Studies in Entrepreneurship Fundraising

by Twister Marquiss

Texas State University and the McCoy College of Business have a well-earned reputation for providing opportunities that change students’ lives. In his first interview with The University Star after assuming his duties as president of the university in 2022, Dr. Kelly Damphousse said, “We are in the business of changing people’s lives, and I think Texas State changes more lives than any other university in the state.”

Given the chance to create opportunities for others, McCoy College students pay it forward. Over the past five fall and spring semesters, students from the college’s Studies in Entrepreneurship course have raised $123,455 for local nonprofit organizations.

Class fundraising projects started in spring 2022, taking place through spring 2024, raising $21,000 to $26,000 each semester.

The top team for the spring 2024 semester raised $2,870 — a record — for the Homeless Outreach Mitigation and Emergency Center.

The course is taught by Dr. Josh Daspit, associate professor of management and Dean Paul R. Gowens Excellence Professor in Business Administration.

“Implementing a group project in a large class can be challenging,” Dr. Daspit says. “One of the challenges is finding projects that are meaningful, or projects that are feasible to complete in one semester. Also, maybe it’s not practical given the number of students. In thinking about the challenges of teaching a large course, I have asked myself, ‘What can we do that is not only feasible but also creates value, leveraging the size of the class for even more benefit?’ I’m pleased with the outcomes of this project and the impact it allows students to make in the community while applying the entrepreneurial lessons learned in the course.”

The 135 students in the Studies in Entrepreneurship class are split into 27 teams of five members. The teams each choose their own organization for which to raise funds, but the organization must be a 501(c)(3), a nonprofit group with a dedicated mission. In this service-learning course, students apply what they learn about social entrepreneurship, crowdfunding — all funds are collected through a crowdfunding platform — and entrepreneurship in general.

“I recommend they collaborate with a local organization, preferably a smaller organization,” Dr. Daspit says. “Raising $1,000 to $2,000 makes a bigger difference to smaller organizations. Making a notable local impact is important.”

McCoy College’s Studies in Entrepreneurship course is one of very few courses in the nation working on leveraging fundraising via crowdfunding platforms in this way and at this scale — and so it is unique in that regard.

One of the goals for continuing accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is societal impact, which these fundraising efforts have at their core.

One team in spring 2022 worked with the McCoy College Foundation to endow a scholarship begun by faculty member Dr. Rob Konopaske in memory of one of his former students, David Cosner. Students Samuel Algerin and Jason Silva led the team and were able to help the scholarship become endowed.

A student from the spring 2023 course, Nick Gawrzyjal, worked closely with Blanco River Regional Recovery Team (BR3T). Part of class focuses on networking, and Gawrzyjal’s networking paid off when he was appointed to the board of directors of the BR3T organization following the end of the project.

This past semester — spring 2024 — a team worked with the McCoy College Foundation again, raising $2,540 for the Dr. Jim Bell Scholarship, honoring Dr. Jim Bell, who started the Studies in Entrepreneurship Speaker Series. Former Foundation Board member Pat Oles offered to match what the student team raised, then the Foundation itself offered to match that total, doubling the amount raised plus Oles’s contribution to $10,160.

Through the innovative Studies in Entrepreneurship course, students have not only raised significant funds for local organizations but also learned invaluable lessons in leadership, collaboration, and community impact. These students' achievements exemplify the mission of changing lives, showcasing their dedication to paying it forward and creating lasting, positive change. ✯