Apparently Harvard University--even with its $26 billion endowment--has fallen on some tough times.  Last week, the New York Times ran a story that noted some of the tough decisions Harvard has made lately, including reduced availability of hot breakfasts and no more cookies at faculty meetings. Today comes word that Harvard has opened up bidding on naming rights.  With prices starting in the low five figures, Harvard is offering you the opportunity to name venerable parts of the institution after yourself!

So, if you've always dreamed of the Harvard Law School reading room bearing your name, and if you've got $10,000,000 laying around to pay for it, now's the time to go for it.  But if you're a little hard-up right now, check this out: The Generation Project offers naming rights on ALL your gifts to kids in low-income areas--regardless of the price.  

Don't believe us?  Check out the screenshots below from our gift creation application, replete with fake gifts from two people who have been in the news lately.  (My fellow Michigan football fans will recognize the shoelace reference, the rest of you can educate yourselves here).

 SAMPLE GIFT #1:

 I mean, he's got $1.4 million to give to charity, right?

 

SAMPLE GIFT #2: 

 

 

So, yeah. Why not login to our community section and design your own gift today?  It may not be as prestigious at a gift to Harvard, but it can be cheaper, will still bear your name, and will go directly to kids who really need it.  And, who knows?  Maybe your gift will end up making the difference in a kid's life, setting her on the path to Harvard.  

(Or Princeton, I guess, if cookie consumption by faculty is a factor in her college decision).  

The New York Times reports today that a program offering students up to $1000 for performance on Advanced Placement (AP) tests is showing signs of success.  Students in the program take the tests more frequently, are passing the tests at a higher rate, and are availing themselves of optional Saturday tutoring sessions geared towards AP subjects.   The results only cover the 2008-2009 school year and the program is relatively small (31 mostly minority schools participate) so the sample size is obviously limited.  Still, the results are a positive sign for those who think that student achievement can be raised through tangible and/or monetary incentives.

We try not to blog too much about our competitors in the philanthropic "industry" over here at The Generation Project, because:
a) writing really nice things about other worthy charities out there might convince you to use your philanthropic dollars elsewhere, and that's not a great business model; and,
b) writing really mean things about other charities out there ("The Red Cross is wack, yo!") is cold-hearted and wrong.¹

The New York Times has a story out today about the amazing fundraising efforts of parents and community members in several Long Island school districts.  After cuts to the districts' budgets threatened schools' extracurricular activities and sports teams, the Long Island communities rallied in support of their schools and raised upwards of $1 million dollars to save the threatened programs from the chopping block.

But in these gloomy economic times, such success stories are tempered with a heavy dose of pessimism.  The Times piece is replete with takes on the sustainability of private donations to schools, with quotes from school officials warning that "given the difficulty and magnitude [of the fundraising campaigns], they can only be substantiated for one year and are unrealistic as a recurring source of revenue."  So, the story concludes, fundraisers and foundations cannot replace government cash in private schools. 

On the obviousness scale, the notion that "public schools rely on public money" ranks somewhere between "if you eat fewer calories, you will lose weight" and "living with grizzly bears is a bad idea."  And, although The Generation Project seeks to expand community involvement in public schools, nobody here thinks that private donations can be systematically relied upon to make up for massive budgetary shortfalls.  But let's not minimize the positive impact these Long Island parents had. It's inspiring to see community members rally behind schools and children to protect the types of experiences that change kids' lives year after year. 

Of course, the fundraisers in Long Island were...well, Long Island parents.  Parents from socioeconomically depressed neighborhoods--which are facing severe budgetary shorfalls themselves--might not have the time or resources to raise $1 million at the drop of a hat.  But if providing a quality edcation for all Americans is a national priority, the plight of students in schools facing severe budgetary shortfalls affects us all.  That's why The Generation Project wants to connect donors with schools and kids that need their money the most.  No, private money is not going to make all the difference.  Still, it can make a huge difference, and it can do so even if it doesn't go to the school in your own backyard. 

Women's Wear Daily reports today that Georgio Armani is celebrating the opening of his new Fifth Avenue store by establishing the $1 million dollar Armani Arts Institute, which will support arts programs in public schools in underserved New York City neighborhoods.  The reason for this post is not to give Mr. Armani his well-deserved plaudits, as I'm sure he's getting those from much bigger sources than our humble blog.  Nor am I posting this to trumpet the fact that I read Women's Wear Daily, although I would certainly like to be seen as an enlightened, modern man with a healthy appreciation for women's fashion. 

The point is that Mr. Armani's gift is precisely the type of grand, personalized philanthropic gesture that has historically been the sole province of the uber-wealthy or uber-famous, and the precise type of gift that The Generation Project hopes to put in the hands of donors at any income level.  We're trying to revolutionize educational philanthropy--and American charity more generally--by moving away from that old model of charitable giving where donors write a check for $50, $250, or $2500 and let an organization decide how to spend it.  If, like Mr. Armani, you want to support the arts in high-need New York City classrooms, you can donate art supplies to an elementary school teacher that will put them to good use.   If, on the other hand, your passion is politics, you can sponsor an after-school student government club at a high school, or a trip to Washington DC for middle schoolers.  Or if a set of particular books touched you as a kid, what better way to leave your legacy than donating that same set of books to an underresourced school library? 

Everybody has a gift to share, not just those who can afford to open a store on Fifth Avenue.  And kids in high-need public schools don't need $1 million to make a difference (although, if you have it to give, please do!) No matter what you can afford, under The Generation Project's model, the power is in your hands.  Like the Armanis, the Gateses, and the Bransons of the world, we want to give you the power to let your ideas shape the future of education.