On the eve of the famous March Madness tournament, I could not help but draw a connection to our Strategic Philanthropy course. The NCAA Division I basketball tournament goes by a myriad of names such as the Tourney, the Brackets, March Madness, and my personal favorite, The Big Dance. There’s something inherently invigorating about watching 64 teams duke it out in arguably the greatest sporting tournament on the planet. There will be Cinderella stories, buzzer beaters, upsets and heartbreaks, but most of all there will be great sport. The road to the championship will be long, and the process full of ups and downs. However, through the muck and the mire, one team will arise as the shining Cinderella champion of The Big Dance.

As I read the summaries of the 21 organizations which have made it to our class’s “Big Dance,” I was blown away. People do incredible things to bring healing to hurting hearts. From surgeons traversing continents to do specialized surgeries, to local museums offering free arts and craft to children, people all over the planet philanthropically donate what they can to bring peace and joy to others. It’s so encouraging to read about the many beautiful ways people are getting off the sideline of passivity and getting in the game to make a difference! The expressions of philanthropy are as unique as the people involved, but the result is pretty much the same, great service.

Reading the stories and desires behind just a handful of nonprofits excited me greatly, but then a stark reality hit me. We, as the students of the 2017 Mays Strategic Philanthropy course, cannot give funds to all of them. I was sorely disappointed at this realization as every organization seems deserving in some capacity or another. Unfortunately, our resources are limited, and we have to endure the process of whittling down our bracket to just a few “Cinderellas.” I wish we had infinite glass slippers to give out!

However, since we do not, we welcome all 21 of these fantastic organizations to our own rendition of The Big Dance. I am excited to thoughtfully discuss and consider each one of these nonprofits as we take the current group down from 21 to 12 this week in class. I’m sure there will be some buzzer beaters, maybe even a few heartbreaks, but I’m confident as a class, we will come together to make great decisions. Preferences will have to be put aside at times, and tough decisions will be made, but ultimately, we can rest easy knowing that our efforts will end in celebration. Our mission is to empower Brazos Valley nonprofits to continue creating measurable and sustainable solutions through the investment of our resources. And to that end, I say let the madness begin.

Welcome to The Big Dance.

by Michael Smith ’20