Northern Kentucky University welcomed 131 high school students from Kentucky and Ohio to campus on Oct. 8 for Magnified Giving’s 2026 Youth Leadership & Service Conference. Along with 20 teachers and 51 representatives from 20 local nonprofits, students spent the day at NKU’s Votruba Student Union learning how to lead and serve in their communities.
The conference has deep roots at NKU. Magnified Giving founder Roger Grein was inspired to start the organization after learning about NKU’s student philanthropy program sponsored by the Mayerson Foundation. Today, Magnified Giving teaches youth across the region about philanthropy in their classrooms, where each participating school receives a $1,000 grant and students choose the local nonprofit that receives it. The conference was made possible by the Mayerson Foundation.
Students came from 12 schools on both sides of the river, including Grant County High School. Dr. Ryan Padgett, NKU’s associate provost for strategic enrollment planning and student success, opened the day by welcoming them to campus.
Keynote speaker Camryn Morrow first met Magnified Giving as a middle school student, when her class researched local nonprofits and she advocated for Women Helping Women. A first-generation graduate of the University of Cincinnati who went on to earn her master’s degree from Harvard, Morrow spoke openly about failure and told students that leading means it’s okay to fall and get back up. “You don’t have to have it all figured out to be a leader… I am a leader in progress,” Morrow told students.
During a pop-up session called Philanthropy in Action: $250 Giving Circle, students learned about charitable giving trends from the 2025 Giving USA report. Working in groups, they researched nonprofits, delivered 90-second pitches to their peers and voted on where a $250 grant should go.
One group made the case for 1N5, a nonprofit whose mission is to “prevent suicide by erasing the stigma of mental illness and promoting optimal mental wellness.” A student presenting for the group shared that she had lost a friend to suicide two weeks earlier and wanted to help spare other families that loss. Her peers selected 1N5 for the grant. Because 1N5 was also at the conference leading a breakout session and hosting a volunteer fair table, students presented the $250 check to the organization in person during lunch.
The Giving Circle was one of three pop-up service projects. Students designed and made 20 chemotherapy shirts with MightyMeshaun for pediatric cancer patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Another group assembled more than 30 Welcome Home Bags with New Life Furniture Bank for families moving into new homes.
Students also chose among 17 breakout sessions led by local nonprofits and community leaders, on topics ranging from mental health to civic action. The day ended with the Community Connections Volunteer Fair, where 15 nonprofits met students interested in getting involved.
In a post-event survey, 93.5% of respondents said the conference helped them understand how they can make a difference in their community, and 91% said they feel more confident in their ability to lead. Asked to finish the sentence “Because of this conference I feel…,” one student wrote, “like I’m not alone.” One Grant County teacher left the conference “proud of the young philanthropist that shared their ideas in sessions throughout the day!”
About Magnified Giving: Magnified Giving is a 501(c)(3) educational organization founded in 2008 by philanthropist Roger Grein. Its mission is to educate, inspire and engage students in philanthropy, and to touch the hearts and minds of teens, lighten the concerns of others, and magnify the impact of philanthropy. To learn more, visit magnifiedgiving.org.
