The students then had to come together as a group and decide how to award their hard-earned $10,000 pot.

What connects a donated wedding dress to entrepreneurial social justice?  The wedding dress was one of dozens of items donated to the Rock Creek Campus Students4Giving auction that is the heart of the “Introduction to Non-Profits and Philanthropy” class at the campus.

Under the direction of business instructor and project coordinator Cynthia Killingsworth, this year’s class raised $10,000 through the online auction—and then the hard work began. Students were required to review the mission statements, budgets, and proposals from 12 diverse non-profit organizations. Site visits and staff interviews followed. The students then had to come together as a group and decide how to award their hard-earned $10,000 pot.

And the winners are:

• The Good Neighbor Center, $3680. The funds will expand the hours for a student/parent advocate at its family shelter in Tigard.
• Saint Child, $3,680. The funds will purchase furniture and supplies for a new shelter for young pregnant women in Hillsboro.
• Jubilee Transition Homes, $2,640. These funds will support a shelter for men in Beaverton.

Students4Giving is an annual fundraiser coordinated by Portland Community College. Over the past five years, the event has raised approximately  $90,000 that has been awarded to non-profit organizations throughout the community.