Creating a culture of student philanthropy to address financial challenges in universities

Concerns about the cost of higher education and student loan debt have resulted in increasing efforts by policymakers and university administrators to find alternative ways to support the financing of higher education for students. The authors present a case study of a student-led philanthropy campaign to generate funding for social work student scholarships. Three-year outcomes reveal that student and faculty participation rates reached 53% and 100%, respectively. An average student gift of 15.03 nearly tripled to 43.21 one year postgraduation. The campaign illustrates how grassroots fundraising can help unburden future social workers while improving sense of community among students, faculty, and alumni.