It almost seems too good to be true, thought second year University of Albany student John Donnachie as he clicked on an advertisement for the student-led charity, Students Offering Support, at the side of his LinkedIn profile.
The ad claimed that he, a sophomore, could have the chance to raise potentially tens of thousands of dollars to build schools in Latin American countries in just a single year of the program. Surely there is some kind of catch, he assumed, but continued reading.
What he discovered was not a money making internet scheme but just a simple, student created business model which has been proven to be extremely successful in Canadian provinces and is just starting to gain momentum in USA.
"I have always had a passion for helping others who are less fortunate and for doing volunteer work - this just seemed liked the perfect way to fuel that fire.” The idea is this; Student volunteers at SOS chapters in universities teach Exam-prep group review sessions. Organizers charge $15-$30 to attend three-hour review sessions, helping students with the course taught by senior students. The money raised at the end of the year is used to fund a sustainable development project in Latin America, helping children gain access to quality education. These projects are not just funded, but are also built by volunteers on annual outreach trips, providing students ‘360 degrees of volunteerism’, showing generation Y students the impact that their time can have, connecting two important needs locally and globally; Raising Grades, Raising Money, Raising Roofs.
Does it work? Started in 2004 at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada, Canadian entrepreneur and SOS founder Greg Overholt taught 1,400 students during his four years at the school and raised $140,000 before graduating. After launching nationally in 2008, the organization took Canada by storm and currently has 19 chapters in operation. This school year, they have already raised $130,000 (projecting for $300,000), helping more than 25,000 students pass exams, and funding the 15 development projects that 200+ students will build in May-August 2011 with their own hands.
“When I saw the advert for SOS I was immediately intrigued,” said Donnachie. “After looking around the site for a bit I knew this was something I wanted to do. I have always had a passion for helping others who are less fortunate and for doing volunteer work - this just seemed liked the perfect way to fuel that fire.”
Wanting to know more, Donnachie contacted Overholt and has started taking steps towards bringing Overholt’s innovative, successful entrepreneurship idea to students at his school. In April of this coming year, students at the U. of Albany will be kicking off the program at their school and winning the lottery when it comes to paying forward a good deed. Albany SOS is the very first of potentially hundreds of SOS chapters across USA.
"I am not trying to 'sell' you anything. I'm asking for your help. I'm asking you to help me, help me make a difference in our community; help me make a difference across the world and you are also getting a great service in return.” From the response Donnachie has gotten since starting to tell students about SOS at the U. of Albany, he sees the idea catching on quickly.
“What will draw people into this program is the fact that it’s a global outreach,” said Donnachie. “When I tell people about SOS, I make it clear that I am not trying to 'sell' you anything. I'm asking for your help. I'm asking you to help me, help me make a difference in our community; help me make a difference across the world and you are also getting a great service in return. ”
Overholt and the entire SOS team are still on the lookout for more motivated student leaders to get chapters started at their school. To learn more about SOS or to apply to be a chapter president on your campus, visit www.students-offering-support.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
