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Budget, Budget, Who's Got the Budget?
  1. Strand PHIL.I Definitions of Philanthropy
    1. Standard DP 01. Define Philanthropy
      1. Benchmark HS.4 Define and give an example of serial reciprocity.
    2. Standard DP 03. Names and Types of Organizations within the Civil Society Sector
      1. Benchmark HS.1 Recognize and use a variety of terms related to the civil society sector appropriately, and identify the characteristics the terms describe.
  2. Strand PHIL.II Philanthropy and Civil Society
    1. Standard PCS 03. Philanthropy and Economics
      1. Benchmark HS.10 Identify the training or education needed for civil society sector jobs.

To have the learners analyze, interpret and evaluate an annual report of a foundation or nonprofit organization and answer questions in relation to it, and to participate in class discussions regarding budgets, fundraising, and distribution of funds.

Duration: 
PrintOne to Two Fifty-Five Minute Class Periods
Objectives: 

The learners will:

  • answer a journal question that involves a “budget.”
  • analyze an annual report of the foundation he/she has gathered information about, and answer questions in regard to the report.
  • participate in classroom discussions which involve budgets, fundraising, and distribution of funds.
  • successfully demonstrate knowledge of budget process through an instructor- constructed testing instrument.
  • develop a detailed action plan to formulate an effective budget.
Materials: 
  • Pencils and paper
  • Journals or section of binder for this class
  • Internet access or copies of individual annual reports from the foundations or nonprofits students identify
  • Annual Report Questions (Handout One)
Home Connection: 

Learners will answer the take-home question:My group analyzed the annual report for________________________________Foundation or nonprofit. Of all the other groups that gave information about a foundation or non--profit, I firmly believe that the ______________________Foundation or nonprofit should be supported because of the following information that I learned from their annual report.

Bibliography: 
  • A glossary of philanthropic terms /resources/glossary-philanthropic-terms
  • Digeronimo, Theresa. A Student’s Guide to Volunteering. NJ: Career Press. 1995. Guide for young people to help them to begin to work in areas of service.
  • Lewis, Barbara A. The Kid’s Guide To Service Projects. MN: Free Spirit Publishing. 1996. Guide to over 500 service projects and organizations involved in serving, for young people.
Instructions: 
Print

  1. Anticipatory Set:All of us have heard the word “budget.” For our purposes, we will use the following definition of budget: “The total amount of money allocated for a certain purpose, including both income and expenditures.” Check for understanding of both income and expenditures. Have your learners write the definitions in their journals. Introduce the terms “gross income” and “net income,” and use the term expenditures with types of costs - fixed and variable. Have the learners write down examples.

  2. Write the following question in your journals and respond with specific details in your journal responses. “If you were given a $20 a week allowance, what would you spend your money on, and why? Do you think that you would have enough money to last until the next week?” Ask them to write about anticipated expenses and actual expenses they may have. Allow the learners to spend about five minutes writing down their answers and then spend another five minutes discussing what the learners have written.​

  3. Divide the class into groups of three to four learners. Give each group two copies of a foundation or nonprofit annual report. Review terms that they will encounter in these reports: assets, liabilities, income, investment, credit, and debit.

  4. Pass out Handout One: Annual Report Questions to the learners, and ask them to use their annual reports to complete Handout One. Discuss the term “annual report” with them, which for our purposes is defined as the following: “A voluntary report issued by a foundation, nonprofit organization, or corporate grantmaking program that provides financial data describing their grantmaking activities.” Ask the learners to complete Handout One which is a worksheet asking specific questions for them to answer. Answers are found in the annual report. Allow them 15-20 minutes to complete this worksheet.

  5. Bring the class together and have each group report as to their findings. Learners are to write the names of each foundation or nonprofit into their journals with key information learned from the presentations. Tell the class they will have a take-home assignment about what they learned.

  6. Have the learners take home the following question. Each is to bring in his/her response for the next class session

    My group analyzed the annual report for________________________________Foundation or nonprofit. Of all the other groups that gave information about a foundation or nonprofit, I firmly believe that the ______________________Foundation or nonprofit should be supported because of the following information that I learned from their annual report.

Assessment: 

The learner will complete a journal question concerning the term “budget.” Evaluate participation in class discussions involving budgets, fund-raising, and distribution of funds. Assess the analysis of an annual report of a foundation or nonprofit done through completion of a worksheet involving specific questions concerning the report. Evaluate the home/school question. Instructor-designed test instrument on key terms, knowledge and application of annual reports and budget process.