Major Micro

Just because it’s called “micro-philanthropy” doesn’t mean the impact isn’t major

Last fall, the HCC division of Institutional Advancement launched its first micro-philanthropy campaign, raising $23,437 to fund nine low-cost, but much-needed, program-specific projects, including 20 new smart pens that students can borrow from the Office for Students with Disabilities and Deaf Services, otherwise known as OSDDS. The pens not only record audio but create annotated notes that can be uploaded to a computer, cell phone or tablet. 

The micro-philanthropy campaign also paid for equipment and furnishings for the Western Mass CORE lounge, an interactive sensory wall for the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch Center, charging stations for the HCC Library, a canine simulator for the Veterinary Technician program, field data collection equipment for the Biology department, soundproofing for the college radio station podcast room, and amplifiers and stage monitors for the Music department, while also funding five new student scholarships for Latinx students.

The campaign was the brainchild of Julie Phillips, director of development, who wondered if HCC could create a truly inclusive fundraising project, something that would make charitable giving accessible to people of all income levels.

That notion led to the college’s first-ever micro-philanthropy campaign, “Your Gift. Your Choice.” — nine unique giving opportunities to which donors could make small, manageable gifts that would collectively generate a significant impact. The cost to fully fund each project ranged from $1,040 (for seven mobile charging stations for the HCC Library) to $5,400 (for the OSDDS smart pens). 

“Past fundraising has been for big items,” said Phillips. “But we were aware of other smaller, but still important needs. Creating the micro-philanthropy project was a way to show our supporters that there are many opportunities for donations of all sizes to remove barriers for our students.”

The campaign concluded at the end of 2023, fully funding all nine projects. In total, 172 donors contributed, nearly half alumni, a third members of the faculty and staff, with the remainder parents and friends of HCC. Individual gifts ranged from $10 to $3,000. Each donor could direct  where they wanted their dollars to go.

“It was a unique program,” said Phillips. “People answered the call to give.” 

One of the beneficiaries of the campaign was Damanir Carrasquillo of Springfield, a student in the Veterinary Technician program. Carrasquillo works part time at a small animal clinic that frequently requires her to take blood samples — a procedure she wants to perfect. But, in her HCC classes, practicing on live animals isn’t always an option. 

But now, thanks to the donor-funded purchase of “Pinta,” a simulated male black Labrador retriever with movable limbs and named after a donor’s cat, Carrasquillo can practice the elusive technique. 

“I was confident doing everything but drawing blood from the jugular vein,” she said. “So having a model where you can actually practice drawing from those veins helps so much.” 

Vet Tech program coordinator Erin Jackson said Pinta is a welcome addition to the lab. 

“We’re excited to have him,” Jackson said one day while practicing injections on Pinta, assisted by student Meaghan King. “He’ll serve his purpose.”

Meanwhile, Jake Palmer, a music student studying guitar, said the new stage monitors and amplifiers have helped bring together an already tight-knit group of classmates. 

“Before, we only had a couple of amps, so it was hard when multiple people wanted to practice at the same time,” he said. “But with access to the new equipment we can all play together as we further our knowledge and pursue our passions.” 

The library has seen a change since they have been able to purchase new mobile charging units.

“The students like having an option for charging their devices without having to wait for a table that has access to a wall plug,” said Liam Brackman, library assistant. “It’s great that we have a plan B for when someone has forgotten their computer charger and needs to recharge for their next class.” 

Overall, Phillips said the campaign re-engaged past donors and attracted new ones, and its success was evident in the variety of projects funded and the broad participation.  

“This campaign was in line with our mission and our values,” Phillips said. “It allowed community members to give to something that resonated with them. And the community responded beautifully.”