Our Crowdfunding Groups
WOW!
It's amazing to see how much support we have to continue the Pay It Forward program at OSU Marion. Being able to offer students an educational experience that will last beyond just one semester is only one direct benefit of these funds. Also due to Pay It Forward grants awarded to local non-profit agencies in Marion County:
And these are just the projects for this school year. It's hard to know the full extent of the impact OSUM students are able to have on the community of Marion through the Pay It Forward project, but I guarantee, they are making a difference. The ripples of good just keep extending.
Simply by donating to this campaign, you have also helped 10 students who are working to gain business and professional writing skills see the positive results of their marketing skills. They have worked very hard this month to meet their goal, and I know that being able to use their skills for this authentic purpose has given them experience that simply doing exercises in a workbook cannot provide.
So, please, let me thank you for your donation and more importantly, for your support of Pay It Forward! The money you have given will truly make a difference in so many lives, and I am very grateful and honored to be able to offer this amazing experience in my English courses at OSUM!
Go Buckeyes!
Amy Tibbals
As always, we want to first express our gratitude for the many generous donations the Pay It Forward project has received. As our previous updated stated, this semester's finalists are the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County, Marion Goodwill, and the O.S.U. Extension. Each has the opportunity to receive funds, but that is yet to be determined by the students in English 2367.01S
We are now approaching the end of this semester's initiative, but before wrapping things up, we had the opportunity to talk with the creator of Pay It Forward—Amy Tibbals. Amy is a dedicated professor at The Ohio State University's Marion campus and is active in her community. She had much to say about the good that Pay It Forward does and will continue to do, all thanks to our passionate donors.
What was your inspiration for the Pay It Forward project? Did it start with a federal grant?
"It was my goal to incorporate service-learning into my course, and I used to have students do giving back projects on their own as part of 2367.01S. However, in the 2010-2011 school year, we were given the opportunity to apply for this Pay It Forward Project that was funded with federal dollars, and it seemed like the perfect fit for the course. I’ve been doing it ever since."
What would you tell students who are considering taking the class?
"If you’re looking to take a class that is not a traditional reading and writing course, and if you care about making a difference in the community, this is the course for you. Many students tell me that this class made a difference in their college experience, and they left with more than just a grade on their transcript."
What is the role of the partner organization, United Way?
"The United Way has been our community partner since the very beginning of the Pay It Forward project. They have provided financial support and grant application materials. They also play an active role educating students on how a grant process works. They have helped raise awareness about Pay It Forward among their partner agencies and in the community in general. They are truly a vested partner in the entire process."
What would you like to see the program do in the future?
"I am happy that we keep finding ways to connect authentic experiences with course objectives. Over these seven years, we have been able to offer more than one PIF English 2367.01S course per school year, and due to the crowdfunding campaign, we’ve been able to offer English 3304, Business and Professional Writing students the opportunity to use their skills for a real-life purpose and one that gives back to the community. It is my goal to continue to build on what we have and grow the program in ways that benefit O.S.U. Marion students and the community at the same time. It is truly a privilege to have the opportunity to teach these special English courses every year."
Again, our sincerest thank you to everyone who has contributed to this amazing project. Your donation will truly make a difference in someone's life. There are still two days left to donate, so pass the word along to anyone you know who might want to help create positive change in Marion.
Thank you for helping us Pay It Forward.
Where has the time gone?
Amazing! We are blown away by the support that we have already received. Thank you!
The end of our fundraiser, March 2nd, is just around the corner with only 7 days left! As of now, we are at 67% of our goal. To remain on track, we need to ideally be at 75% by the end of today. As always, we appreciate all of the funds we receive and are excited to see how the Pay It Forward project will benefit the Marion community.We encourage everyone to help continue spreading the word about the Pay It Forward project.
Remember, all the funds that are raised will be given to better the community of Marion. There have been quite a few of nonprofit organizations that applied for the grant now and in the past years that rely on funds like these to remain in operation. To give you an idea, here is the list of the three finalists chosen by the English 2367.01S students that could receive the Pay It Forward donations this semester:
· Boys and Girls Club of Marion County
· OSU Extension Office
· Marion Goodwill
These students are now in their research phase of the process, where they will visit/get to know the finalist organizations to learn more about what they do. They will have to use their critical thinking, active listening, and analytical skills to decide how the funding will best be used for the improvement of Marion.
In efforts our to raise funds towards our goal of $2,500, we will be holding our last bake sale on Tuesday 2/27 in Morrill Hall at Ohio State University Marion. Come wrap up the shortest month with a donation for a sweet treat to help out the sweet cause! Thank you for all of your support thus far. We are looking forward to finding out how we can help these wonderful organizations make an impact on our community!
