In December 2000, the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation was established. Its purpose is to support the communities of Fauquier, Culpeper, Madison and Rappahannock counties through philanthropic funding and education in the form of scholarships and grants.
One of the organization's new programs, “Youth in Philanthropy,” connects both the foundation's financial and educational goals by involving high school students in the process of awarding grants to local nonprofits. .
“The goal is to bring young people together in a safe space, meet people they don't know and teach them how to do philanthropy and make grants,” said Jane Bowling, executive director of the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation. Wilson said. .
Bowling-Wilson, a former educator, is modeling the program after a similar program run by the Rappahannock River Area Community Foundation in Fredericksburg, with Foundation colleagues Leonard Carlos and Liz Rose in 2022 – Launched “In Philanthropy.” The process begins with the submission of an application from an interested high school student from her 10th grade through her 12th grade. Among other questions related to philanthropy, students are asked to identify the needs of young people in their community and the challenges they face, as well as the skills, backgrounds, and experiences that positively impact their participation in the program. Masu.
Students are taught to evaluate local nonprofit organizations when awarding grants.
Once students have been selected to participate, senior students begin the program by working together as a group to identify the top two organizations to consider for grants. The group then meets ten consecutive times every Monday night to learn how to evaluate organizations, use logic models, learn interviewing skills, visit nonprofit sites, and ultimately receive a grant. Select a destination organization and present it to the foundation's board of directors. of directors.
“We have a lot of discussions. Everyone can say what they think, [they’re all] Be respectful. What was really cool was seeing them open up to each other,” Bowling-Wilson said.
Funded primarily by the Crabtree Family Foundation and the Lessard Family Foundation, the program has been in place for two years, with some students returning in the second year.
One of those students, Andrew Lerdis of Fauquier High School, credits the program with influencing his worldview and giving him the opportunity to build relationships with his peers and community members.
“I benefited from YIP because I improved my teamwork and leadership skills through the program. Jane, Leonard, Liz, and Dede emphasize building “soft skills,” and after high school they went to Colorado Springs I'm planning to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, so I'm sure I'll put those skills to good use in the future,” Lerdis said.
In its first year, Youth in Philanthropy awarded a $10,000 grant to the Headwaters Foundation, which supports public education in Rappahannock County. Last year's Youth in Philanthropy participants also awarded a $10,000 grant to Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center.
Youth in Philanthropy students evaluated nonprofit organizations Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center (right) and Fauquier Education Farm (left) and interviewed their respective executive directors during the 2023 program. I learned about the program. Both organizations were awarded grants.
“As a senior leader, I helped lead the YIP Council in discussing where funding would be given. I loved that through this program I was able to contribute to community organizations that serve young people. . It was fun seeing the organizations that applied for our funding and meeting new people on site visits,” said Lerdis.
Youth in Philanthropy is accepting applications for the third year of the program and welcomes second-, third-, and fourth-year students from all four counties to apply by the Aug. 1 deadline. Weekly meetings for approved participants begin in August at the Culpeper Wellness Center and continue through mid-October.
Nonprofits are also encouraged to participate by applying to receive a $10,000 grant. Eligible nonprofit organizations are youth-serving, youth-run, or youth-developed nonprofits.
“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of work,” Bowling Green said. “Students say, 'We love YIP, so why aren't there more things like this?'” [and] The board loves this program because the kids do a great job. ”
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The application deadline for the 2024 Youth Philanthropy class is August 1, 2024, and classes will be held weekly from mid-August to October. npcf.org/yip
