Students in “SOC1870A – Investing in Social Change: The Practice of Philanthropy” have named this year’s recipients of three $15,000 grants. Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless will collaborate with Sojourner House, Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project, and YouthPride to develop and implement a skill-building training to improve service to homeless LGBTQ youth. Rhode Island Association for the Education of Young Children (RIAEYC)/Brightstars will work with the providers involved in their Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) to offer professional development home visits or workshops to increase providers skills and knowledge of child development. The Blessing Way will use its grant to conduct a full program evaluation in hope of attracting more future funding. Since its inception in 2007, the class has worked each fall to tackle specific social issues while also navigating the strategic giving process to decide which organizations will receive grants. Funding is provided by Marty Granoff and Win and Anita Himsworth. Since last year, the class has partnered with the United Way of Rhode Island, which provides students with guidance and community connections as they target possible recipients and review grant applications. The class is taught by Roger Nozaki, director of the Swearer Center, and Ann Dill, associate professor of sociology. See the feature story “Philanthropy 101: How to make a difference” about last year’s class.