After “Nonprofit leadership class chooses The Homeplace for $1,000 grant” was published on Dec. 1, Acting Public Affairs Officer Scott Raymond clarified the purpose of the grant will be used for other environmental education programs at The Homeplace.
“The USDA Forest Service and Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area are continually looking for new opportunities to expand the educational opportunities presented at The Homeplace 1850’s Working Farm and Living History Museum,” Raymond said. “We are grateful for this grant and the ongoing support for The Homeplace from our visitors and neighbors.”
This information was not available at press time.
Ava Chuppe
Staff Writer
achuppe@murraystate.edu
The Nonprofit Leadership Studies 305 class presented a $1,000 grant to The Homeplace at Land Between the Lakes on Nov. 30.
The Giving Back Endowment grant was established thanks to Bob Long, retired NLS professor, and his wife Patricia.
The Endowment provides the Student Engagement Initiative to support an experiential learning opportunity within a core student philanthropy course in the NLS program, according to the Murray State NLS website.
“The Giving Back Endowment was established to advance the principles of altruism, generosity, caring and service to others,” the website states. “The central goal is to provide students with innovative educational experiences that help prepare them to be active citizens of the world and provide faculty with resources to innovate in course design that pursues the same outcomes.”
NLS 305 is a course on “Grants, Giving and Philanthropy,” meaning students learn about the administration and politics of grantmaking.
According to the University academic catalog, NLS 305 “will familiarize students with key aspects of grant-making institutions, such as mission development, needs assessment, grant proposal analysis, and site visits. Students will develop their own grant-making strategy and learn how to be strategic in their individual giving.”
The grant allows students in NLS 305 to learn about the topic in a hands-on application, said Elise Kieffer, nonprofit leadership studies program director.
“Students individually research the local nonprofit environment and identify qualifying organizations,” Kieffer said. “They draft a grant application based on factors they feel are most important.”
The endowment’s mandate states the funds should be issued to an organization in Calloway County working in youth development. After all applications are received, the class debates and selects a finalist.
According to the Land Between the Lakes Guide website, The Homeplace also allows visitors to interact with the antebellum way of life face-to-face.
“At The Homeplace, you are transported back to a working 19th-century farm where history really comes alive,” the website states. “You can wander at leisure around the farm interacting with the interpreters, who are members of Friends of Land Between the Lakes, as they undertake all the tasks as if it were a normal day in 1850.”
To learn more about the NLS program and its offerings, visit murraystate.edu/business.