Collective Impact At Work: Thanks To Scholars, Volunteer Advisors, Sponsors

Charitable Words Scholars are on Spring 2015 assignments with a variety of nonprofits doing important work in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Here’s a shout-out to the scholars, advisors and sponsors engaged in “learning and lending a hand” to help nonprofits “better their impact and best tell their stories.”

Charitable Words Scholars:

Here are projects the Scholars will be engaged in:

Documenting a youth poetry slam for Wordplay

Holland Rains, Erin Mullins and Taylor Harris from Northern Kentucky University’s College of Informatics will produce a documentary video for Wordplay, a Cincinnati nonprofit that provides free tutoring, literacy & creative writing programs for students K-12. Since October, they have been immersed with Wordplay’s six teams preparing for the “Louder Than a Bomb (LTAB)” youth poetry slam through the final presentations April 18 at The Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.  The poetry project has 14 schools participating in the competition, with 400 youth  ages 13-19 to participate. NKU instructors Sara Drabik and Michele Day are advisors of the documentary project, which will provide funding and valuable learning experience for the College of Informatics students.

Thank you to ArtsWave, which has pledged a $1,000 sponsorship of the documentary.

“Opening The Minds” of Alzheimer’s patients through art

Alexandria Predota, Kellyn Czajkowski and Kaitlin Moore of the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University will work with ‘Opening Minds Through Art,” an innovative program under the guidance of advisor Dr. Like Lokon, a nationally-recognized expert in the field of patient-centered care.  Their reports from the field will be shaped and shared by Charitable Words to help raise awareness of this important program and an issue that affects so many lives and families.

Branding and awareness campaign for “Kicks for Kids”

A team of Charitable Words Scholars from Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky colleges has been assigned to a major branding and awareness campaign with Kicks For Kids, a Covington-based nonprofit that provides fun and enrichment for children at risk. The students and recent graduates will work with Executive Director Christine Sebastian and Charitable Words’ network of pro bono professional advisors to redesign Kicks For Kids’ web site, create rich media content and marketing materials and communications strategies. Kicks for Kids was founded by former Bengals kicker Doug Pelfrey in 1995 and has directed over $2 million into positively impacting the lives of over 50,000 youth in our community who are challenged either mentally, physically, or by the environment they live in. Kicks For Kids wants to streamline its message – communicate its accomplishments, impacts and needs.

Charitable Words Project Manager Brittany York

Charitable Words Scholar of Cincinnati State Technical College is lead designer on the team.  Charitable Words project manager Brittany York, a University of Cincinnati graduate student, is developing content for the site and will work with Northern Kentucky University public relations student Kari Huffman on developing an “audience awareness toolbox” to help Kicks For Kids and other nonprofits get their “good stories, well told” to the right audiences on the right platforms in a fragmented media environment.

To secure funding for the project, a team from Northern Kentucky University’s philanthropy studies program will work with Julie Olberding, director of NKU’s Master of Public Administration program, and a Charitable Words advisor. Northern Kentucky University is one of the nation’s leaders when it comes to incorporating student philanthropy into the classroom.

Thank you to The Mayerson Foundation, which has pledged a $1,000 matching grant to what the NKU philanthropy students raise.

Stars of dance, music and visual art celebrate “the beauty of collectiveness”

Hillary Globe and Syron Townsend of The University of Cincinnati have been assigned to internships with The Constella Festival Music and Fine Arts Festival, which will bring the brightest stars of dance, music and visual art to Cincinnati April 8 to 19th as the Constella Music and Fine Arts Festival rings in its fourth season, said founder Tatiana Berman. “Artists and performers from every corner of the globe will come together across disciplines, genres and styles to create groundbreaking collaborative works and challenge the boundaries of traditional mediums.  Inspired by the constellations of our night sky — for which, the festival is named — Constella celebrates the beauty of collectiveness.”

“Photo Voice”:  Young photographers will be mentored by Charitable Words team

Charitable Words and Against The Grain Scholars are collaborating on “Photo Voice.” a photography storytelling project that will connect students from diverse communities and backgrounds to explore their experiences and environments – and common interests and understanding.

Cincinnati Enquirer director of visuals Michael McCarter, a Charitable Words volunteer advisor, offering guidance to student photographers involved in “Photo Voice.”

Students from schools in Over-The-Rhine, Price Hill and The West End will partner with Madeira Junior High School students for the six-week project. Their first meetings was hosted at The Cincinnati Enquirer by Director of Visuals Michael McCarter, a Charitable Words volunteer advisor.

Against The Grain Scholars founder and executive director Michael Farrell Jr. said “We are intentionally bringing together two different groups of students in Cincinnati whose paths were unlikely to cross. It’s our hope that they will come together to appreciate each other’s differences and unearth the ever-present commonalities that are shared by all.  By providing mentoring and academic support during the week, and transportation for volunteer and community service outings on weekends, ATGS has been able to show these exceptional scholars the difference they can make in the lives of others,” Farrell Jr. said.

Charitable Words will provide funding for the project and support and guidance by McCarter and Charitable Words Scholar Brandon Hudson, a graduate of The Art Institute of Ohio – Cincinnati. He also will document the project. Farrell Jr.  said he hopes the project will lead to an event showcasing “Photo Voice” images and hopes sponsors will be found for future phases of the collaboration.

Coming up:

• Andrea Baker of Cincinnati State will be assigned to a yet-to-be-announced collaboration with a small nonprofit serving students and families in Over-The-Rhine. Andrea will work with other Charitable Words Scholars on web site development, content and media awareness strategies. Stay tuned for that and more!
• Charitable Words’ Rachel Kellerman will be working several video projects, also to be announced.  Rachel recently produced a video for People Working Cooperatively, with guidance by former Enquirer photographer Michael Keating, an award-winning videographer and member of Charitable Words network of advisors.

Stay tuned!

And thanks to all of the above for your engagement, giving and collective impact for your community.

About Charitable Words Scholars

Charitable Words is a unique 501(c)(3) social enterprise, partnering – not competing- with other nonprofits in collaborative projects. It is based on a model of engaged philanthropy in which the impact of giving is leveraged through collective action.

Since Charitable Words was established in 2012, more than 60 students and 30 nonprofit partners and educational institutions have been involved in internships, special projects and scholarships.  They are supported by the engagement of our network of volunteer professional advisors and support of our sponsors,

Thank you to The Charitable Network of Advisors, which includes more than 50 professionals in a variety of fields of expertise  – and connections to hundreds more and pro bono resources. The provide volunteer guidance and connections to enrich student experiences and outcomes.

And thank you to Charitable Words Scholars sponsors and supporters, listed here.

Your charitable giving to causes you care is exponentially leveraged by collective impact – and your giving a “generation of purpose” deal with the costs of education and student debt (Charitable Words Scholars assignments are all paid at a fair wage – no free internships).  

To support or sponsor, please click here.

Any support needed, deeply appreciated and will be appropriately recognized.

Small donations quickly add up for collective impact, supporting special assignments and learning and development opportunities. A fifty dollar freelance assignment at a nonprofit event has meaning to a student.  For more information about sponsorships, please contact Charitable Words Director of Development Tom Bishop at tom@npoforge.com..

Thank you.

Charitable Words.

Charitable Words is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and governed by an independent board of directors.

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