RISE, Inc. board president Paul Gilbert, left, and RISE executive director Denise Payton hold an oversized check symbolizing a $10,000 grant presented by TSU philanthropy course members Whitney Doyle, second from right, and Dan Lahrman, right. Philanthropy class members managed funds donated by the Steuben County Community Foundation and chose RISE to receive the grant at the university on Dec. 6, after reviewing grant requests from county United Way agencies.

Students in Tri-State University’s philanthropy class demonstrated their newly-honed skills by approving a $10,000 grant to Rehabilitative and Industrial Services (RISE) Inc., the Steuben County sheltered workshop, in the University’s Lawrence Franks Executive Suite on Dec. 6. RISE Inc. provides jobs through local industries for individuals with physical and developmental disabilities. The grant will provide RISE with matching funds for an Indiana Department of Transportation grant for the purchase of two new transit vehicles for clients.

TSU teamed up with Steuben County Community Foundation executive director Sharon Stroh to offer the new course this fall as an elective course in the Ketner School of Business. The course focused on distributing philanthropic funds, and incorporated the functions of the Steuben County Community Foundation into the education process. The foundation manages and invests endowed funds, channeling profits into grants for charitable community projects.

The foundation provided $10,000 from which students created, managed, and distributed the RISE grant. After considering applications from groups across the county, they acted as a board to determine the distribution.

“We felt that this organization deserves this grant the most because it specifically helps Steuben County,” said TSU student Whitney Doyle in making the grant award. “Last year, this organization served a total of 207 individuals with physical and mental disabilities. It offers an opportunity for people with these disabilities to earn a paycheck and become tax-paying citizens.”

RISE executive director and TSU graduate Denise Payton expressed appreciation to the class for the funds. “This is a life-changing event for these people,” she said. “Come and tour RISE and you will see your impact.”

Payton said the two new vehicles will cut costs by replacing a school bus, and benefit RISE clients by reducing transportation routes by half. They provide air conditioning for those in delicate physical condition, and enable RISE to transport more wheelchair-bound clients, she said.

Stroh praised her first philanthropy class students. “They are bright, articulate individuals, and will be great contributors in everything they do,” she said.