IntroductionThe project proposed is a student organization by the name Pay It Forward - dedicated to doing good deeds and spreading happiness and kindness, beginning with the UNH campus and extending beyond.

Purpose•The purpose of Pay It Forward will:• To bring individuals interested in community services, those who want to make the world a better and more positive place to live, and anyone else, together. •Be a think tank of change. •To encourage members to let their ideas be known and create initiatives that will match the principles of Pay It Forward, in that with each good thing we do for someone else they will go out and do something for someone and the process will continue, on and on and on. •Work with many other student organizations on campus in support, whether it be sharing service projects, co-sponsoring events, etc.

Goals•Establish the Pay It Forward student organization with a minimum membership of 5-10 members •Be recognized by UNH as student organization•Have at least 9 meetings over the course of the semester•Be published or mentioned in the TNH at least once•Work with at least one other student organization•Hear word of mouth mention of Pay It Forward (whether it is directly related to the student organization or not)•Have at least one major event or activity the organization is apart of•See measureable success with the givinggame’s tracking system•Have a positive relationship with Liberty Mutual•See Pay It Forward pass into the next semester as an organization and on the road to being a student organization that stays around for a long time

Methods•Used templates and resources provided by the UNH SOS (Student Organization Services) website and physical office and staff.•Met with project partner Lisa Ciccotelli of the Office of Community Service on regular basis.•Held weekly meetings with organization members.•Utilized timeline to help mark milestones and rate progress.•Used agendas and meeting minutes to maintain a record and flow in meetings.•Used communication tools such as e-mail, facebook, and phone to address and send reminders membership.•Implemented ‘the ask.’ Do you need help? How can we get involved? Does this story interest you?

•If you don’t ask it won’t happen.•Have a solid foundation in the Capstone Proposal to build upon

ResultsAverage attendance at meetings is about 5-8 studentsOfficially a recognized UNH student organizationThe 10th meeting of the semester is being held on 4/21Story on Pay It Forward published in TNH on February 9, 2010Working on creating collaborative partnerships with other student organizationsInfo table sessions getting the word outHave done some small acts of paying it forward as an organizationHelping support the Waysmeet Benefit Celebration 4/30Giving Game cards are activatedRelationship with Liberty Mutual positive and signals good things to comeMaking plans for the next semester

Improve on this semesterConnect with resources of the Office of Community Service, Student Organization Services (SOS) and Leadership Center on a deeper level and make other connections with University Offices.

MissionPay It Forward @ UNH is a student organization dedicated to acts of spreading kindness. Members are empowered to engage in action steps of implementing kindness in their lives and brainstorm, design, and act upon their own ideas with the help of caring peers. Members and friends of Pay It Forward help plant the seeds of kindness.

VisionPay It Forward @ UNH aims to become one of the premier service organizations at the University of New Hampshire. It is the organization’s hope to connect students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members in powerful flow of kindness in a community and see tangible results of that impact of kindness throughout.

Reflection• Leadership is a challenge. •The Pay It Forward student organization allowed me to use and/or reflect on such skills and knowledge from previous and current coursework, as facilitation, public speaking, meeting management, organizing and supervising volunteers, fundraising, promotion, publicity and advertising and event management. •This project gave me to proof that I can be a leader and that with the skills, knowledge, and experience I have assembled over the past two years are great foundation for further growth.• I learned that I have a lot more to learn and a lot more room to grow.

Reflection• My course work gave me the confidence to pursue my passion in a leadership position, now it’s my turn to develop and work on my knowledge and skills to become a better leader.•Leading Pay It Forward, was a honor. But it hasn’t been perfect. It has been hard to delegate tasks, assess commitment and motivate attendance•Kouzes & Posner’s The Leadership Challenge, among other written work on leadership are resources I value greatly. •I am interested in Modeling the Way, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Challenging the Process, Enabling Others to Act and Encouraging the Heart but I need to work to be able to excel at these practices.•My goal is to continue to grow as a leader through absorbing knowledge and then putting that knowledge to practice.•I think that is, what is so powerful about community leadership, you must absorb, understand, and establish a relationship the community around you in order to lead effectively.

Recommendations

Project Sunshine Cards

Thanks A Million Cards for the Troops

Kristen MosherTim Barretto, Faculty Advisor

Community Leadership Program, University of New Hampshire, Durham NH

Pay It

Forward