Today was such an exciting day for the Pay It Forward project and we hope that you were able to be a part of it. If you missed it this morning, a few of the amazing people working with the project were interviewed on Marion’s local WMRN radio station to help spread the word about the benefits of Pay It Forward. The executive director of United Way (a Pay it Forward Partner) Amber Wertman, project director and Pay it Forward course instructor Amy Tibbals, and two OSUM students were featured in the broadcast. Amber expressed how impressed she was with the students who have been working on the project, and how seriously they take helping the community:
“You never know where this experience will take them…Students are excited to give back to a worthy cause. They are part of a collective impact…something bigger where so many people benefit.” When Amy Tibbals was asked if she believed that the program would continue in years to come, she responded enthusiastically:
“I hope so! If you can’t tell, it’s my passion. Students get so much more than just an English class—they get career ideas, and learn the importance of giving back.”
The Pay It Forward project also is celebrating its second successful bake sale! Thanks to donations received from students, staff, and faculty at the sale, we have been able to raise nearly $200 toward our goal! We hope that you will join us next Tuesday, February 27 at the side entrance of Morrill Hall for our final bake sale. Without contributions from generous and passionate individuals, the Pay it Forward project could not exist. Thank you for supporting the OSUM campus and the Marion community as we continue to climb toward our goal.
Hi everyone,
Due to a conflict, our Pay It Forward Bake Sale will be held in the Alber Student Center from 11:00am-2:00pm tomorrow (2/20/18). We will be set up across from the bookstore.
Please support the Pay It Forward campaign by buying some sweet treats! It's a win-win!
Thanks!
Just like Team USA is going for the Gold, we’re going for our Goal this winter! Four years have flown by and the Winter Olympics are well underway, raising expectations from last season. Though our project is now halfway through, we will keep our momentum and speed through the finish line to our goal of $2500. Just like Team USA relies on its fans, our progress would not be possible without the contributions of our donors. As of Thursday, February 15th, we have already raised 45% of our goal and continue raising the bar! You can help us speed toward our goal with our upcoming events next Tuesday.
On Tuesday, February 20th, we will be holding another Bake Sale in Morrill Hall at OSU Marion from 11am-2pm. Keep up your stamina to power through winter while making a community contribution by making a donation and receiving one of our homemade baked goods! What better way to feel like a champion than to do something good while eating something good. We will have gluten-free options!
Also on February 20th, we will be live on the radio at WMRN. Tune in to 1490 AM at 10 am to hear for yourself all the details on our Pay It Forward project: how your donation makes an impact, who has received the money, what the grant process is like. Find out all these details and more from our class’ very own Ashley and Eric!
Thank you for your support in spreading the word about these upcoming events! As always, we are deeply grateful for all your support thus far and look forward to achieving our goal and seeing the impact that will be made in the Marion community.
Let’s spread the love together this Valentine’s Day with Pay It Forward! Thanks to the generous donations of those who are dedicated to our community and students, we have reached nearly half of our fundraising goal! In just a few weeks we have made huge steps toward changing the lives of Marion’s citizens. We are so thankful for the love our donors have for Marion, but our work is not done yet. With only 16 days left to achieve our goal of $2,500, we are excited to keep moving forward.
With the season of love upon us, we want to encourage everyone to keep the community in their hearts. For years, this project has made a monumental impact on the lives of those in need. Past donations to Pay it Forward have gone toward helping kids at the Boys and Girls Club, offering financial assistance to those who struggle to afford their life-saving prescriptions through the United Community Rx program, and to places like Goodwill and Marion Matters, helping individuals prepare for their future. Just think of the lives you’ll change with your donation!
When you make a donation to Pay it Forward, you are reaching out with love and compassion to someone’s child, their mother, father, or sibling. You will be helping your neighbors, your friends, and your community. You will be making a difference. So, make this Valentine’s Day a memorable one; show your love by donating to Pay It Forward. Chocolate and flowers are wonderful, but they are also temporary. Helping your community through Pay it Forward can be just as sweet, and it makes an impact that will last for generations. The best part is that you and your loved ones can do it together! For the price of a small box of chocolates or a couple of roses, you can make dozens of people feel the love (and we promise you’ll feel it, too.)
We are so grateful for the support the Pay It Forward project has received so far! We are well aware of the sacrifice that each of our donors makes and are deeply thankful for each contribution. It is only because of these smaller, individual donations that we will be able to achieve our goal of ultimately giving back to the community in a big way. In recognition of these sacrifices, we asked around for examples from actual donors for examples of the things they have given up for one day or compromises they have made in order to give to our cause.
Billy - Instead of buying Chipotle, I brought a packed lunch to class for the day.
