Learning by Giving applied in an upper-level course on the Economics of Altruism, Philanthropy, and Nonprofit Organizations

Abstract

The author of this article describes a form of service learning called “learning by giving,” as applied in a course on the Economics of Altruism, Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations. The motivation for employing such a model is described, and a detailed description of the course and how to use the Learning by Giving model in a semester-long project is offered. Along with identifying important logistical considerations for successful implementation, the author includes insights on the broader implications of this type of service learning applied to economic instruction, considering the value to the student, instructor, nonprofit partner, and the profession.

Keywords:

• Economic education
• economics of altruism
• service learning

JEL Codes:

• A20
• A21
• A22

Notes

1 I am indebted to the late Doris Buffett and the staff at the Learning by Giving Foundation (https://learningbygivingfoundation.org/) for their financial support and for their valuable advice throughout the process of designing and delivering a Learning by Giving course. I am also grateful to Julia Paxton, a professor at Ohio University who first introduced me to the Learning by Giving model, and Charles Sonsteby and Valerie Davisson, who provided additional financial support for this course.

2 George Kuh is the founding director of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), and he describes the types of activities that constitute what he coined to be “high-impact” practices (Kuh 2008).

3 International statistics on giving behavior come from the Charities Aid Foundation annual report (CAF 2018). National data come from Giving USA Foundation (2019).

4 The “Lexington On the Table” report shows the results of a day of focus groups and community data-gathering to meter local opinion on community needs. This nationally-coordinated effort provides city-specific information (Hart Research Associates 2019).

5 GuideStar is a Web site that provides a listing and profiles of nonprofit organizations in the United States (https://www.guidestar.org/). It is an excellent resource for students as they try to identify and gain a cursory understanding of nonprofit organizations in their community.

6 The Blue Grass Community Foundation (https://www.bgcf.org/) is a local foundation that assists nonprofit organizations in the central Kentucky region. They oversee local efforts to participate in the annual “On the Table” community reporting project.

7 The Giving USA Foundation 2017 report includes a summary of the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (Giving USA Foundation 2017, 167–70). The overarching areas from which my students have selected nonprofit partners include areas A(the arts, culture and humanities), B(education), C(the environment), D(animal-related), E(health care), F(mental health and crisis intervention), I(crime and legal-related), J(employment), K(food, agriculture, and nutrition), L(housing and shelter), N(recreation and sports), O(youth development), P(human services), R(civil rights, social action, and advocacy), and S(community improvement and capacity building).

8 Sample reports are available from the author upon request.

9 For those teaching an undergraduate economics course that involves empirical research, Marshall and Underwood (2019) provide an excellent guide and student instructions for preparing a research paper in multiple stages.

10 The Undergraduate Women in Economics Challenge initiative (https://scholar.harvard.edu/goldin/UWE) encourages women to major in economics.