On Friday, December 2, IES students and professors gathered virtually with representatives from local nonprofits as they were presented with donation checks ranging in amount from $750 to $2,000. This ceremony was the culmination of Fall 2022’s Panther Experiential Philanthropy Project, or PEPP. Participating classes comprised IES 103: Philosophy of Helping and IES 315: Non-Governmental Organizations: Policy & Practice.

PEPP  is an innovative program at Chapman University aiming to connect students to community problems, needs, and local solutions. By providing classes grants, students become grant makers, funding nonprofit organizations addressing challenges aligned with the course’s learning outcomes.

“PEPP was a wonderful chance to engage with Chapman and its students,” said Adriana from Family Justice Center Foundation. “We were really excited that we were selected as one of the nonprofits to receive a grant, and we want to thank Chapman for this opportunity.”  She said that the money will go towards funding a series of classes for youth whose parents have been affected by violence.

This fall’s grant recipients include:

  • Casa Teresa: $750
  • Together We Rise: $750
  • Mariposa: $1,000
  • Family Justice Center Foundation: $1,000
  • Viet-CARE: $2,000

Thahn Huynh from Viet-CARE said that the grant money will fund food distribution among immigrant senior Vietnamese community members. He said, “we just want to thank Chapman University and the PEPP program for empowering students to become grant makers to fund nonprofit organizations.”