Senior Capstone

In Spring 2024, the HSSJ Capstone class was the final class working with The Learning by Giving Foundation, which discontinued its experiential grant giving activities. We feel so honored to have worked with LxG over the past decade, which gave both our students the opportunity to run a foundation and for local nonprofits in the DMV to receive grant funding.

The senior class capstone offered a unique opportunity at GW to combine scholarly and community practice to make social change in the District through an experiential philanthropy project. Students partnered with the Learning by Giving Foundation (LxG), which provided the class in 2024 with an initial $7,000 for their giving project. Students decided together which social issue their philanthropy would address. Utilizing the knowledge from previous coursework, students researched the selected social issue, raised additional funds, put out a call for grant proposals and selected grant recipients among local nonprofit applicants.

Past capstone classes have addressed gender, inequity, education, criminal justice reform, and homelessness.

"We envision a world that empowers and supports immigrant youth to reach their full potential."

GW Arc Foundation
Class of 2024

2024 Grant Awardees

The 2024 "GW Arc Foundation’s" mission was to financially assist organizations that provide access to legal support services to immigrant/newcomer youth (0–25) in the DMV area. The DMV is one of the United States’ largest gateway destinations for immigrant communities. Immigrants are vital members of the Washington D.C. community, making up approximately one in seven residents with 6,500 of them being children. Legal services are essential for this population. Unaccompanied children who are unable to receive adequate legal representation are five times more likely to be deported, often back to dangerous situations.

The 2024 grant was awarded to DC Volunteers Lawyers Project.

Examples of Recent Philanthropy

Spring 2021 Topic: Homelessness: Awarded to New Endeavors by Women and Charlie's Place
Spring 2020 Topic: Criminal Justice Reform: $11,500 awarded to U.S. Dream Academy, The National Re-entry Network and Free Minds Book Club
Spring 2019 Topic: Education Assistance for Immigrants: $9,000 awarded to Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition

"This is the best capstone experience possible and it has been so much fun going through this process with my classmates. I will always be grateful for getting this experience in philanthropy."

HSSJ Capstone Student
Class of 2020