Become a Philanthropy Lab Partner
Request for Proposals:
Become a Philanthropy Lab Partner
The Philanthropy Lab is pleased to expand our programming to new universities, fulfilling our mission of igniting students’ interest and participation in philanthropy. Top institutions are invited to apply for partnership.
Through the Philanthropy Lab, students are given the tangible responsibility of directing real money to nonprofit organizations in the context of full-credit university courses. Often, philanthropy education is missing from curricular offerings related to civic engagement and leadership. We work to increase the importance of philanthropy education at universities so that more students will consider what it means to give of their money, time, and skills with careful consideration.
Since 2011, The Philanthropy Lab has partnered with 34 universities, offered over 250 classes, and granted over $19 million to nonprofit organizations.
We believe it is important for higher education to help shape not only well-educated leaders, but also responsible citizens.
Our Mission
Given that a survey of 1,100 Philanthropy Lab alumni and 700 students at the same or similar schools demonstrated clearly that students who take the Philanthropy Lab class donate more money more frequently and earlier in their lives, are more likely to volunteer (and do so more often), are more likely to give to their alma mater, think about giving more, and, finally, are happier:
The Philanthropy Lab’s mission is:
- to spark students’ interest and participation in philanthropy,
- to increase the prevalence and priority of philanthropy education in higher education.
| Philanthropy Lab Alumni | Non-Philanthropy Lab Students Same/Similar Institutions | Increase | |
| Make consistent monetary donations | 65% | 39% | 27% |
| Donate higher % of salary1,2 | 6.4% | 4.1% | 2.3% |
| More likely to volunteer | 82% | 72% | 10% |
| Give sooner after graduation2 | ~ 1 Year | ~2 Years | |
| More likely to give to alma mater1 | 26% | 19% | 7% |
| Think about being philanthropic more | 40% | 26% | 15% |
| More confident in decisions regarding philanthropy | 86% | 32% | 54% |
| Think more positively about giving1 | 78% | 70% | 7% |
| Current level of happiness2 | 77% | 71% | 7% |
| 1Only includes responses from participants who marked they ‘make consistent monetary donations’ (see first row) 2The percentages represent the averages without the top and bottom 10% of responses | |||
Partner Benefits
- Curricular Enhancement: Experiential philanthropy is a teaching approach that integrates real-world grantmaking into academic courses, allowing students to combine classroom learning with hands-on philanthropy: students study social issues, evaluate nonprofits, and make funding decisions that have tangible impact. We hope students’ experiences will broaden their knowledge of the nonprofit sector, challenge their assumptions about giving, and equip them to be thoughtful givers and citizens over the course of their lives.
- Interdisciplinary Opportunities – Philanthropy courses can be offered across a wide variety of disciplines, and we encourage funded courses to be open to all majors. While we understand this class will attract students who are already interested in the nonprofit sector, we also hope to reach students who likely haven’t given philanthropy much thought. For example, we count it as a win when business students and liberal arts students bring different perspectives to the table during discussions regarding which nonprofit organizations to fund.
- Community – Connection to a national network of professors and institutions committed to philanthropy education. All professors participate in our annual Leadership Summit, providing dedicated opportunities to exchange ideas on class methodology and course design. Our partners also exchange ideas throughout the year as they seek to enhance pedagogy.
- Support Tools – Partner institutions utilize our online portal to track and evaluate grants, complete and secure documents related to the course, and administer basic functions of our partnership, easing course administration and data collection.
- Opportunities for Impact – Universities that host Philanthropy Lab courses leverage philanthropic dollars to deepen community partnerships and strengthen institutional reputation om their communities, impacting lives for good.
- Student Experience – Survey results show the Philanthropy Lab experience stands out: 50% of students rated it in their top 10% of college courses, and 80% placed it in their top quarter overall. Opportunities for high-impact experiential learning not only enrich the classroom experience but also contribute to higher student satisfaction and stronger retention.
Funding
Successful applicants will receive three years of funding up to approximately $100,000 per year, with opportunity to renew after successful completion.
Annual funding includes:
- Base funding
- Class Grant – $2,000 per enrolled student up to $50,000
- Class Grant – $2,000 per enrolled student up to $50,000
- Incentive Funding – unlocked based on participation
- Giving Goal Incentive – $1,000 per student submission up to $25,000
- President Visit Incentive – $10,000 if the university president/chancellor attends the class giving ceremony at the end of the term
- Evaluation Incentive – up to $25,000 based on alumni participation in reflecting on the result of the grants (unlocked/awarded 2 years after the class)
- Indirect Funding – up to 10% toward university administrative expenses
Philanthropy Lab Responsibility
The Philanthropy Lab will disburse funds earned by the class upon receipt of all course deliverables at the end of the term.
- All funds must be disbursed to grantees in the term they are earned.
- Funds may not be reserved or “banked” for future use.
University Responsibility
- The university is responsible for disbursing funds to the selected grantees in a timely fashion.
- The university is responsible for all costs associated with delivering the course (professor/TA salary, classroom facilities, etc.). The Philanthropy Lab will provide an additional 10% of funds earned to cover indirect costs.
Who Can Apply
We invite institutions to apply, and welcome nominations from both professors who would like to teach a funded course or from department chairs or deans who have a faculty member in mind to teach.
Application
Applications are open for new university partners.
New partner selections will be announced quarterly.
2026 Application Deadlines:
- March 15
- June 15
- September 15
- December 15
- The Philanthropy Lab will evaluate applications on a rolling basis.
- Multiple applications from the same institution are welcome, but do not increase the chances of securing partnership.
- For additional information, please visit thephilanthropylab.org, where you can explore partner institutions and access course readings and syllabi. For further inquiries, contact us at info@thephilanthropylab.org.
Career Benefits for Professors
Innovative Teaching: Bring experiential learning into your classroom, enhancing student engagement and outcomes.
Professional Recognition: Join a distinguished group of faculty recognized for advancing philanthropy education nationwide.
Research Opportunities: Use the program as a platform for scholarship on philanthropy.
Institutional Impact: Strengthen your university’s reputation for community engagement and experiential learning.
Professional Education and Networking: Attend yearly Leadership Summits alongside colleagues from all partner institutions, such as Stanford, Harvard, Emory, University of Texas, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Columbia, NYU, University of Washington, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Partner Highlights
Emory University’s Philanthropy Lab course hosted by the Goizueta School of Business delves into history and theory of philanthropic giving in the U.S. as well as leading strategic and equitable philanthropic management approaches. During the course, students form their own “mini-foundations” that will be challenged to identify and make grants.
Harvard University’s “Philanthropy, the Nonprofit Sector, and the Social Good” course, offered as a gen-ed in Sociology, explores how to most effectively harness the power of philanthropic giving and nonprofit work to create positive social change and address society’s most pressing challenges.
Columbia University’s course, “Philanthropy & Just Societies,” is housed in the Psychology department. Professors equip students to learn about the social, ecological, psychological and historical underpinnings of philanthropy to understand ethical considerations, evaluate its potential in making more just societies, and consider the psychological and sociological meaning of giving and receiving aid at different scales.
University of Notre Dame’s course, “Philanthropy and the Common Good,” hosted by the Political Science Department, looks at philanthropy and charity first through the lens of the founders and early Americans, and then from different religious and philosophical traditions, ultimately examining how philanthropy evolved throughout American history and how it works today.
Vanderbilt University’s “Philanthropy and Social Problem Solving” course is offered through the Human and Organizational Development department. Students dive deeply into theories of change and civic responsibility while engaging directly with local community organizations.