Do Good Institute

What Do Good Institute does

Do Good Institute (DGI) is a nonprofit academic institute embedded within the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, founded in 2016 as the nation's first "Do Good Campus." It operates a portfolio of programs that train University of Maryland students, faculty, and staff to develop social impact ventures and nonprofit organizations, including the annual Do Good Challenge pitch competition (with a nearly $40,000 prize pool), the Accelerator Fellows fellowship (with a $4,000 stipend for an 8-week, 16-hours-per-week commitment), Impact Bootcamp (a 6-week developmental program), Changemaker Pathways, Mini-Grants (awarded to 55 teams representing 2,100+ students in 2024-2025), and the Do Good Campus Fund (at least $200,000-$245,000 in grants awarded annually to faculty, staff, and student groups). The institute is not a technology company: its core platform is experiential learning, mentorship, and grant-making, anchored physically in Thurgood Plaza (Thurgood Marshall Hall, 7805 Regents Drive, College Park), the Discovery District Accelerator space, and the Do Good Plaza outdoor installations.

The business model is institutional philanthropy rather than commercial revenue generation. DGI is funded through three streams: (1) University of Maryland institutional allocations via the School of Public Policy, (2) philanthropic foundation grants from a small set of named sponsors including the Karen and Bruce Levenson Family Foundation (flagship since 2010), The Rothschild Foundation, the Allstate Foundation, and Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management (decade-plus lead sponsor of the Do Good Challenge), and (3) corporate sponsorships including The Black Mill. All programs are free to UMD students, and the institute distributes funds to participants rather than charging for services. Revenue is not separately disclosed because DGI is not an independently incorporated entity.

DGI's measurable outputs include over 150 Trailblazing Terps awarded the Do Good Medallion, alumni outcomes such as Food Recovery Network (190+ college campuses, 200M+ pounds of food diverted), Terp Thon ($2.5M+ raised for Children's National Hospital), Hungry Harvest (Shark Tank winner), the James Hollister Wellness Foundation ($8M of medications supplied to Ukraine), and the Black Stars Wellness Initiative (2,500+ trained, 47+ lives saved in Ghana). Research output includes the national Value of Volunteer Time calculation ($36.14/hour in 2025), conducted in partnership with Independent Sector. DGI is led by Director Robert T. Grimm Jr., who holds the inaugural Levenson Family Chair in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership and is supported by a small professional staff of roughly 5-10 plus student program coordinators.

Name

Do Good Institute

Legal name

Do Good Institute

Website

https://dogood.umd.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Do Good Institute is a nonprofit academic institute within the University of Maryland School of Public Policy that runs programs - including the Do Good Challenge, Accelerator Fellows, Impact Bootcamp, Mini-Grants, and the Campus Fund - to train UMD students, faculty, and staff to launch social impact ventures and nonprofits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Impact Education and Nonprofit Leadership Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAE

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

SECONDARYEDALABAF

Academic Support & Learning Assistance (Tutoring Centers)

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Academic Advising, Career Services & Student Success

SECONDARYEDANAKAI

Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Enrichment & Advanced/Accelerated Tutoring (Gifted/AP/IB)

Keywords

• Social impact education
• Nonprofit leadership programs
• Civic engagement programs
• Student philanthropy initiatives
• Social innovation fellowships

Headquarters

HQ city

College Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. University Institutional Funding: Primary funding from University of Maryland School of Public Policy and university administration to support campus-wide social impact initiatives and programs.
2. Philanthropic Foundation Grants: Support from private foundations including Karen and Bruce Levenson Family Foundation, The Rothschild Foundation, and Allstate Foundation to fund specific programs and student opportunities.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors including Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management and The Black Mill provide financial support for the Do Good Challenge competition and institute programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Do Good Institute operates a portfolio of experiential social-impact programs for University of Maryland students, faculty, and staff. Offerings include an annual pitch competition (Do Good Challenge), a stipend-bearing fellowship (Accelerator Fellows), short-form developmental programs (Impact Bootcamp, Changemaker Pathways), and grant programs (Mini-Grants, Do Good Campus Fund), supported by a physical accelerator workspace and interactive campus exhibits (Do Good Plaza, Students Change the World). The institute also publishes research, including the annual Value of Volunteer Time in partnership with Independent Sector.

Product overview

Do Good Institute is an academic institute at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy that operates as a platform of interconnected programs designed to inspire and support social impact among students, faculty, and staff. The core product portfolio includes: the Do Good Challenge (annual pitch competition), Accelerator Fellows (semester fellowship), Mini-Grants and Do Good Campus Fund (grant programs), Impact Bootcamp and Changemaker Pathways (developmental programs), plus physical campus installations including Do Good Plaza with interactive Rings exhibit and the Students Change the World touchscreen exhibit. Research publications on volunteering and philanthropy complement the program offerings. The institute also calculates and publishes the annual Value of Volunteer Time in partnership with Independent Sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Do Good Challenge: Annual campus-wide competition for students advancing impact and innovation, awarding nearly $40,000 in prizes across Founders and Leaders tracks.
• Do Good Campus Fund
• Accelerator Fellows
• Impact Bootcamp
• Mini-Grants
• Do Good Plaza

