While analyzing different non-profits, our class decided to focus on ones that raised individuals out of poverty. Although there are many organizations doing great things, we wanted our investment to have a meaningful impact on East Tennessee. This requirement narrowed our searches to non-profits that not only address lack of resources, but also provide a strategy to rebuild lives. Their programs had to be sustainable and scalable, with a clear mission in the Knoxville community.

     Secondly, our class chose to dedicate our grant money to supporting overhead. Inspired by Dan Pallota’s TED talk, we wanted to help develop the infrastructure of our non-profits to enable more programs, thus a greater impact. By devoting our money to operating costs, we hope to increase the organizations’ capacity for program building.

     In evaluating all our grant proposals by these two metrics, we narrowed our search down to five teams. Individual teams did site visits and consulted with the heads of the organizations to determine whether their proposal fit within our metrics. Additionally, we evaluated each non-profit’s structure, staff, funding, and collaboration with other organizations. After comparing our findings, the class discussed the findings and made final considerations on whether to fund the proposal.