‘Doing Good Together’ course gains recognition
UC students learn about giving from a personal and professional standpoint
An honors course piloted at the University of Cincinnati not only taught students the intricacies of philanthropy but also led to an invitation for UC to join an esteemed academic association.
The UC course, “Doing Good Together: Student Philanthropy Studio,” drew the attention of The Philanthropy Lab, a national consortium of 33 university partners engaging students in philanthropic activities.
“We envision social responsibility as a pillar of the Bearcat mindset,” says Flavia Bastos, a professor in UC’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), who pioneered “Doing Good Together” and co-lead the course for two semesters: spring 2024/25.
Spring 2025: The second pilot cohort of 'Doing Good Together.' Co-lead Flavia Bastos far right. Photo/Emily Sullivan.
In addition to philosophical discussions about the nature of giving and research on the topic, the course gave students hands-on philanthropy experience through a class project that distributed real funds to UC and UC-affiliated nonprofit organizations.
For the project, students broke off into groups to research one of five nonprofits in depth over the semester and then gave a presentation to an audience of faculty and UC Foundation members who ranked each presentation. The funds, provided by the UC Foundation, were then divided among the nonprofits according to rank.
For spring 2025, $20,000 was distributed to:
Bearcat Buddies (tutoring program fund, $6,000)
UC Blue Ash Food Pantry (support fund, $5,000)
UC Center for Adaptive Athletics (Adaptive Athletics Fund, $4,000)
UC Center for Addiction Research (research fund, $3,000)
UC daycare (Empower Learn Create, UC Child Care Fund, $2,000)
“We all wanted to make sure that the organization we worked with was positively impacted,” says Asher Moore who took the course as a first-year history major.
Moore’s decision to enroll in the course, he says, was fueled by his own experience of being a recipient of UC’s Hugh Hoffman Honors Scholars program, which provides a full ride to UC. The estate of UC alumnus Hugh Hoffman established the scholarship with a $56 million gift, the largest donation to scholarships in UC’s more than 200-year history.
“Knowing what the scholarship gave to me, I wanted to reciprocate such actions into my community,” says Moore.
Garrett Richardson presenting on UC's Adaptive Sports Program. Photo/Emily Sullivan
Classmate Garrett Richardson, a fourth-year economics and finance major with a minor in political science, echoed Moore’s sentiment. “After this course, I hope to continue working with nonprofits and apply the concepts we’ve learned to become a more compassionate and effective leader.”
Faculty co-lead Robin Selzer, a professor in UC’s College of Cooperative Education and Professional Studies (CCPS), says that over the years she has developed a passion for cultivating the next generation of philanthropists and firmly believes, “UC can become a national leader in these efforts.”
And that belief is bearing out.
In the fall of 2024, UC received an invitation to join The Philanthropy Lab as an outcome of Bastos and Selzer innovative work. The membership agreement is a collaboration between the Lab and the UC Foundation, the Honors Program, the colleges DAAP and CCPS.
Membership, both say, provides UC access to valuable resources and funding, as well as networking with other faculty and leadership opportunities for students.
Selzer says she is looking forward to advancing student philanthropy at UC as part of her fall semester sabbatical project and through research as a Society for Experiential Education Fellow over the next two years.
The idea for the course, Bastos says, stemmed from her appointment as the faculty representative to the UC Foundation Board of Trustees.
The course is scheduled to be taught again in spring 2026.
Featured image at top provided by Bearcat Buddies.
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