promoting positive change. Giving provides a far greater amount of satisfaction then receiving, it just requires a greater perspective of the world to see that distinction.

Filed Under: Main Street Philanthropy, Sheila M.

Week 9

January 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

We went on a field trip to various charities all around New Jersey to present Main Street Philanthropy checks. It was very fun and we got to see where all the action happens. My favorite charity was Goryeb Children’s Hospital and that was the charity that my group gave to. The people there were very welcoming and even gave us a tour of the hospital. It was a great experience!

Filed Under: Keenan C.

Final Blog

January 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

The thing I will remember the most about giving to charities is how irrelevant quantity is when it comes to the difference a person can make when they give. Every little bit really does help and I didn’t believe it until I saw it for myself. I can’t wait to give in the future!

Filed Under: Keenan C.

MSP Final Post

January 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

1. The thing I will remember most is seeing how grateful the charities were when we gave them the fundraising. How enlightening it was for me to see the charities and give back to the community.

2. The mos valuable lesson I learned was how easy it is to find a deserving charity and how much more rewarding it is when you get to really know the charity.

3. After this experience I do think I will give more. To see how much can be done from the money is so amazing.

4. I would tell them to keep themselves genuine and just show the possible givers what your charity is really about. When a charity is dedicated and has their hearts in the charity it shows a lot.

5. I would tell the other students to go for it. This program showed me so much and to be part of this experience was truly amazing.

6. I would tell the donors that if they donate to this class it helps everyone. The students, the charities, and the donors. Without the donors we would not have been able to help the charities as much as we did.

7. I would rather have $250 to donate. There is so much more that can be done to the community other than keeping the money and not help anyone other than yourself. It also feels great to give and not waste your money on something else.

Filed Under: Eric S.

FINAL BLOG POST

January 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

a. I will remember how good it felt to give and help out those that are less fortunate or those that need the help of others. That feeling is something that I will remember forever and it will impact me for the rest of my life. That feeling was so good and actually instantly rewarding, so the tools that Main Street Philanthropy gave me will definitely help in the future.

b. Because of my experience with MSP, I am 100% going to get more involved with charities and philanthropy in the future. I loved so much of the experience and I was really inspired by not only the stories of the charities we visited, but also by the passion of my fellow classmates. It was really cool to see how much some people cared and wanted to help their organization, it really helped me to be more involved and passionate.

Filed Under: Karyn D.

Final Blog

January 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Main Street will be memorable for me because it taught me how to give back to my community. Giving money and services has always seemed like a good idea, but it wasn’t until Main Street that I actually had the tools and guidance to make a difference in my community. I learned how to be organized and focused. These two traits were crucial in our research and fundraising. Without them, our goal would never have been reached. Through this experience I was also able to set up connections with charities and coordinators who can help me continue my philanthropic dreams. This class was not the end, but only the beginning; I look forward to giving my time and money where it is needed in the future.
When looking for nonprofit organizations, some were more appealing than others. I would suggest to these organizations that they need to have good quantitative and qualitative aspects. It was often found that organizations either excelled in one or the other. If you have a good tax return, you need to have good service (in person, over the phone, etc.) otherwise the numbers aren’t supported by anything.
To those considering the program, I would advise that you only get out what you put in. Main Street provides the students with plenty of tools to reach their philanthropic goals, but if the work ethic and drive is missing, nothing can be accomplished to its maximum potential. Main Street will always put in its part, but the student also has to contribute to the experience. To the donors, I would say that the program is worth every penny. Your money has an exponential return. Not only do you help a group of beginner philanthropists, you help a series of charities and organization, and ultimately the community. Through your initial financial contribution, a network of people benefit from the program which has a positive ripple effect on the community.
Without question, I would want to donate $250 to the community in place of taking $25 for myself. Any chance to help others and my community (who have already given me so much) I will take it. Main Street has provided me with the insight that there are so many people that could benefit from my aid, whether it be financial or physical, and I am willing to do whatever it takes to help them.

Filed Under: Charlie T., Main Street Philanthropy

Final Blog

January 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment

1. What will you remember most about Main Street Philanthropy?
I will remember the most about Main Street Philanthropy was my group’s charities and how much we bonded from having the same goal. The times when we raised the donations, counted the donations, and finally gave the checks was a heartwarming and incredible experience.

2. What do you think was the most valuable lesson you learned?
I think the most valuable lesson was the Form 990s since I can actually fully understand tax returns and be able to use this knowledge in the future. I’ve also learned that there is many generous people out there than I thought there would be.

3. Do you think after this experience you’ll be more likely to give of your time or money in the future?
Definitely! I’m more willing to volunteer more of my time for other charities and maybe even Deirdre’s!

4. What piece of advice would you give to nonprofit organizations that are looking to earn support from philanthropists like yourself?
Update your tax returns and REPLY REPLY REPLY! Reply back to emails, phone calls, and maybe letters! And when you do reply, give a good first impression. People want to support charities that have a huge passion to help that specific problem. Show the individual/caller that you truly care and have a passion for your career to help others in that area.

