Community Impact Fund 2026-27

The Community Impact Fund is a student-led philanthropic initiative at Marist University. Students research, evaluate, and recommend funding for Hudson Valley nonprofits, then help raise and steward the resources that support them. The fund gives students direct, applied experience in philanthropic giving, donor stewardship, and community engagement, while strengthening Marist's ties to the region it calls home.

How It Works

Faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and friends support the fund through one-time and recurring gifts. Each year, contributions are divided evenly across five external Hudson Valley charities and one Marist campus initiative, selected annually. This year's campus initiative is the Presidential Fund for Equity to support student internships and short-term travel abroad.

Students in BUS 383 Strategic Philanthropy solicit nominations and assess organizations, examining mission and outcomes through site visits, financial assessments, and outside ratings, then select the nonprofit organizations the fund will support. In the fall, students in BUS 335 Nonprofit Leadership and Management raise funds, communicate the fund's impact, and steward donor and partner relationships.

2026 External Initiatives

Dutchess Outreach

Provides food access and wraparound social services, serving roughly 26,000 individuals facing food insecurity in Dutchess County each year.

Grace Smith House

Supports survivors of domestic violence with emergency shelter, legal advocacy, and transitional housing across the Hudson Valley.

Hudson Valley Animal Rescue and Sanctuary

Delivers low-cost veterinary care, animal rescue, and wildlife rehabilitation services based in Poughkeepsie.

Mid Hudson Animal Aid

Operates a no-kill animal sanctuary in Beacon, providing shelter, medical care, and adoption services for abandoned and abused cats.

Unshattered

Offers employment and recovery support for women overcoming addiction and trauma through a social enterprise model.

2026 Campus Initiative

Presidential Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience

Helps ensure every Marist student can fully participate in the Marist experience through opportunities like study abroad and internships, regardless of financial need.

Our Vision

As the Community Impact Fund grows into a university-wide effort, it will serve as a model for how higher education can teach students the value and practice of giving back to their communities. Students who take part leave with more than academic knowledge. They gain experience in ethical decision-making, community partnership, and civic leadership—skills they can carry into their careers and communities long after graduation.

To learn more, please visit https://www.marist.edu/communi...