The world can’t have enough highly effective philanthropists, highly effective philanthropy educators, or highly effective students passionate about social change.
Palo Alto, California (PRWEB) October 02, 2014
Social entrepreneur, educator, philanthropist and best-selling author Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen is launching Giving 2.0: The MOOC (massive open online course), a free online class focused on helping people maximize the impact of their philanthropy. Sponsored by Stanford University and produced by the Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation, the six-week course begins on October 6 and will be hosted on Coursera. Students can now register through Coursera’s website [link .
Through Giving 2.0: The MOOC, Arrillaga-Andreessen will teach aspiring givers of all ages, backgrounds, incomes and experiences to give more effectively. Drawing on Laura’s deep networks within philanthropy, technology and business, students will also have the opportunity to hear from distinguished guest speakers, including Darren Walker, CEO of the Ford Foundation; Princeton University professor Peter Singer; David Kelley, the Founder of IDEO and the Stanford Institute of Design; Scott Harrison, the founder and CEO of charity:water; and Premal Shah, President of Kiva.org.
“I believe anyone can be a philanthropist, because anyone can have generosity,” said Arrillaga-Andreessen. “Through gifts of time, skills, expertise, networks, passion, compassion or financial resources, everyone has the capacity to be an extraordinary philanthropist. However, a lack of research and strategy has limited the measurable impact that our gifts can have. I believe that it’s not about how much you have to give, it’s about how you give.”
Giving 2.0: The MOOC will teach students how to assess nonprofits, create a high-impact philanthropic strategy, volunteer more effectively, use free technology for good, and more. The course culminates in each student creating an Individual Giving Action Plan – a strategy that will structure their giving through the end of the course and beyond – providing specific objectives, timing, and evaluation methods to ensure students continue giving effectively.
To help students practice effective philanthropy, Arrillaga-Andreessen has partnered with the Learning By Giving Foundation (which grew out of Warren Buffett’s sister’s foundation) to enable students to collectively distribute up to $100,000 during the course. Grant decisions will be made through a student-driven peer assessment process, enabling course participants to determine how the money is given away.
Arrillaga-Andreessen is the founder and chairman of Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (Stanford PACS), founder and chairman emeritus of Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund (SV2) and teaches four philanthropy courses at Stanford University. She is the author of Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World, a New York Times bestseller.
