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Babson College First-Year Student Entrepreneurs raise more than $20,000 for Charity

Pillow Talk
2016 FME business Pillow Talk

First-year students from the Babson College Class of 2019 raised more than $20,000 for local social service agencies through the college’s award-winning Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME) course that requires all first-year undergraduate students to start and run a business, and donate profits to charity.

In FME, students work in teams to invent, develop, launch, manage, and liquidate a business. Since 1999, all profits generated by FME businesses are donated to local community service agencies.

“Our first-year students embraced their yearlong immersion into the business world, receiving the appropriate business background and real-world context needed for all of their Babson courses – and their future career – while learning the importance of corporate social responsibility,” said Rob Major, Babson College Associate Dean and the director of the Office of Academic Services.

Student businesses have donated more than $470,000 to local charities since the start of FME program.

Classes of up to 40 students formed teams of 15, and Babson loaned up to $3,000 as startup money for each business. FME students were entirely responsible for coming up with the business ideas, the business plans, and were encouraged to think about how their businesses would meet a human need.

Student teams then partnered with local social service agencies to donate 80 hours of community service per team, while learning the value and importance of corporate social responsibility. At the end of the academic year, the FME businesses combined donated more than $20,000 in profits to charity.

Recipients of funding this year:

  • Greater Boston Food Bank
  • Cradles to Crayons
  • Friends of the Homeless
  • Boys and Girls Club
  • Special Olympics
  • Community Servings
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Hope and Comfort
  • One for Health
  • Emerald Necklace Conservancy
  • The Jimmy Fund
  • World Wildlife Fund
  • Mothers Against Drunk Driving
  • Polar Bears International
  • Luke’s Lights
  • National Forest Foundation