The Fundraising and Development for the Not-for-Profit Organization course in the Communication and Leadership graduate program teaches students how to create development materials. This allows students to build their skill sets while also helping a local not-for-profit organizations. As part of COM 616, Fundraising and Development for Not-for-Profit Organizations, students complete community partnership service projects. By the end of the semester, each student creates a development plan, fundraising letters for both new donors and repeat donors, a special event plan, a grant application, a story to be used on the website or in the annual report, an internal case statement and a major gift solicitation for their partnering organization.
Students partnered individually with the following organizations to help them in their fundraising and development departments: Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI), Family Promise of Western New York, Harvest House, Presbyterian Senior Care of WNY, Southwest Key Programs, Hope for Cats, Buffalo Laboratory Theater, Save the Michaels of the World, and The Service Collaborative of Western New York. These graduate students are not just learning skills that will help them in the future, but they are also helping local not-for-profit organizations.
Submitted by: Sara Morris, PhD, associate vice president, academic affairs
