Author Archives: catherine_pettis

By: Catherine Pettis, BBA 2017

This week we met with the seven organizations that we will be giving grants to. They were so excited to hear that they will be receiving a grant from us, and for us it feels good that we are able to come alongside them and help meet some of the needs of these seven organizations that we have chosen. We had the week off from class to meet and work on the grant applications, but we also had class this weekend.

This weekend we had the opportunity of hearing Todd Harper from Generous Giving and Mark Lyerle about the Journey of Generosity (JOG).Generous Giving is a non-profit organization that explores Biblical Generosity through JOG retreats. Each JOG retreat shares the stories of people living out the joy of giving. I wasn’t sure what to expect when Dr. Hogue first told us about this, but I really enjoyed hearing different stories about generosity. The JOG gave me a new perspective on giving. What stood out to me most was that in each story we heard I was reminded that everything we have been given is from God. Our society is quick to tell us that we deserve something or we have earned it, but everything I have is from the Lord and has graciously been given to me to steward. It was also really inspiring to see the joy that each person had from giving. Several of the people we heard about chose to live below their means so that they were able to give more generously. They could have had more comfortable lifestyles but they chose to give and they didn’t question it. They also all said that there was no formula for giving, but they gave in the ways that they had felt that God called them to. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 it talks about giving and how those that give generously will also reap generously. It was neat to see that in each story the Lord continuously provided. We may be called to give in different ways but we always have something that we can give. It’s so easy for me to think that I will give when _______ (fill in the blank), but I can give now. Even as a college student I am called to give and I am able to give. I love that we have been given the opportunity to learn about giving now so that it can become a way of life early on.

We as a group of college students have been given $50,000 to give away with the trust that we would steward it well. Our funders are so generous to give that to our class and to trust us with it. They gave in a huge way so that our class can have the opportunity to work with these organizations and learn about giving and I am so thankful for that. Generosity goes a long way. Our funders will not have only funded the grants but they will touch lives through these grants and have already influenced myself and those in my class, their generosity goes a long way.

By: Catherine Pettis, BA 2016

Time has flown the last few weeks and it is almost time for our class to make some big decisions. After researching and speaking with each organization in our groups, this week we come together to discuss all that we learned. And boy have we learned a lot; this will not be easy!

The conference calls with each organization were very insightful. We researched each individual organization before we set up our conference calls, but there was still so much to learn with each call. The websites do not do these organizations justice, as we learned that they do far more than what their websites present. I have volunteered with various nonprofits, but I have never thought about how each individual organization was run. It was shocking to learn that only a few people run some of the organizations that we spoke with, some of which are pretty large organizations. In speaking to one organizations we found that until just recently, the whole organization was run by one man! He was able to hire a new staff member, but before that he was the only one overseeing all of the day to day operations. They have so many things going on that you would think they had an office full of people, which also made me realize that these organizations run because of volunteers in the community more so than I had ever thought before.

With each conference call my group inquired about many aspects of the organization, which helped us to get a clearer picture. My favorite thing was hearing their goals and future plans. In hearing goals and future plans we got to see a snapshot of what’s to come next in the organization and how they are only planning to continue to grow their services to reach more people in McLennan County. It was in answering this question that I could hear passion in their voices. And for the organization move forward, they will need resources. It is exciting to think that we as a class have the opportunity to help some of them move towards reaching these goals. However, it is also really hard because we will not be able to help all of them.

I would love to be able to give a grant to each organization my group spoke with, but the reality is we as a board will have to make difficult decisions to narrow down who will move forward to the next step of this process. Each organization has a story and mission and a heart for those that they serve and the thought of having to speak with them to tell them they will not be moving forward is heartbreaking. The Lord has provided for these organizations up to this point and the Lord will continue to provide for them and their needs even if we cannot play a part in that. It seems as though the semester just started and it felt like we were never going to get to this point, but we are here, and I am excited to see all that everyone has prepared for this week.

About the Author: Catherine Pettis is a senior Corporate Communications major from Madison, MS. She is a member of Chi Omega and is a leader for KLife Minisitries in Waco. She enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.