A business course assignment at Liberty University quickly went from classroom theory to application when a student there secured a grant for a local pregnancy center.
Katie Geer, a 2024 graduate, took a class entitled Donor Development and Fundraising last spring. The assignment required students to prepare a full grant proposal and submit it themselves or turn it back over to the nonprofit. Geer submitted a grant on behalf of Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center in Lynchburg, Virginia, a member of Care Net’s nationwide network of 1,200 PRCs.
According to Liberty University, an anonymous funder accepted the proposal, and the center received $2,000 to go toward supplies and resources for parents in the community.
“Working with Katie to secure a grant for us was such a blessing,” said Jane Oliver, executive director of Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center. “Without a grant writer on staff, we do not have the bandwidth to seek many outside grant opportunities. Katie met with me to uncover our greatest needs and got right to work on submitting grant applications. The impact of Katie securing this grant will help support moms and dads who have chosen life and strengthen families in our community while furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
The Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center exists to comfort those facing unexpected pregnancies or in need of pregnancy support by providing free medical services, education, and practical help with a holistic and compassionate approach. The grant helped advance that mission by providing baby items to parents — specifically diapers and wipes — and funding a client Christmas party.
Geer, who earned her bachelor’s degree at Liberty in Interdisciplinary Studies with specializations in Public Health and Entrepreneurship, has been an advocate for life for several years.
As an intern for Students for Life of America, she had the opportunity to speak at the National 2023 Pro-Life Summit alongside her heroes, “Alveda King, Kristan Hawkins, and David Bereit,” according to LinkedIn. The bio also notes that Geer founded Forsyth (North Carolina) Students for Life as a high school student and raised $11,000 to launch a pregnancy center in Cuba.
In a Liberty University article, Geer credited the mentorship of two professors with helping her pursue the grant for Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center and launch a non-profit while in college. In 2021, under the guidance of Dr. Connie Huber, Geer started the nonprofit Worth It, which created health education curriculum for schools, emphasizing the dangers and impact of pornography and the importance of abstinence.
At Liberty’s International Justice Mission Conference in early April, Geer spoke on two panels about the interaction between human trafficking and the porn industry. Although she has closed the nonprofit Worth It, Geer continues to present her research on health education and prevention and is currently seeking to use her gifts and talents in anti-porn/human trafficking work.
In helping Blue Ridge Pregnancy Center receive needed funding, Geer appreciated the mentoring and applicable learning opportunities offered by Professor Kristin Boyce through the Donor Development and Fundraising course in the spring of 2024.
“It was fun and exciting,” said Geer. “I realized how easy it is for a lot of students to look at themselves and think, ‘I could never actually make an impact using my talents’ — but you actually just need to put yourself out there.”