Ashley - I bought fewer boxes of Girl Scout cookies than I would have otherwise.
Delaney - I pushed back my plans to buy another pair of leggings for a few weeks.
Trevor - I gave up my morning coffee for just two days.
Tricia - Rather than going for fast food, I found time to cook at home for a couple of days when I would otherwise have gone for the faster option.
Yes, all these little sacrifices add up. In addition, our class is amazed to see the number of donors that have given, the percentage getting closer to our goal, and the first-hand experience of seeing a community and members of a society band together to make a changes in the world. We would like to tell everyone that you are not only making an impact in the community of Marion, Ohio but in the lives of the students that attend OSU, The Ohio State University.
Wow!
To begin, we would like to say first thank you to everyone who has already donated to this year's Pay it Forward Campaign. We are less than a week into the campaign and thanks to the generosity of our donors have already reached nearly a quarter of our fundraising goal. Clearly we are off to an amazing start and can't wait to see how these donations will make a positive impact in the Marion community. But our work is far from complete.
As always, the focus of our Pay it Forward campaign is on students and the community. Aside from the project's main goal of improving lives within the community, another important aspect of the campaign is to give students invaluable real-life experience. As our instructor Amy Tibbals says,
“It’s amazing to think that this whole thing is student driven, it’s all about the community of Marion and giving back, but it also incorporates classes.”
Through the courses affiliated with the project, students have the rare opportunity to develop their English and professional writing skills while making a difference in their community. Last year, we were able to award funds to the Boys and Girls Club of Marion County. Board member Maryjo Mundey reminded us once again of the incredible impact the project has on the Marion community:
“Kids are our future, so we want to make sure that they get out there and have a good start, and by the O.S.U. students helping them, that actually helps [everyone].”
Pay it Forward is a truly unique and effective project and we sincerely thank you for being a part of it. As we continue to raise money for these amazing organizations, keep checking this page for updates on the campaign's progress. Feel free to share information on Pay it Forward with your friends, family, colleagues, and anyone else who wants to help change lives for the better.
We are very excited to kick off our 2018 crowdfunding campaign for the Pay It Forward project! Last year OSU Marion students had a unique opportunity to be active members of the Pay It Forward campaign and make a real impact in the Marion Community. We have the unique opportunity to share this experience, again, with some new and old members. Two of our classmates, Ashley and Delaney, took part in one of the 2017 Pay It Forward grant cycles in the autumn English 2367.01S and were eager to share their experiences with us.
Based on your experience, how do you envision this year’s project going?
Ashley: Last semester’s class was different than this one, so the experience will be unique. I believe our goal is reachable. This time, instead of making an impact for English 2367.01S [last semester’s Pay It Forward class], we need to make an impact for English 3304 and, of course, for the community.
Delaney: In the process of getting to know the organizations last semester, we now have an even greater drive to reach our goal. I have the passion to share my experience with the class to emphasize the importance of what we’re doing.
What experiences did you gain from the previous service learning English class?
A: I learned that there are many non-profit organizations that do good in the community that I didn’t know about. I also learned what impact the grant can have on the community in supporting these non-profit organizations.
D: Personally, what I learned is how to work with a group professionally. I learned how to present to others properly. I found the ability to benefit and impact others.
How do you think the Pay It Forward project affected the winning non-profit organizations?
A: The three winning organizations were very grateful at our celebration party. The Boys & Girls Club is now able to run their Summer Brain Game Program, the Black Heritage Council was able to give a 40th year anniversary scholarship and, last but not least, the United Community Rx Program can continue to provide medication to those in need.
D: Based on what Ashley said, we also witnessed emotionally how much they appreciated the donations, and how they developed as non-profit organizations.
What is the hardest part about the service learning project?
A: You want to give money to all the organizations, but only the top three [as decided by the class] get the donations.
D: Deciding who gets the donations because you want to give money to all of the potential organizations.
What would you like to say to a potential donor?
A: A small donation seems insignificant, but all the small donations add up. The Marion Community suffers greatly, so those of us who have the opportunity to change that should band together to make an impact.
D: Even though they don’t know where the money will go specifically, I have seen how it really helps the Marion Community through the chosen organizations.
Give to help the non-profit organizations working to improve the lives of those in need.
Give to support students' education, build a caring citizen, and invest in a unique service-learning experience.
Show you care about this important connection between students' education and giving back to the community - making a difference that impacts people's lives beyond just one semester.
Giving at this level makes you eligible for Alumni Sustaining Member status.
Teaching how to give to others is an important part of this learning experience. Your giving shows philanthropy in action, and that is exactly what students see first-hand through their service-learning in the course.
