LAWRENCE — Before Rider University junior Juan Perez stepped inside Eden Autism Services' facility in Princeton, the business major never considered a career in the nonprofit sector.

"When we went there, kids were playing around in the gym and it was nice to see how much fun they were having," Perez said. "It really opened my eyes because I didn't think there was a path in nonprofits, but there is more to business than just profit organizations."

Perez joined 58 others in professor Bonnie Galloway's Fundamentals of Management and Organizational Behavior course at Rider this semester to raise funds for Mercer County organizations and learn more about the nonprofit world. The students, who were divided into small groups and given a list of suggested charities, raised a total of $5,536.

"I was overwhelmed and so taken aback by how much they raised and how enthusiastic they were about the project that I had a hard time not bursting out crying in class," said Galloway, who also sits on Eden's board of trustees.

Her colleague Mark Promislo, an assistant management professor, suggested the idea for Galloway's class, she said. After the students selected an organization, group members visited its location to learn about the work done there, Galloway said.

"I thought it would be a really good idea for some hands-on application of theory and also for students to get a better understanding of how to manage a group," Galloway said. "I thought this would be a much more creative way to teach than to write a paper."

Each group was asked to raise a minimum of $250 and submit a plan to Galloway midway through the semester outlining their fundraising plans, she said. But students exceeded Galloway's expectations, she said.

Some of the organizations to receive the highest donations included:

Eden Autism Services $1,475 (two groups)

Enable $884

Dress for Success $797 (two groups)

Special Olympics of New Jersey $760 (two groups)

Habitat for Humanity $738

Anchor House $448

HomeFront $434

"People are willing to give. We went door to door to some dorms, and it was nice to see people our age willing to give," said sophomore Molly Podosek, who raised money for Special Olympics of New Jersey.

While each group probably wanted to see more money go toward the organization they raised funds for, it was inspiring for Podosek and her classmates to spread out and tackle more ground, she said.

“It’s striking how many people need help, especially in today’s economy where a lot of people lost their jobs,” said junior Devon Downs, whose group raised funds for HomeFront. “For someone to be homeless and not have the things that they need, it’s really a great, great organization to help.”

Fundraisers included a Halloween-themed car wash; an estimate of candy corn in a jar; pretzel, candy and bracelet sales; Wii games for $1; direct solicitation and online sources such as GoFundMe.com.

"It was fantastic. It really makes you want to help more, seeing what these people are doing everyday for people who are in need,” Downs said. “It really struck everyone in the group as something that humbled them.”

Galloway will offer the class to students next semester, she said.

"I'm just really touched by what my students did," she said. "It just warms my heart, and I'm so, so very proud to be associated with these students."

The fundraising efforts showed how the power of collaboration could benefit the public in such a short period of time, Perez said. Downs learned more through this project than other business leadership courses he's taken, he said.

“Actually doing something and experiencing it firsthand is going to teach me more than reading out of a book,” Downs said. "This project did that."

Nicole Mulvaney may be reached at nmulvaney@njtimes.com. Follow her on Twitter @NicoleMulvaney. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.