Students get real-life experience in philanthropy.

Byline: Bill Bishop The Register-Guard

In the business of philanthropy, it's called "leverage."

Just another way to say getting the biggest bang for the buck, usually by giving money to attract matching donations, or to support volunteers.

But it was "double leverage" Monday night when 16 students in the University of Oregon's Graduate Seminar in Philanthropy awarded $10,000 to the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Lane County.

Double because the CASA program will match the donation to support its volunteers, and because the seminar will help to inspire future leaders in philanthropy, said Bob Bronson, treasurer of the Faye and Lucille Stewart Foundation, which provided $10,000 - no strings attached - for the seminar to award.

"We try to find opportunities for leverage," Bronson said. "Leverage is not just in dollars. We felt there was leverage in the university, in the organization, in getting involvement."

The UO seminar was conceived by Renee Irvin, assistant professor of planning, public policy and management. While other schools teach philanthropy, the UO seminar was the first to tap into serious money to provide a real-life experience for students. Two other universities have since adopted the model for their philanthropy programs.

Students spent the first half of the term studying the history, economics and politics of philanthropy. Then they went out into the community, compiled a long list of worthy nonprofit groups and winnowed it down to five finalists.

The class then divided into five groups to do in-depth research on each of the finalists. Each group then put together a 15-minute presentation to persuade the others to give the money to their cause. Every student got two votes, one for their cause, another for their second choice.

Winner take all.

It was a tough choice, said Shelley Winship, one of the students who argued the case for CASA.

"The stakes were so high in each of the cases. I feel, emotionally, that was the hardest $10,000 I've raised," she said. That's saying a lot for Winship. She is a full-time fund raiser who brought in more than $740,000 last year for the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts.

For CASA, the money will go to train and supervise 10 more volunteer advocates for abused and neglected children in the state's foster care system. In Lane County last year, 1,000 children were temporarily removed from their families. There were only enough advocates to help 200 of them.

But the other finalists had compelling cases, too.

Centro LatinoAmericano, for example, would have expanded its youth program - in which Latino students tutor others so they can keep up in school. The program can only serve 20 students. In the past, 90 percent of student participants went on to attend college.

The agency finished a close second behind CASA in voting Monday night.

But that didn't discourage Irvin's students who advocated for Centro LatinoAmericano. In fact, they feel their presentation was so strong, the need so important, that they are going to take another shot at a grant from the Faye and Lucille Stewart Foundation, group spokeswoman Rita Radostitz said.

And that is just fine with the foundation, board President Mike Solomon said.

"The payback for us is that we got to spark some interest," he said. "Maybe they'll bring leads to us in the future."

Because Irvin's students aspire to someday manage a nonprofit group, the class allows them to see nonprofit groups from the point of view of charitable givers - to feel what inspires support, to learn to fashion effective fund-raising campaigns and to see how the process really works, Irvin said.

From Monday night's effort, Irvin says she thinks the students are getting it right.

"I almost cried several times during the presentations," she said. "It was very moving."

PHILANTHROPY FINALISTS

CASA of Lane County: Trains adult volunteers to voice the needs of abused and neglected children in foster care in Lane County. Won the $10,000 grant, but now must seek donations to "match" the grant. Contributions to: CASA "UO Challenge," 174 Deadmond Ferry Road,

Springfield, OR 97477. Phone: [phone].

Centro LatinoAmericano: Supporting the Latino community since 1994, is trying to expand youth tutoring program. Phone [phone].

Amigos de los Sobrevivientes: "Friends of the Survivors" supports victims of torture and political violence since 1993, is trying to open a Springfield center. Phone: [phone].

The Science Factory: A hands-on educational program for youths of all ages located in Alton Baker Park, is trying to build a new interactive experience titled "Land of Awe." Phone: [phone].

Jackson Street Youth Shelter: A Corvallis group seeking to expand its homelike shelter as an alternative to formal detention for nondelinquent youths made homeless by dysfunctional families. Phone: [phone].

- UO Graduate Seminar in Philanthropy

CAPTION(S):

Aaron Dority and Cindy Ingram hand out mementos after giving a fund-raising presentation during a UO class on philanthropy.