NOVA recently received a $2,000 grant from the Middle Bucks Institute of Technology (MBIT) Philanthropy Today Club.
The grant will be used to help defray the cost of transporting clients to and from NOVA’s headquarters and various court proceedings.
The club, comprised of students from MBIT, teaches students about charities, how to give responsibly through grant allocations, and how to identify community needs.
The students and their two teacher advisors worked with two foundations – Heenan Foundation, through grantor Bernadette Heenan, for which they are given a specific challenge to meet; and The Norman Raab Foundation (www.raabfoundation.org), for which they created a mission statement, areas of focus, and criteria for the funds they bestowed through The Norman Raab Foundation.
The club chose NOVA as a grant beneficiary because of the organization’s work in the areas of victim advocacy and violence prevention. As the students stated in the report they submitted to The Norman Raab Foundation, “We believe that we should fund NOVA because their mission statement [states that it strives] to be a hopeful light for individuals healing from serious crimes, sexual assault/abuse, and for the greater community, as it works to end patterns of violence.”
“The student members of the MBIT Philanthropy Today Club demonstrated the power of collaboration and critical thinking as they created a mission for their club, identified community needs, and ultimately made grant decisions to support local charitable organizations,” said Stephen Raab, board chair, The Norman Raab Foundation.
“The students clearly identified the connections between their club’s mission and that of NOVA, and presented a strong rationale for the grant to support client transportation services. The Norman Raab Foundation is honored to work with the MBIT Philanthropy Today Club for the past 10 years and to support the work of NOVA, as well.”
Pamela Swoyer is a worked-based education teacher at MBIT who has been involved in the club for nine years and has been impressed with the work of the students.
“Participation in the Philanthropy Today Club has been a life changing experience for our students,” she said. “I am once again humbled by the generosity of the Raab and Heenan foundations and their dedication to the youth of Middle Bucks. Our students learn the language of the philanthropic world, and the importance of due diligence and research when investigating who should be the grant recipients. We appreciate the valuable and essential work NOVA does every day for crime victims in Bucks County.”
“NOVA is honored to be selected by the Philanthropy Today Club at MBIT to receive a $2,000 grant,” said Angela McGettigan, director, operations & community engagement, NOVA. “This grant will help victims with transportation costs related to attending appointments at NOVA’s office, as well as court proceedings. The students involved in MBIT’s Philanthropy Club Today are the leaders of tomorrow and we are excited to see what the future holds for them.”
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