October 6, 2026 — Marist University has launched the Community Impact Fund, a student-led philanthropic initiative that gives students hands-on experience raising funds and directing support to nonprofit organizations throughout the Hudson Valley. 

The initiative brings philanthropy into the classroom through two School of Management courses, with students taking the lead on selecting community partners, fundraising, communications, and donor stewardship. Students, faculty, staff, University leaders, and community partners gathered in the Dyson Center on Sept. 23 to celebrate the Fund’s launch. 

At the heart of the fund is an experiential learning model that asks students to make real decisions with real community impact. Students research local needs, evaluate nonprofit organizations, develop criteria for giving, and ultimately help determine how they can make a difference. 

The experience is designed not only to deepen students’ understanding of nonprofit leadership and philanthropy, but also to help them consider what it means to be active members of the communities they are part of.

 
Dr. Jim Melitski addresses the crowd at the Community Impact Fund launch event. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.  

“The Community Impact Fund gives students a real opportunity to support local nonprofits, but more importantly, it teaches them what it means to give back,” said Dr. Jim Melitski, Director of the Community Impact Fund and Professor of Public Administration and Management. “We want them to carry that commitment to community wherever their lives take them.” 

A Student-Led Approach to Philanthropy 

Students involved in the Community Impact Fund applaud local partners during the program’s launch event. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.  

The work takes place across two courses — nonprofit leadership and management and strategic philanthropy — open to students across disciplines. In the spring, students research and evaluate Hudson Valley nonprofits before recommending which organizations should receive funding. In the fall, another group of students leads fundraising efforts and helps steward relationships with donors and community partners. Students interested in extending their involvement beyond the classroom can also participate in an affiliated club that is open to all majors.  

That structure gives students experience on both sides of philanthropy: deciding where funds should go and then helping generate the support needed to make those gifts possible. 

Students began the selection process with four criteria. Organizations had to be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, serve the greater Hudson Valley community, benefit more than one individual or family, and create opportunities to bring the Marist community together. 

Dr. Melitski emphasized that through this process, students don’t only learn unique skills but are also challenged to understand their own values and explain the reasoning behind their decisions. 

Students Shape the Fund’s First Year 

Autumn Massa ‘29 and Samantha Gormley ’27 address the crowd at the Community Impact Fund launch. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University. 

Among the students who helped lay the groundwork were Autumn Massa ’29, a sophomore studying childhood education, and Samantha Gormley ’27, a senior studying political science. Both participated in the spring course that helped select the fund’s first nonprofit partners.  

Alongside their classmates, Autumn and Samantha researched Hudson Valley organizations, reviewed financial statements and 990 forms, conducted site visits, and spoke with local nonprofit and philanthropic leaders. The class also discussed which social issues mattered most to them and where the fund could have a meaningful and immediate impact before narrowing its recommendations to five organizations. 

“Being a part of Professor Melitski’s has been so incredibly rewarding,” said Samantha. “Overall, this experience has been so fulfilling, not just because we're giving back to our community, but because I can also confidently say that I feel like I learn so much about what I value in organizations and groups.” 

“I had no idea when I registered for this course of the impact it would make on me as a person or the impact it would have on the local community,” said Autumn. “Through this course, we learned what it means to be a nonprofit organization and what it takes to make them stand out.”  

This semester, a new group of students pick up where the spring class left off, raising funds, connecting with donors, and representing the organizations selected by their peers. 

Five Organizations, Five Areas of Impact 

During the launch, current students introduced each of the five nonprofit partners and shared how their work responds to needs throughout the Hudson Valley. 

Building an Impact That Lasts 

This fall, students will continue raising money on behalf of the five nonprofit organizations while developing relationships with donors and community partners. Contributions will ultimately be divided equally among the five Hudson Valley nonprofits and one on-campus initiative chosen by the students, with this year’s being the Presidential Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience.  

The courses connected to the Community Impact Fund are open to students across majors, and plans are also underway to develop a student club that would allow students to remain involved beyond a single semester. 

A Community Impact Fund bookmark with donation information, distributed by students during the launch event. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University. 

For Dr. Melitski, the longer-term goal reaches beyond how much money students ultimately raise. The experience is intended to help prepare students to become thoughtful volunteers, board members, donors, and community members, regardless of whether they eventually pursue careers in the nonprofit sector. 

The Community Impact Fund adds another opportunity for Marist students to learn through experience while strengthening connections with organizations serving the Hudson Valley.