The COVID-19 virus did not deter the student-driven Common Good Grant Committee at Bowdoin College from fulfilling its appointed mission: Providing valuable financial support to a wide range of nonprofit organizations in MidCoast Maine. Since its founding in 2002, the committee has awarded over $300,000 to 155 organizations.
The process consists of raising funds from alumni and friends; inviting applications from local non-profits; conducting on-site visits as part of the review process; and awarding grants. Students get real hands-on experience while lifting the lives of people in the wider community; donors, in turn, know that they are enhancing the students’ educational experience while contributing to deserving local organizations. Most important of all, local nonprofit organizations get a good financial boost. Everybody wins.
Last year, the committee raised a record $23,000 and granted awards to seven deserving non-profits: Alan Day Community Garden; Harpswell Aging at Home; the Indian Township; Marine Mammals of Maine; Midcoast Community Alliance; Oasis Free Clinics; and the Portland Housing Authority.
Everything was going along smoothly this year until, you guessed it, the COVID-19 virus hit. When the college canceled classes in mid-March, the fund-raising subcommittee was in the midst of fund-raising and the grant sub-committee had not yet completed on-site visits. Committee members met with their advisor, Tom Ancona, the associate director of the McKeen Center at Bowdoin, to discuss next steps.
They gave no serious thought to canceling the program for a year since local non-profits would need extra support during the pandemic. They proceeded to complete the fundraising effort by phone; conduct the on-site visits electronically, and hold a Zoom meeting to make award decisions.
The committee raised $20,340 this year an impressive amount given the circumstances. The award recipients were: ArtVan ($2,500); Brunswick Area Teen Center ($2,840); Friends of Merrymeeting Bay ($2,500); Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center ($2,500); Home to Home ($5,000); MidCoast Humane ($2,500); and Morris Farm Trust ($2,500).
This compelling story becomes even more impressive when one talks with some students on the Common Good Grant Committee. I had the good fortune to speak with three of them on a Zoom conference call.
During our wide-ranging discussion, I asked the students why they chose to spend many of their valuable college hours on this cause. Kevin Ye, a first-year student, said, “This is a unique opportunity to learn about the community while working as a team for the common good.”
When I asked if it was difficult to ask people for money, Amanda Cassano, a sophomore who co-chairs the committee, said, “I love engaging with prospective donors and hearing the stories of alumni as well as talking about the program. I can use this skill for the rest of my life.”
When I asked what they learned from the overall experience, Matt Henry, a senior who co-chairs the committee, said, “I learned to think more critically about the world around me, to focus on the substance beneath the veneer. Running nonprofit organizations can be very stressful, and the people who lead them must be very flexible.”
I concluded by asking how America might change as a result of the pandemic. Amanda said, “We learned about what’s most important in life. We also learned about the vast inequalities in the health care system. We have to address the inequalities head-on.”
Meeting these students (electronically) and learning more about this amazing program provided a welcoming jolt of inspiration during these long shelter-in-place days.
Please contact me by email to learn more about the program or if you might be interested in providing financial support in the future. Thanks.
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old’” columns. dtreadw575@aol.com.
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