Giving 2.0: The MOOC

Giving 2.0: The MOOC, is a Stanford University-sponsored online course intended to teach givers of all ages, backgrounds, incomes and experiences to give more effectively. Taught by social entrepreneur, philanthropist and bestselling author Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, Giving 2.0: The MOOC will teach you how to assess nonprofits, create a high-impact philanthropic strategy, volunteer more effectively, use existing, free technology for good and more. Course participants will engage in an actual grant-making process during which up to $100,000 of Learning By Giving Foundation capital will be allocated to student-selected nonprofits.

Giving 2.0: The MOOC is a six-week course. Each week has a particular theme and 5-10 content-packed and activity-rich, video modules exploring that theme. Video modules will include lectures from Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen as well as interviews, discussions and lectures given by guest speakers. Guest speakers are renowned leaders in multiple industries including philanthropy, technology and business, who will provide unique insights into course topics. Students will have the opportunity to join Talkabouts – small virtual meeting groups created to discuss class-related topics. By the course's conclusion, students will have created an Individual Giving Action Plan to guide their future giving in a highly effective and meaningful way. Students will also complete a formal nonprofit assessment. Students will consider and vote on eligible nonprofits and collaboratively determine which ones receive Learning By Giving Foundation grants. Students will also be provided with ongoing, post-MOOC philanthropy education content that will support continued development and execution of their philanthropic goals.

This course reveals how anyone can be a high-impact philanthropist. There is nothing required except your generosity and a passion to improve our world.

There are no required readings for this course. However, the course is designed to work with the ideas and content from Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen's book, Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World (Wiley/Jossey Bass, 2011). The book can be found at all online sellers and in many bookstores. Here is the Amazon link. Other optional readings that will enhance your learning about each week's theme will be listed on our course website.

Our course will consist of lecture and guest speaker videos, each between 3-10 minutes in length. Most videos will contain integrated quiz questions (a scientifically proven way to increase information retention), small workbook activities and supplementary quizzes as needed. The two primary projects for our course are completing a comprehensive nonprofit assessment and creating your Individual Giving Action Plan. You will select a nonprofit you believe is creating significant social/environmental impact and will conduct an in-depth assessment of that nonprofit. Every completed nonprofit assessment will be eligible to receive potential funding during our student-run grant-making process. You will also create your Individual Giving Action Plan, which will assess your unique resources and how you can most effectively translate those resources into helping transform both nonprofits and the lives of those they serve. There is no final exam (because I do not believe in tests!).

Instructor