American Humanics Impact Study Findings

"Making a Living While Making a Difference"

In 1999, American Humanics hired Stephen J. Gill and Associates to conduct a study of the impact of the American Humanics program. The study's findings indicate that the comprehensive American Humanics program, including courses, co-curricular activities, internships, and other related volunteer experiences, has a profound impact on students, alumni, non-profit agencies, and campuses. the impact study found that:

American Humanics is a bridge between the non-profit sector and higher education. It also serves as a bridge to facilitiate collaboration among individuals who make up those institutions (board members, executives, managers, and staff of non-profits and students, faculty, staff, and administrators of universities).
Non-Profits and universities both benefit from the bridge that Humanics provides. Stated another way, Humanics provides a means by which both non-profit agencies and universities fulfill their missions of community service and education for their communities' well being.
Communities benefit from increased professionalism at non-profits, and non-profits in turn benefit from the talents, skills, and commitment of university-trained executives, managers and professional staff.
Students desiring careers in which they will have a positive impact on their communities are attracted to universities that offer the Humanics program. It provides an education and job preparation in line with these students' values.
Both individual and institutional philanthropists have greater confidence that charitable investments made in non-profits staffed by Humanics-trained professionals will be more effectively utilized.

More specifically, teh study found that student attitudes, competencies, and careers are affected deeply by the American Humanics program. Humanics students develop a commitment to the mission of non-profits. They acquire knowledge and skills that make them more effective than entry level employees who did not participate in the Humanics program. Agencies and u niversities are enhanced by the presence of the Humanics program in their communities. They benefit from the focus on non-profit education that American Humanics brings to the campus and community. Humanics alumni have an immediate impact on agencies and continue to make major contributions to the non-profit sector long after they begin their non-profit careers. Their skills and networks are valuable additions to the local agencies.

The impact study consisted of an in-depth study of established American Humanics programns on four college campuses. These programs achieve the outcomes described above because of a number of interacting factors listed here:

The community service mission of the program is aligned with the expressed mission of the university.
The American Humanics campus director is a strong leader and champion for the program, and is respected on campus and in the community.
The program is visible and is respected on campus by faculty, staff and administrators.
Students meet with and receive mentoring from university and community leaders.
Courses that incorporate service learning are dedicated to non-profit management and the education of Humanics students.
Community non-profit leaders contribute theri wisdom and advice to Humanics courses and to co-curricular activities.
The American Humanics Student Association is active and focused on completing projects that provide valuable learning experiences (e.g., fundrauising, budgeting, planning, and teamwork) for Humanics students.
A critical mass of students (not too small, not too large) remains active in the program throughout the academic year. This number appears to be somewhere between 50 and 80 students work toward certification.
At least two faculty members have time in their official workloads dedicated to the courses and co-curricular components of the Humanics program.
Students participate in the Annual American Humanics Management Institute through preparation before the event and participation in the event, including the Simulation Exercise.
Non-Profit management internships for Humanics students are planned, structured, and supervised.
Students have multiple service experiences throughout their time in the program. the required internship is not the only service experience from which they have an opportunity to learn.
Program admission is inclusive; membership is not elitist and attempts to welcome anyone with a commitment to working in the non-profit sector.

Findings from this study cannot be generalized to all American Humanics campus affiliates. Three of the schools participating in the impact study have been affiliated for 16 years or more; the fourth affiliated in 1993. These schools were chosen for the study based on the perceived level of their success. One purpose of the study was to identify some of the best practices of these model American Humanics programs.

The relationships and organization capacity exist to promote and replicate these best practices to all American Humanics affiliated colleges and universities. The American Humanics Alliance is in fact an educational infrastructure working to support, develop, and institutionalize "engaged campus" efforts across the institutions that are part of this unique network. With assistance from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, these best practices can be disseminated throughout the alliance.

Non-Profit Studies
http://www.usm.edu/nonprofitstudies/