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Philanthropy in Schools

The Big Give Philanthropy in Schools programme aims to inspire the next generation of philanthropists.

The programme engages students in philanthropy and promotes the benefits of intelligent charitable giving. Designed to be run during lesson time or as an after school activity, the scheme encourages thorough research into organisations and allows children to learn about the valuable work of a range of charities.

Success Story – The Dragon School

In 2011, the Dragon School in North Oxford ran the scheme for a third year, dividing a £2,000 sponsor donation between 25 Year 8 scholarship students.

Each student used theBigGive.org.uk to short-list two projects of interest. They researched these projects in greater detail and created reports explaining which of the charities would get their support, before donating their voucher online.

Students then discussed their choices with their peers, in groups of three. Each group chose one project to present and elected a spokesperson.

The sponsor visited the Dragon School to meet the pupils and hear their presentations on a fantastic range of charities.

This is the third year that the Dragon School have run our Philanthropy in Schools programme. So far this year, over 770 students in 15 schools across the country have already run the programme.

Success Story – Westminster Under School

In June 2011, Westminster Under School ran the Philanthropy in Schools programme for the second year.  Thirty scholars, aged 12-13, took part in the scheme – which fitted well into the post-exam timetable.

Each student was asked to thoroughly investigate two charities of interest to them on theBigGive.org.uk. The diversity of projects was huge, and ranged from a centre for drug rehabilitation in Bristol to a campaign to stop bear-baiting in Pakistan.

The students learned to evaluate each project according to a set of demanding criteria, particularly focusing on sustainable impact for the money invested.  They were then placed into groups of three and asked to discuss their charities with their peers. As a group, they then chose one project to present to the three judges.

The winning group presented the Kanga Project from Tanzania where one pupil had strong family connections.  The runner-ups’ charities were Solar Aid and SCI (Schistosomiasis Control Initiative) and the three judges agreed the overall standard of research and delivery in all the presentations was superb.

Gillie Howarth, who led the project at Westminster, said “The most valuable part of the experience for the participants was probably the negotiation within groups of three to settle on one project from the six they had investigated.  It was excellent to see the generous team spirit which emerged and the respect for each other’s contributions. Thank you to the Big Give for providing us with this brilliant opportunity to explore the world of philanthropy.  Let’s hope we are building a new generation who understand the importance of giving.”

Sponsor a School

You can sponsor a Philanthropy programme in the school of your choice for as little as £1,000. All of the money will be donated to charity, and your scheme will help to inspire a new generation of philanthropists. You will receive a full breakdown of the charities that receive your donation and we can arrange an optional visit to speak at the school.

To find out more about becoming a sponsor, please email us at schools@thebiggive.org.uk.

Volunteer with a School

To inspire participating students, we are looking for volunteers to give a couple of hours of their time to visit schools and speak to students about the benefits of giving to charity.

This would be particularly suited to retired teachers, or those looking to give something back to the community. Full training and support will be provided, and where possible you will be placed with local schools.

If you are interested in finding out more, please email us at schools@thebiggive.org.uk.

For Teachers

The programme is designed to introduce pupils to the benefits of charitable intelligent giving. It provides the opportunity to practice different writing styles and prepare persuasive oral presentations, whilst basic due-diligence is an example of mathematical analysis.

The Big Give offers a core programme, including a micro-site and sample assignments for pupils, and will work with you to add the optional components that fit with your school’s requirements.

For more information about running the programme in your school, please email us at schools@thebiggive.org.uk.