COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT

Supported By

SHU SOUP
Presented by: The SHU Committee for Social Responsibility
Updated Fall 2018
WHAT IS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY?
an obligation to acknowledge and address the
welfare and interests of all members of society

Objectives of the SHU Committee for Social Responsibility

 Raise awareness and understanding of social responsibility

 Provide assistance, guidance, and information regarding pedagogical

approaches to the teaching of social responsibility

 Promote creative and scholarly work that emphasizes social responsibility

 Provide information and resources related to social responsibility

 Foster relationships within the university and the surrounding community

 Seek out funding to support projects focused on social responsibility

 A brief history How it works
Proposals are Submitted
 From Chicago to Detroit to SHU
Committee Votes
 Started on campus in 2016
Dinner is Served
 4 projects funded to date
Groups Present
Audience Votes
Funds are Awarded
PREVIOUSLY FUNDED PROJECTS
Winter 2018
Campus Food Pantry

Fall 2017
Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility Through Sport:
A SHU Class and After-school Program at the YMCA

Winter 2017
HOPE Center Renovation and Awareness Session

Fall 2016
Blessing Bags Project
A guide to creating your
PROJECT PROPOSAL
for SHU SOUP
 Topics: Objectives:
Our committee focuses on projects that cover areas of Your project should aim to accomplish one or more of
social responsibility such as: the following…
Race & Ethnicity

LGBTQ  to introduce community members to social issues

Gender within their community
Socioeconomic Status

Environment
 to teach community members about the importance
of social responsibility
Ability Status

Education
 to encourage active participation in developing
Health and/or implementing solutions to social problems
Body Diversity

There are many topics that address the welfare and interests of  to help community members build relationships with
all members of society. This list is meant to provide examples their communities
rather than be all-inclusive.
 Steps for a Successful Project

Determine Finalize a
Analyze Identify
1 your goals
&
objectives
2 the costs &
benefits
3 assets &
resources
4 plan & put
it into
action
5 Evaluate
the project

The questions on the project proposal form are designed to walk you through these steps.
The following slides will walk you through details that should be considered when answering each question.
 The Goals
• What does your group want to focus on? What is a problem that has yet to be solved? Who does this
Identify a problem affect? What do you want to accomplish?
Need
Questions 1 & 2

• How will your project contribute to a solution? Will your project focus on short-term solutions or long-
term/lasting effects? How does this fit into one of the 4 listed objectives? What experience do you want
Articulate your viewer/audience/participant to have?
the Goal

• Be realistic about what you can and cannot do. Which method(s) are most effective to reaching your
goal? Is your need affected by the seasons or other calendar related factors? What happens when your
Create a project is complete?
Timeline

• What barriers and obstacles could you face at each step? Consider the sensitivity of your topic or issue
and how others may respond. Could your project have any unintentional consequences? Could your
Potential project create a need for a debrief, discussion, or other outlet afterward? Is it possible that your project or
Obstacles topic is actually harmful to another topic of social responsibility?
 The Methods
Awareness FOCUS: Simply making your audience mindful of the topic or issue.
Only if the audience is not already aware that the issue exists.
Questions 1 & 2

Typically requires a personal or emotional response.

Films, speakers, images, shocking (but accurate) data, and performances can help.
Education FOCUS: To move the audience from being aware to being informed and educated.
It is important the information being relayed reflects the information accurately.
How will you make the information easy to understand? How will you get your audience to attend?
A few examples: speakers, brown bags, open forums, well-chosen documentaries.
Active FOCUS: Having your audience take action.
Participation Requires significant planning, clear instructions, and strong leadership.
How will you get people involved? What is the best time to do this?
Examples: volunteerism, donations, writing letters of support
Structural or FOCUS: Changing or adding policies or programs affecting the topic
Systematic Generally requires collaboration on a larger scale
Change Consider who the decision makers are and the best way to communicate with them
Some components may include: design, proposal, letter writing, scheduled meetings
 The Budget
Think Small Details What will it take to make this possible?
Questions 3 & 4

•Display careful consideration. Show that you have put detailed thought into this.
•Be as detailed as possible – educated estimation is ok!
•What specific resources will you need? Food? Space? Volunteers? Marketing & Advertising? Supplies? Etc.

Think Bigger Picture What part does SHU SOUP play?

•It’s ok for your idea to be bigger than SHU SOUP funds.
•Is your project/activity feasible at the present time or will it take longer-term planning?
•In the past, the average SHU SOUP total has been roughly $200-$300. How do these funds help you get started?
•Alternative funding:
How will you accumulate the additional funds needed?
If not SHU SOUP, will you still move forward with this project? If so, how will you fund it?
 The Par tners
Has it been successful? Can
you ask them for tips? If it’s
local, how will your project build Is someone
upon what’s already done? anywhere
doing
something
similar?
Question 5

Do any Who will

Campus? Local? Which offices START HERE: Are there faculty
National? Can they organizations you or staff who’s role relates to
on campus
provide any resources, advocate for your issue or topic? Could
suggestions, or your topic or collaborate most closely student life or campus
assistance to you? with? relate? engagement help in any way?
CHECK OUR WEBSITE
issue?

Will you
need
permissions Discuss this project with
from them before asking for
funding. They may have
anyone? additional feedback.
 T h e Fu t u r e
Considering Sustainability – Q. 6
•Will your project or activity continue to address the issue once implementation is
complete? How?
Questions 6 & 7

•What will happen to any materials used for your project?

•What work (if any) will you continue for this project or others addressing this issue in the
future?

Evaluating Success – Q. 7
•How is the success of your project defined? What is the measureable intended outcome
of your goal?
•What will you use to evaluate the project? (create a short evaluation form)
•Consider feedback from both participants and partners.
•What went well? What could have been improved?
•Did you meet your initial goals & objectives? Why or why not? Did they change?
•Discuss both the planning and the implementation process.
 1. Remember that you and your projects represent the University.
2. You can do a lot of harm to the cause by using bad or
sensationalized information. Use only reliable sources & cite
them.

Additional 3. Many topics related to social responsibility are complex and

even controversial. While your intentions are good, consider
that others may take offense or your project or activity and
that it may trigger a range of thoughts and feelings for your
participants.

suggestions, 4. Be aware of the language and images that you may use. Be
mindful not to be offensive, inappropriate, or harmful to other
topics of social responsibility. In general, think about your
audience and the way that they will interpret any materials or
representation.
tips, and things 5. Don’t jump into a project before you know what you want to
accomplish. Be sure to follow the steps provided.
6. Be realistic about what you can and can’t do. Issues of social
responsibility often have multiple layers. Don’t take on more

to think about… than you are capable of accomplishing – you don’t have
correct the entire issue in order to have an impact.
7. Oftentimes, we are able to make a greater impact on an issue
when we consider the long-term timelines. It is possible that
your project requires each of the 4 methods listed over the
course of the next year or two.
 Email the Committee
o ask additional questions
o meet with a proposal mentor
o submit your project proposal

socialresponsibility@sienaheights.edu

socialresponsibilitycommittee.sienaheights.edu
Visit our Website
o get project proposal form & deadlines
o explore previously funded projects
o find a list of committee members
o access to resources of all kinds
JOIN US FOR OUR NEXT
SHU SOUP!