2019 Social Impact-athon Results
Congratulations and enormous thanks to the students and nonprofit organizations that participated in
Northeastern’s first Social Impact-athon, January 18-21, 2019. Eleven student teams spent the weekend
learning about environmental justice; the causes and impacts of environmental inequity in
predominantly low-income communities and communities of color; the work of Boston nonprofit
organizations engaging with their communities to address this problem; systems thinking and complex
problem solving; and ethical and effective nonprofit and philanthropic engagement. The teams were
then challenged to develop funding proposals with a cohesive rationale for how they would distribute
$50,000 among three or more of the participating nonprofit organizations to achieve maximum impact
in the city.
Huge thanks to the speakers, coaches, and judges who made the students’ learning possible, and to the
Germeshausen Foundation and the Learning by Giving Foundation for enabling them to award a total of
$66,000 to these extraordinary organizations fighting every day for environmental justice.
Primary Grants ($50,000 total)
These grants were awarded to the organizations included in Team Roxbury’s Funding Proposal, which judges believed had the greatest potential to address environmental justice issues in Boston.
Team Members: Bethany Basile, Nick Boyd, August Granath, Becca Lafair, Sarabrent McCoy, and Lydia Zhou
Grantees
Alternatives for Community and Environment: $15,000
Chinese Progressive Association: $15,000
GreenRoots, Inc.: $15,000
City Life/Vida Urbana: $5,000
Team Grants ($11,000 total)
Each team was able to award a grant of $1,000 to one organization whose work they found especially compelling.
Grantees
Chinese Progressive Association: $1,000
City Life/Vida Urbana: $2,000
COG Design: $1,000
The New Garden Society: $7,000
Co-educator Grants ($4,000 total)
These $1,000 grants were awarded in appreciation of the organizations’ distinct contribution to the students’ learning.
Grantees
Clean Water Fund: $1,000
Climable: $1,000
Climate Xchange: $1,000
Green Energy Consumers Alliance: $1,000
The American City Coalition: $1,000
Check out our weekend!
Some photos and videos from the Social Impact-athon 2019