Mr. and Mrs. Frank and the inaugural SPC group
Through the generous gift of Charles A. Frank, III, Hill School Class of ’59, and his wife, Elizabeth, Hill School students now have the opportunity to learn about the value and processes of philanthropy – and to provide funds to Pottstown organizations with missions that range from educating children to greening community parks.
On Thursday, October 2, 2008, Mr. and Mrs. Frank visited campus to officially launch a new program – the “Student Philanthropy Council” (SPC). The Franks met with Caitlin Klein '09, the first president of the SPC; Tyler Gofus '09 the first vice-president; and the 12 young men and women who were selected from nearly 50 student applicants eager to serve their School and the Pottstown community through this distinctive experience. The event was covered by local media.
“We do not know of any other high schools in the nation that offer something like this, and there are only a few universities that claim a similar program,” said Klein, adding that Cornell, Davidson, and Colgate are a few of the colleges known to have created such endeavors.
The Franks’ desire to establish a philanthropy program at The Hill was tied to their wide-ranging involvement with civic endeavors and to their passionate, shared belief that young people should volunteer their time and efforts to benefit their communities – and that, through such efforts, students will develop life-long philanthropic habits and interests.
After much thought as well as some preliminary research, the Franks decided to make a generous gift of $35,000 to The Hill in 2008 for the purpose of establishing the SPC. To get the program started, Klein and Caitlin Manak '08 conducted research and created a “manual” regarding the operation of philanthropic organizations in the summer of 2008.
The 12 SPC representatives were selected by the SPC student leaders based on the quality of their written applications, interviews, and their sincere interest in committing considerable time to the group. The SPC met once a week to study the history and processes of philanthropy and – by Hill’s winter term – created and distributed Requests for Proposals to Pottstown area nonprofits. The students, with support from the group's first faculty advisers -- Mrs. Kay Dougherty and Mr. Daniel Bettendorf, also visited the sites of the various organizations and spoke with each organization's respective administrators. A dinner was held in theCenter For The Arts on April 27, 2009 to honor the work of the SPC grant recipient organizations, and the first grants were awarded two days later.
The $20,000 remaining from the Frank’s initial gift was distributed by the SPC to the Pottstown community in 2010 and 2011. The funds for 2012 grants were generously donated by Dr. and Mrs. Clement C. Alpert, grandparents of a member of The Hill's class of 2011.