By: CHRISSY BOHLMANN
Staff Writer
cmbohlma@iusb.edu
If you are passionate about helping the community and want to give back, here is your chance.
Benefitting 50 non-profit charities, online donations will be accepted for Give Local Day on May 5 at their website http://www.givelocalsjc.org.
“By focusing fund raising for 50 non-profits on one day,” said Director of International Programs Dr. Lisa Zwicker, “then it is possible to gain attention and to focus the needs of diverse charities and non-profit organizations across St. Joseph County.”
IU South Bend is one of the 11 participating educational institutions and will have two scholarships open for donation on the Give Local Day website – the Guillaume International Study Scholarship and the Underrepresented Teacher Scholarship.
The Guillaume scholarship benefits students who plan to study abroad. Because finances are the main reason more students do not study abroad, this scholarship gives additional students the opportunity to visit destinations outside of the U.S..
“A portion of the dollars donated will be matched through a Lily grant and other sponsors,” Zwicker said. “The interest is matched through the IU Foundation.”
The Underrepresented Teacher scholarship benefits men of color who wish to become teachers in the classroom. This issue was prioritized during a series with the School of Education faculty and staff.
“We’re very concerned about the lack of diversity in the teaching population in K-12 schools,” said Marvin Lynn, Dean of the School of Education. “The best way to impact diversity of student body is by supporting students’ success.”
Lynn said that scholarships are a key way to help students succeed so they will not be burdened financially.
The Community Foundation of St. Joe County spoke all of the organizations that have an endowed fund at the foundation to participate, according to Dina Harris, Director of Development at IUSB.
“The CFSJC decided to pursue [Give Local Day] because it has been successful in other parts of the country and they were able to get a match to be used for the donations,” Harris said. “It doubles the power of the gift.”
There will also be a preview period starting April 27. Donors may initiate gifts of stock or recommend a grant from his or her donor-advised fund, according to Harris. Checks must be mailed by May 5. For more information regarding check donations, visit the Give Local website or call the Community Foundation at 574-232-0041.
