Learning to Make a Difference in Upper’s New Philanthropy Class
October 6, 2025
The year, the Upper School’s Experiential Learning program is offering a new class, $1,000 and Change: Student-Led Philanthropy.
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“Philanthropic decision making shapes our communities in ways that most of us don’t bother to think about,” said Director of Experiential Learning Karen Glum, who is teaching the class. “Having an economically, environmentally, and socially healthy community depends heavily on decisions philanthropists make. Each of us can be a philanthropist on a small scale, giving of our time, talent, or treasure to benefit social causes.” Student teams receive microgrants and use them to do as much good as possible over the semester by researching and selecting nonprofits to receive the grants. The class has welcomed numerous guest speakers from local organizations, including Kit Brunner ’07 from Queen City Impact, Hammad Siddiqi from Fifth Third Bank, and Jennifer Frey ’99 from Every Child Succeeds. |
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Brunner and Siddiqi asked the students to think about their relationship to money and had them consider different messages around money.
“You can have all the money in the world,” Siddiqi said. “But it is important not to lose track of what money means because what you’re spending on a meal today could be someone else’s weekly grocery budget.”
Frey explained the importance of values, priorities, and research for nonprofits as she had the students debate if her organization should accept a $1 million donation with a stipulation that went against the organization’s values.
“Everyone has something to give,” Glum said. “It’s important for students to see that in themselves and equally important that they see it in others — especially those they intend to serve.”
