$870,000

granted

464

course participants

13

classes offered

UT Austin Grant Map

UniversityCourseStudents Enrolled
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2012The Art of GivingDepartments: PhilosophyPaul Woodruff32 students
University of Texas, UGSFall 2012Philanthropy: The Power of GivingDepartments: Undergraduate StudiesPamela Paxton51 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2014Philanthropy: The Power of GivingDepartments: Undergraduate StudiesPamela Paxton43 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2015Philanthropy: The Power of GivingDepartments: Undergraduate StudiesPamela Paxton49 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2016Philanthropy: The Power of GivingDepartments: Undergraduate StudiesPamela Paxton18 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2017Philanthropy: The Power of GivingDepartments: Undergraduate StudiesPamela Paxton51 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2018Philanthropy: The Power of GivingDepartments: Undergraduate StudiesPamela Paxton51 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2018Philanthropy and Nonprofit OrganizationsDepartments: Liberal Arts HonorsPamela Paxton18 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2019Philanthropy and Nonprofit OrganizationsDepartments: Liberal Arts HonorsPamela Paxton18 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2020Philanthropy and Nonprofit OrganizationsDepartments: Liberal Arts HonorsPamela Paxton18 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2022Philanthropy and Nonprofit OrganizationsDepartments: Liberal Arts HonorsPamela Paxton68 students
University of Texas, UGSSpring 2023Philanthropy and Nonprofit OrganizationsDepartments: Liberal Arts HonorsPamela Paxton47 students

Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations
Undergrad Class Taught by Pamela Paxton
Department of Liberal Arts Honors

Pam Paxton is the Chair of Sociology and the Linda K. George and John Wilson Professor of Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in economics and sociology and her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has consulted for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Academies. She has intersecting research interests in pro-social behavior, politics, gender, and methodology. She is the author of articles and books on social capital, nonprofits, women in politics, and quantitative methodology. Her research has appeared in a variety of journals, including the American Sociological Review, American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, Comparative Politics, International Studies Quarterly, and Legislative Studies Quarterly. With Melanie Hughes and Tiffany Barnes, she is the co-author of the 2020 book, Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective. She is also an author of Nonrecursive Models: Endogeneity, Reciprocal Relationships, and Feedback Loops (2011). Her chapter, “What Influences Charitable Giving?,” appears in the 2020 publication, The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook, third edition. One current project uses mission statements to understand how nonprofits have helped redefine collective representations to be inclusive of diverse sexual and gender identities.

Process Overview

Each student has to find three organizations that meet the goal of the groups – each group then starts with ~9 organizations

Three classes dedicated to understanding Form 990

Class has an “Argument Against Nonprofits” discussion

Only students who attend class “regularly” get to vote on final funding allocations

Guest Speakers

  • Sarah Rintamaki, Founder of Connecting for Kids
  • Muhannad Abulhasan, Chief Executive Officer – Arzan Wealth

Media

Latest News

September 14, 2020

Giving Away 100 Grand

September 14, 2020

Students Present $100,000 to Two Nonprofits

September 14, 2020

Budding Philanthropists Give $100,000 to Five Charities

Student Testimonials

I can say with certainty that this class had a true, lasting impact on my life. To call it a unique experience is an understatement in every sense of the word.

Maclean MartinUniversity of Texas at Austin

This course completely changed the way I think about the power and responsibility that wealth carries. Most importantly, I learned that the choices you make with your money aren’t neutral - they can create great good, but they can also hurt if done thoughtlessly.

Ben WallaceUniversity of Texas

The class made me more perspective and skeptical of non-profits who sounded good on their website, but upon further inspection were unreliable means of assisting others.

Nathan Lewis

Through this course, I learned that engaging in philanthropy was not exclusive to the wealthy or powerful. Impacting a community, whether local or international, begins with the individual drive to partake in collective change.

Ximena De La Cruz