The Millennium Campus Network Receives a Jenzabar Foundation Grant to Extend Outreach to Student Groups

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Jul 26, 2010, 12:30 ET

Foundation Provides Office Space to MCN Founders and Staff

BOSTON, July 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Millennium Campus Network (MCN) received a grant from The Jenzabar Foundation to help extend the non-profit's operations, programs, and outreach to support student-led service groups across the nation. The Foundation is also donating office space in one of Boston's Prudential Towers to the employees and student interns working for MCN.

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The Millennium Campus Network is a national non-profit network of university student organizations working to reduce extreme poverty and achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The grant from The Jenzabar Foundation and partnership will help The Millennium Campus Network further support student-based service groups and expand its national outreach. MCN currently provides networking, funding, and national campaign opportunities to thirty-seven member organizations on seventeen campuses across Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C.

"The Jenzabar Foundation believes in students' ability to affect positive change and invests resources to make that change possible," said Sam Vaghar, Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Millennium Campus Network. "The Foundation is accelerating the impact of the Millennium Campus Network and is helping us carry out a commitment to service that connects with the current generation of students."

In June 2010, the Jenzabar Foundation named MCN as its 2010 Social Entrepreneur of the Year. The inaugural Social Entrepreneur Award recognized The Millennium Campus Network's Co-Founder and Executive Director, Sam Vaghar, and the Chair of the Board of Directors, Will Herberich. In September, The Jenzabar Foundation, along with the UN Foundation and Better World Campaign, also will be sponsoring the Millennium Campus Conference (MCC) 2010 at Columbia University where more than 1,000 student leaders, advocates, and celebrities will discuss service relating to economics, global education, global health, public policy, environment, and technology.

"Students today are committed to global public service, from their ongoing involvement with the Haiti earthquake recovery efforts to the thousands of students serving in Africa, Asia, and Latin America within schools, health clinics, and on clean water projects," said Vaghar. "This generation understands the connections and human rights that link all of us together, and our partnership with The Jenzabar Foundation will help us deliver additional resources to those student groups who are dedicated to making a difference in the world."

The MCN was co-founded by Sam Vaghar in 2007, a 2004 graduate of Newton North High School and 2008 graduate of Brandeis University. The Chair of the Board and former Executive Director, Will Herberich, is a 2006 graduate of Brookline High School and 2010 graduate of Tufts University. The network originally included member organizations from Harvard, MIT, Brandeis, Boston University, and Northeastern University, and has expanded from six to more than fifteen member organizations in Boston alone. Member organizations raise awareness and funds on campuses and half work overseas on programs for sustainable development, particularly on access to clean, safe drinking water.

"Our partnership with MCN continues the fulfillment of our mission to recognize and support the good works and humanitarian efforts of student leaders serving others across the global community, facilitating the efforts of thousands of student groups that are involved in service-related activities," said Robert A. Maginn, Chairman of the Jenzabar Foundation. "MCN is deserving of this grant that will help them realize their vision of a generation of students connected through a network of service activities, and we are eager to assist them in their future endeavors."

About The Millennium Campus Network

The Millennium Campus Network (MCN) is a national non-profit network of university student organizations working to reduce extreme poverty and achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. The network provides networking, funding, and national campaign opportunities to 37 member organizations on 17 campuses across Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Washington D.C. Dr. Paul Farmer (of Partners in Health), Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, and musician John Legend serve on the network's Board of Advisors.

About The Jenzabar Foundation

The Jenzabar Foundation issues grants to institutions of higher education and other charitable organizations with similarly aligned missions, and helps promote the activities of grant recipients within their communities and on a global level. The Jenzabar Foundation is a charitable and educational organization that received its initial funding from Jenzabar, Inc., but is now seeking financial support from the general public. Foundation grants are managed by the Foundation itself or through cooperating educational organizations. For more information please visit The Foundation Web site at www.thejenzabarfoundation.org.