Public Writing Benefits Nonprofits and Students
Distinguished Lecturer Erin Smith’s 200-level Public Writing course has always been built around working with nonprofits. In the past, students built online presences for local charities, but after social media became commonplace, she decided to restructure the course. She asked herself what nonprofits really need—money—and decided to shift the course’s structure to focus on crowdfunding. Now, students work with a local nonprofit of their choosing and use social media campaigns and public-facing documents to help raise money for the organization.
In groups, students research and select a nonprofit, generally choosing a charity in which they have a personal interest. Then, they work directly with the nonprofit to ascertain its needs, creating GoFundMe pages, videos, and letters to support their fundraising campaigns.
To date, students have worked with more than 60 local charities—popular choices include Young-Williams Animal Center, Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding, Horse Haven of Tennessee, Ijams Nature Center, and Love Kitchen Inc.—and Smith said every semester, students find new organizations to work with. On average, groups raise approximately $1,300, with one team raising over $7,000 for Appalachian Bear Rescue. Overall, Smith said her students have raised a quarter of a million dollars for local nonprofits.
“These students have literally altered the landscape of Knoxville for the better,” Smith said. “To see the changes that come from these projects, the people whose lives have been changed, is exciting.”
Even after they complete the course, students regularly report that they continue to work with their charity of choice. Some students have gone on to incorporate their nonprofit into Panhellenic fundraising efforts, and others have used their skills to craft new fundraising campaigns, such as raising money for graduate school applications or to go on a mission trip.
Claire Kennedy, a senior studying analytics and statistics and information management, initially only took the course to fulfill a requirement, but she was intrigued by its emphasis on professional writing and communication and the real-world applications of those skills. Her campaign partnered with Bakeroos, a nonprofit providing personalized birthday cakes to children and teens in foster care in Knox County. Within the first week, Kennedy and her classmates reached their goal of $1,000 raised; by the end of the campaign, they netted $1,600 for the nonprofit.
Kennedy said she is proud of her group’s accomplishment and that she is now much more confident in her ability to communicate effectively in different contexts.
“This class offered the freedom to explore our potential, collaborate effectively, leverage each other’s strengths, set clear goals, and make a meaningful impact on a cause we cared about,” Kennedy said. “The structure of the course provided me with a deep understanding of team dynamics, and by navigating both the successes and challenges of our campaign, I gained invaluable real-world experience that I now use as talking points in interviews.”