PD3060: Doing Good Together

The “Doing Good Together: Student Philanthropy Studio” honors seminar is designed to give students hands-on experience in philanthropy by researching charities (UC or UCH-Affiliated organizations who receive support already via discretionary funds established by the UC Foundation), developing criteria for charitable giving, and ultimately distributing a portion of $20,000 fund to charities of their choice. Through this process, students will gain a deeper understanding of the impact of philanthropy and develop a philanthropical mindset.

The course will be a partnership between the UC Foundation, the Honors Program, CCPS, and DAAP. The Foundation will provide the funds to be dispersed. The use of the term “studio” reflects creative ways of experiential learning, and it is borrowed from design and the arts to emphasize the process of developing and implementing an idea or concept. The course’s expected outcome is to unpack the philanthropical process for students, examining donors’ motivations and goals, establishing criteria for giving, exploring different approaches to philanthropy, and determining means of assessing impact. The goal of the seminar is to foster a new generation of philanthropic leaders for the university, community, and beyond.

• Explore philanthropy as a tool for social justice
• Explore your personal values as they align with philanthropy and the power of connecting with other people to do good 
• Understand how you can have an impact on society through philanthropy 

For Spring 2026, Doing Good Together will return with increased support and partnerships, a new course text, and expanded opportunities for learning and networking.

Doing Good Together received attention from The Philanthropy Lab, a national consortium of 33 university partners engaging students in philanthropic activities. 

Dr. Flávia Bastos, a faculty for the course, was recently recognized by the University of Cincinnati Foundation with the Staff Award of Merit. 

The UC Service-Learning program, housed in the College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies, is proud to announce the creation of a new service-learning award; the Roger Grein Award for Community Impact.