Products and services

• Do Good Challenge Annual campus-wide competition for University of Maryland students advancing social impact and innovation. Students compete in Founders or Leaders tracks for a share of nearly $40,000 in prizes, pitching their social ventures or existing organizations to expert judges.
• Accelerator Fellows Semester-long fellowship program supporting students in the implementation phase of social impact initiatives. Provides 8-week intensive coaching, workspace at the Do Good Accelerator, developmental workshops, and a stipend (e.g., $4,000 for Summer 2026, $2,000 for Spring 2026).
• Mini-Grants Grant program providing funding to University of Maryland student teams to support social impact projects. Recipients represent diverse academic disciplines across 10+ colleges and include both new and returning teams.
• Impact Bootcamp Six-week interactive developmental program helping University of Maryland students and teams create or strengthen social impact plans. Weekly sessions cover topics from exploring purpose to project development and presentations.
• Do Good Campus Fund Grant fund supporting UMD faculty, staff, and student groups in reimagining learning and serving humanity. Awards range from $5,000 for student groups to $5,000-$35,000 for staff and faculty, with at least $200,000 awarded annually.
• Do Good Plaza Interactive campus exhibit at the University of Maryland featuring the Do Good sculpture, the five sensor-activated Rings installation (12 feet tall), and the Students Change the World touchscreen exhibit in Thurgood Marshall Hall lobby.
• Changemaker Pathways Semester-long program where University of Maryland students explore social impact and learn how to Do Good. Designed for early-stage exploration of social impact pathways.
• Do Good Institute Research Publications Research reports and publications examining volunteer engagement, charitable giving, service-workforce development, and social impact measurement, including partnership reports with Independent Sector on the Value of Volunteer Time.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 million pounds of food saved from going to waste through student initiatives
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Independent SectorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit membership organization that partnered with Do Good Institute to calculate the national value of volunteer time ($34.79/hour in 2024). Do Good Institute serves as research partner for volunteer time valuation studies.
• BuildWithincoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider for Maryland Corps/Service Year Option programs, using advanced technology to streamline matching between applicants and Host Site Partners.
• Department of Service and Civic Innovation (DSCI)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnered with DGI for comprehensive evaluation of Maryland Corps and Service Year Option programs, examining structure, processes, and outcomes for workforce development initiatives.
• Local ProjectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCreative partner for Students Change the World interactive exhibit design and development.
• RaffertyWeiss MediaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMedia production partner for Students Change the World interactive exhibit.
• Freed PhotographyminorOthersCaptures every in-person Do Good Challenge Finals event with professional photography.
• Arts for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity initiative providing matching funds for arts-related Do Good Campus Fund projects.
• Honors Humanities ProgramminorOthersStudent team from Honors College designed mural project funded by Do Good Campus Fund.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Large nonprofit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement, including service-year programming analogous to Maryland Corps. Comparable to DGI in service-year evaluation work and national volunteer engagement research (including Value of Volunteer Time context).
• Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership: University-based center developing leaders across public, nonprofit, and social sectors through fellowships, research, and convenings. Comparable to DGI in mission and academic-anchor structure, though at a graduate/professional level and significantly larger scope.
• Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS): Stanford-based research and teaching center focused on philanthropy, civil society, and nonprofit leadership. Comparable to DGI as a university-embedded institute producing research, training students, and convening the social impact community, but operating at a larger scale and with deeper research orientation.
• Columbia Social Enterprise Program: University-based program offering MBA and executive education in social enterprise. Comparable to DGI's nonprofit management certificate at UMD School of Public Policy, though focused on graduate-level business education.

Direct peers

• Independent Sector: National membership organization representing nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs. DGI is already a research partner with Independent Sector on the annual Value of Volunteer Time, making this both a peer and an active collaborator in nonprofit sector research.
• Idealist: Nonprofit jobs, volunteering, and social impact education platform that helps people connect to opportunities in the social sector. Comparable to DGI's mission of channeling student interest into nonprofit and social impact careers, though delivered through a digital marketplace model.
• Ashoka U: Network that works with colleges and universities to embed social innovation and changemaker education across campus. Highly comparable to DGI's Do Good Campus model — both partner with universities to operationalize social impact programming, fellowships, and student venture support.
• Net Impact: Membership organization mobilizing students and professionals to use their careers to tackle social and environmental challenges. Comparable to DGI in targeting university students interested in social impact careers and providing programmatic pathways into the sector.
• Youth Service America (YSA): Nonprofit organization that activates young people in service through grants, awards, and programs. Comparable to DGI in targeting youth/students for service engagement and operating grant programs (analogous to Mini-Grants and Campus Fund).
• Echoing Green: Global fellowship and leadership development organization that identifies and invests in emerging social impact leaders. Comparable to DGI's Accelerator Fellows program in providing stipended fellowships, mentorship, and seed support to early-career social entrepreneurs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiwND2HhDHa5_4AwTFOkydw
• Facebookfacebook.com/DoGoodatUMD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dogoodinstitute
• Instagraminstagram.com/dogoodatumd
• Xx.com/dogoodatumd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Do Good Institute