Our History

In 2001, then Northern Kentucky University President Dr. James Vortuba had lunch with Roger Grein, and he shared a new idea with Roger. He casually mentioned that The Mayerson Foundation had sponsored a class at Northern Kentucky University for students to invest money into local nonprofit agencies. Roger was delighted by the idea! This was the spark that changed his life and has profoundly affected the lives of thousands of young men and women over the past decade. As a passionate philanthropist and witness to a myriad of community needs, Roger saw the value of engaging students in philanthropy and lighting a fire that would inspire them to give of their time, talent, and treasure throughout their lives.

Roger quickly became a champion for this hands-on philanthropy model and shared it with university presidents across the midwest, pledging his financial support while the program could gain traction and take hold at each institution. Roger shared the story and vision with Xavier University, The College of Mount St. Joseph, and then with more than a dozen other college and university presidents, helping them establish programs where their students could invest in local nonprofits. Roger's passion for helping college students truly understand the importance of philanthropy and the power they have in contributing to the fabric of the community has led to 34 colleges and universities embracing this philanthropy education model. The program continues today, fully managed by Ohio Campus Compact and funded by a national grant provided by the National Corporation for Service Learning.

After Roger saw the success of the college program, he decided to bring the concept to eight high schools in Cincinnati, and Magnified Giving began with those first eight schools in 2008. Since then, the number of schools in the program has grown steadily each year, and the program now includes middle schools, high schools, youth development organizations, and our summer camp, Camp Give.