Six Waco Nonprofits Receive Grants through Baylor’s Philanthropy Lab
WACO, Texas (May 8, 2025) – At a community reception in the Bill Daniel Student Center on Wednesday, students in Baylor University’s Philanthropy & the Public Good course awarded grants to six local nonprofit organizations, supporting work to mentor and advocate for young people, accompany migrants and refugees, resource small business entrepreneurs, and assist persons experiencing homelessness. Joined by university and community leaders, students presented checks to CASA of McLennan County, Compassion Waco, The Cove, La Puerta, McLennan Community Investment Fund, and Mentor Waco.
Since its inception in 2014, Philanthropy & the Public Good, an innovative course housed in Baylor’s Office of Engaged Learning, has empowered students to steward real money, serve as a foundation board of directors, and award tens of thousands of grant dollars to deserving nonprofits following a semester-long learning and due diligence process. Since its founding, over 300 students enrolled in Philanthropy & the Public Good have awarded more than $1.3 million in grants.
This semester, 24 students awarded $75,000 to six Waco organizations, joining fall students to bring 2024-25 academic year totals to 41 students, 13 grants, and $150,000 awarded. Spring grant recipients included:
- CASA of McLennan County - $5,000
- Compassion Waco - $15,000
- The Cove - $9,000
- La Puerta - $6,000
- McLennan Community Investment Fund - $15,000
- Mentor Waco - $24,000
Since the course began in 2014, The Cove has received 12 grants totaling $142,857. La Puerta has been awarded three grants totaling $54,429. Compassion Waco’s four grants have totaled $43,950, while CASA of McLennan County’s four have added up to $35,125. Spring 2025 was the first time McLennan Community Investment Fund and Mentor Waco have received grants from the class.
"On behalf of McLennan Community Investment Fund, I extend our sincere thanks to the students and faculty of Baylor's Philanthropy and the Public Good course for the generous $15,000 grant," said Cris Houston, Executive Director of McCIF. "This much-needed grant will be instrumental in allowing us to further our mission of providing microloans to small businesses in underserved areas of our community, where access to traditional banking systems is often lacking."
Dr. Andrew Hogue, associate dean for engaged learning at Baylor, who founded Philanthropy & the Public Good and now co-instructs it with Prof. Mark Richards, observed its transformational nature, not just on the community, but on the students as well.
“In this course, we ask students to continually attend to three sets of questions What am I learning? What am I doing? And in turn, who am I becoming? It’s one thing to learn about philanthropy. It’s quite another even to practice it. But the real magic in this course is to accompany students as they consider the kind of neighbor, citizen, and giver they hope to become. I can’t say enough good things about the seriousness with which this group approached these questions.”
Hannah Chu, a senior biochemistry major from Waco, agreed. “This journey has challenged us to reflect deeply on what it means to be a good steward of resources, approaching philanthropy as a collaborative effort rooted in relationships, trust, and long-term impact. Our decisions had to be guided by research, meaningful dialogue, and a commitment to understanding the community we hoped to serve.”
Funding for Philanthropy & the Public Good is made possible through the generosity of Baylor alumni Joseph and Kelly Armes, whose daughter Annie took the course in 2016. The course also receives support from The Philanthropy Lab, a Fort Worth-based initiative promoting philanthropy education across the United States, which has partnered with Baylor for more than a decade.
“As an alumnus of this course, I have been transformed by it,” notes Prof. Mark Richards, associate director for operations, innovation, and programs in the Office of Engaged Learning. “It has been such a joy now to teach it for the second time. The students are an inspiration. And the nonprofits they selected for grants are doing work that makes deep and lasting impact on our community. I am grateful to be part of this initiative and am confident that there is much good still yet to come.”
For more information about Philanthropy & the Public Good, please contact Andrew Hogue or Mark Richards.