MBA Corporate Social Responsibility Student Philanthropy Project
Mount St. Joseph University MBA students enrolled in the Corporate Social Responsibility course participated in the Student Philanthropy Project. As part of their culminating project, each team conducted a deep-dive analysis of a local Cincinnati nonprofit and delivered a formal funding presentation to their fellow students, and an audience that included the Dean of the School of Business & Communication, MSJ faculty and staff, and representatives from each nonprofit organization.
After thoughtful presentations and rigorous evaluation, one nonprofit was selected by the students, and awarded a $1,000 student-directed grant. This grant was obtained by Assistant Professor Maria Seta, who applied to the Mount’s Student Philanthropy funding, through the Career and Experiential Education Center. Since 2016, Mount students have contributed over $65,000 to local nonprofit organizations, thanks to funding provided by the Cambridge Charitable Foundation.
“Integrating this philanthropy project into my MBA Corporate Social Responsibility course was incredibly rewarding. It gave students the opportunity to apply what they were learning in a meaningful, real-world way while also deepening our collective understanding of the important work being done by nonprofit organizations across Cincinnati. I am grateful for the chance to support both student learning and community impact through this experience.” Maria Seta, MSJ Assistant Professor in the School of Business & Communication
“At the Mount, we believe meaningful learning happens when students engage with real community needs,” said Caroline Meyer, Assistant Director of Service Learning and Engagement. “This project reflects our commitment to service learning as a core part of how we prepare students to lead with purpose.” The true measure of this experience lay in the students' reflections. They gained a deeper understanding of the complex realities facing nonprofits—balancing mission, resources, and community impact. This project strengthened their commitment to service-learning and reshaped their thinking on leadership and social responsibility. Please read the MBA student reflection quotes below.
MSJ MBA Student Quotes:
This project helped me understand how nonprofits must balance passion for their mission with the practical challenges of funding, staffing, and meeting community needs.
The experience with this student philanthropy project will have a profound impact on my future practices. For starters, the project highlights the importance of service-learning and how a small group of students can come together to connect course concepts to real-world community needs.
This project has increased my awareness of the numerous non-profit organizations in need of assistance in the Cincinnati area. Not only have I gained a better understanding of the needs of non-profit organizations, but I have also learned about ways to reach out and get involved with them.
Food insecurity, unstable housing, addiction in the family, or stress from poverty all influence how a child behaves and focuses. Which can negatively affect their performance in school. I want to remember that many challenges students face are things beyond their control. Instead of assuming a student is disinterested or misbehaving on purpose, I will try to understand what might be happening in their life outside of school and respond with patience and as much support as I can give.
The course also showed me how responsible leadership shows up in everyday decisions listening before reacting, communicating clearly, and supporting people’s well-being.
This experience reminded me that social responsibility isn’t just a concept. It’s how you treat people in the moment, and that’s something I plan to carry into my work.
I plan to be intentional about building connections, paying attention to early warning signs in students, and responding with empathy. This project showed me that educators play a major role in linking students to the support systems that can change their lives.