UC Service Learning announces Roger Grein Award for Community Impact

Thousands of nonprofit organizations in the Tri-state area depend on the time, talent, and treasure of scores of volunteers to meet the needs of our neighbors, support our communities, and bring about important social change. The work of these organizations is difficult, essential, and often goes unrecognized.

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. The award will focus specifically on recognizing nonprofit organizations that address pressing social issues facing people in our communities, demonstrate a measurable impact on the community they serve, empower volunteers in connecting to the communities they serve, and partner with the University of Cincinnati through service-learning courses or service-learning co-ops. 

This award is named for Roger Grein, founder of Magnified Giving, a nonprofit whose mission is to educate, inspire and engage students in philanthropy, and to touch the hearts and minds of teens, lighten the concerns of others, and magnify the impact of philanthropy. Since 2008, Magnified Giving has contributed $1.7 million to 640 community organizations.

When told about the new award, Grein said, “UC really is part of my DNA, and I gained so many opportunities while I was there. This was something that was totally unexpected and makes me feel very loved and very honored.” 

In addition to his work with Magnified Giving, Roger Grein has spent his life publicly and anonymously supporting dozens of charitable organizations. Grein graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1964 with a bachelor's in business administration and again in 1966 with an MBA. As a model Bearcat and lifelong philanthropist, Grein has dedicated his life to helping empower young people to donate their time, talent, and treasure to organizations addressing pressing social issues.

UC and Magnified Giving have been partnering together for years, most recently through placing UC students at Magnified Giving through the Service-Learning Co-op program. The Service-Learning Co-op Program provides grants to help nonprofits hire UC students so they can “learn, serve and earn.”

UC’s service-learning program engaged over 5,000 students in service-learning experiences last year and has partnered with hundreds of nonprofits since 2015. The Roger Grein Award is part of a suite of awards offered by the program to recognize excellence in service-learning, honoring faculty/staff, students, and now community partners. 

Featured image provided by Magnified Giving includes starting left to right, Lindsey Barta (A&S ‘18, MA ‘20), Maggie Tagher (DAAP ‘24), Roger Grein (BBA ‘64, MBA ‘66), Corinne Black (Business/A&S ‘22), Jackie Ruberg (A&S ‘22), Hailey Maier (A&S ‘21).