OUR STORY
In 2008, BYU professor Aaron Miller had a big idea: give students real experience advising clients in philanthropic giving. With help from Todd Manwaring and Jeffrey Thompson, Miller founded Grantwell, a student-run organization unlike anything at other universities.
Since then, hundreds of students have teamed up with clients to solve real problems and advise thousands of dollars in grants. Dozens of organizations have benefitted from BYU’s Grantwell teams. Some have been small nonprofits seeking one-time assistance to design evaluation tools or improve processes. Other large organizations rely on Grantwell to advise grants each semester. All are impressed with the quantitative skills BYU students use to evaluate criteria and provide recommendations.
More than 350 students have participated throughout the years and many have said their Grantwell experience is among the reasons they were hired after graduation. Organizations hire Grantwell alumni with real-world experience in philanthropic giving.
In just 15 years, Grantwell’s ripples have traveled far and wide. The first-of-its-kind organization has worked with over 75 clients to grant nearly $45 million worldwide. While slight adjustments have been made over the years, Grantwell has stayed true to its original vision of guiding, giving, and growing.
Our mission, vision, and values are essential in helping us achieve our goal to prepare future nonprofit foundation leaders.
students
To provide graduate students an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge of nonprofit management in a student-run, faculty-advised, real-world environment.
professionalism
Professionalism characterizes our projects, our interactions with clients and with each other, and the way we represent the Romney Institute of Public Service and Ethics.
OUR MISSION
romney institute
To enhance the Romney Institute’s non-profit curriculum by creating practical experiences that integrate with classroom learning.
OUR VISION
community
To represent the interests of donors and foster relationships by advising meaningful giving to worthy purposes.
Grantwell aims to become the premier graduate-level experience for training future nonprofit leaders through philanthropy.
OUR VALUES
stewardship
Wise stewardship requires transparency, dedication, integrity, and thoroughness in all of our work.
teamwork
Grantwell is one large team. We succeed as our groups and individuals when using everyone’s strengths. We excel by praising accomplishments and working together toward a common vision.
innovation
Grantwell members gain leadership skills and abilities through challenging and innovative projects. Members use knowledge learned in the classroom and find interesting and unconventional ways to solve diverse non-profit challenges.