5. What would you like to tell other students or schools that are considering this program?
This program is an unforgettable experience that helped me learn that we can make a small difference in the world even though we are only teens. If you do consider taking this program, take this seriously; especially when working with your group. I truly thought that having a charity (or field trip for those who went) was the most memorable part.

6. What would you like to tell donors considering funding a class like yours?
Although we might not appear to be responsible, we honestly do want to help others and make a difference in the world. Funding a class like MSP is worth it because it will benefit the community, organization, and give a different perspective to students.

7. If you had the choice, would you rather
a. Be given $25 to keep, or
b. Be given $250 to give away?
I would give it away. 250 dollars is A LOT of money especially for those countries that even think that a dollar is a good amount. I can make somewhat of a difference in someone’s life and making someone else happy because of my actions makes me happy.

Filed Under: Saphrinna P.

Final blog

January 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment

1. I think that what I will remember most about Main Street Philanthropy is the feeling that I got when we added up all of the money and realized that our team was the reason why our organization was going to get some additional money so that they could continue on helping out our community.

2. The most valuable lesson that I learned was learning how to analyze Form 990’s because this will prove to be useful in the future.

3. I do think that I will be more likely to give my time and money in the future after this experience, because there has been nothing like it that I have done so far.

4. One piece of advice I would give to non-profit charities is to be honest about all of their money and to re-evaluate themselves and their team members and make sure that all of them are 110% invested in what their charity is and what it stands for, because everyone there has to have the same heart as the person next to them.

5. To those considering the program I would tell them to make sure that they want to be fully invested in this program. You are expected to do a lot of work, but it is worth it in the end. Make sure that you really want to be a part of this, not because it just “sounds cool” but because you feel it in your heart that you want to do it.

6. I would tell them that the cause is worth it 100%, because there is no other opportunity like this, because it isn’t often that students get to partake in a program like this one. The outcome is beyond worth it, because not only will you feel the impact that these kids leave on the community, but others will begin to notice it as well, causing them to talk about it. This makes it something worthwhile to invest in. But the best part is knowing that you are the reason as to why your community will be positively impacted by a group of high school students with a heart to serve others.

7. If I was given the option of either keeping $250 or giving it away, I would rather give it away, because I could only do so much with it, but I know that if I were to donate it that they would be able to do so much more and it would benefit more than just one person, so why be selfish when you could be helping out a whole handful of people?

Filed Under: Rebekah A.

Final Blog

January 1, 2015 by Leave a Comment

What will you remember most about Main Street Philanthropy?
I will remember all the lessons we learned about how charities worked as well as the lessons we learned about ourselves and each other. I will remember learning about the stories of the charities who came to the panel class. The whole program will definitely be an unforgettable experience.
What do you think was the most valuable lesson you learned?
The most valuable lesson I learned would definitely be to appreciate the things I have and not take them for granted because no matter how bad you think life can get, there are always people who will be less fortunate than you.
Do you think after this experience you’ll be more likely to give your time or money in the future?
I did volunteer before this program but i can safely say that I will start giving more back to my community because it has really opened my eyes to see the all the people who are in need of help.
What would you like to tell other students or schools that are considering this program?
They should definitely consider it if they want to learn about how charities work and if you’re donating to the right ones. Also if they want to learn about tax forms and if the charity is putting their donations in the right places.The program is also a great way to see the impact you can make on your community by fundraising.
What would you like to tell donors considering funding a class like yours?
I would tell donors that their donation would definitely be going towards the right charities and causes and that by funding the class, they are helping teaching student how important it is to give back to your community.
If you had a choice, would you rather a. Be given $25 to keep or b. Be given $250 to give away?.
I would rather be given $250 to give away because I would give to a place where I know the money would be used to help better the lives of those that are less fortunate where I live or anyone in general

Filed Under: Zehra Z.

Last One

December 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment

1: The one thing that I will remember most about Main Street Philanthropy is the time I spent gathering with my group to collaborate on ideas that would affect our group’s performance and impact we would ultimately have on our community.

2: The most valuable lesson I learned was that any donation, no matter how small, or simple volunteer work can go a long way for small charities that are just starting to reach out and help others.

3: After this experience I would gladly give up my time or money to help a charity. However as it stands I can only give the latter of the two due to my more than busy schedule. As time goes on and more free time becomes available I hope to use some of it to help some charities that need it.

4: Advice that I would give to a nonprofit organization would be: “Don’t focus on growing and expanding your organization’s reach. First see how you can address the issue and try to improve your methods as much as possible. When this has been achieved you can then gradually expand your reach to help greater masses.”

5: I would tell the students that they will experience a class that gives them hands on training that will break the typical boredom of regular classes while giving you important real world knowledge and experience.

6: I would tell the potential donors that the class is worth it and yields promising results.

7: Out of the two options I would choose the $250 to give away. If I looked at it from a greed driven standpoint there is nothing I would honestly want that is $25, and even if there was I have a job that would allow me to easily buy it without any need for a handout. While the $250 could be used for something useful. If given to the right charity the $250 could be put to good use and make a slight change in my community.

Filed Under: Aman M.
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