Christmas came early to several charitable organizations Friday (Dec. 10), thanks to eight West Virginia University students who learned how to think like corporate philanthropists this semester.

The students in management professor Gerald Blakelys Corporate Citizen Project class handed out $25,000 in grants to 11 organizations. In so doing, they helped fulfill childrens wishes, assisted needy families with utility bills, bought food for emergency pantries and provided funds for community projects.

Some 33 organizations applied for the grants.

This is the programs fourth year, and students have given away a total of $100,000. Funding for the program comes from WVU College of Business and Economics alumni, who recognize the importance of businesses contributing to the community. Blakely designed the class to teach future business leaders the value of contributing to society and the community.

By the end of this class, students have learned how corporate philanthropists decide which charitable non-profit organizations are good candidates for donations and how to distribute thousands of real dollars,Blakely said.

Future business leaders need to know the role of private, non-profit organizations in meeting community needs, especially in times of a tight economy and receding government funds,he added.

The class solicited proposals for projects that would benefit the greater Morgantown community where WVU is located, developed a set of criteria for judging them and then chose the winners during the final days of the semester.

Each year, as part of the class, students make a trip to Cleveland to meet Robert Reitman, who graduated from the college in 1955 and provided funds to start the project in 2001. This year they also met actual community philanthropists and fund-raisers, including the founder and director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the president of the Cleveland United Way.

During this trip students gain a better understanding and appreciation for their grant decisions, Blakely said.

I gained a lot from the experience in this class,said Michael Morris, a business management senior from Weirton.I learned that working for non-profits can be a challenging job that one must have a passion for in order to succeed.

Many of the employees for non-profit organizations put in long hours and receive little or no recognition for their efforts,Morris added.They must have a deep love for the job and commit their lives to it in the fullest.

The criteria the students used in deciding who would receive funding included each programs track record and the impact a grant would have. Then they ranked their top choices from the request that totaled $120,000.

Since we began this class in 2001, I havent seen a project that wasnt worthy of funding,Blakely said.They are all deserving, and this is probably the hardest part of the project for the studentsdeciding among many deserving applicants.

Students try to stretch the money as far as possible, but they must have enough to make an impact and not spread it too thin,he added.

This years recipients:

  • Mountain Heart Foundation, $1,600, to send children to camp
  • Caritas $3,750, housing/utility assistance for needy families
  • Mon County Family Resource Center, $100, teens as parents program
  • Appalachian Education Initiative, $3,750, rural assistance network
  • Christian Help, $3,500, emergency food pantry
  • Mon County Starting Points, $675, baby packs
  • WV Women Work, $1,950, purchase of tools, etc.
  • Morgantown Fun Factory, $1,500, installation of childrens art work at a park
  • Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club, $1,000, enrichment education activities
  • CASA for Kids, $3,675, train and support volunteers
  • Make a Wish, $3,500, support for one wish