Philanthropy and Pizza

Imagine a high school student having to decide where to spend $45,000. That’s a big responsibility for a teenager, but with the Grand Rapids Community Foundation to guide them, these students handle the challenge quite well. And during monthly meetings complete with pizza, they also have a lot of fun.
 
The Community Foundation’s Youth Grant Committee (YGC) is made up of high school students from the greater Grand Rapids area who volunteer to serve the community. The students find out more about local youth issues, interview and visit nonprofit organizations, review grant requests and make recommendations to the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees. In the process, they learn about leadership, philanthropy and responsibility.

More than 200 teenagers have volunteered with the YGC program since it began in 1994. The current committee is comprised of 32 students, with one who is homeschooled and the rest attending 20 different high schools in the area. Most students get involved their freshmen year and stay with the committee until they graduate.

Roberta King, VP of PR & Marketing at the Community Foundation says, “It’s often the most meaningful and important thing they do in high school,” adding that the students don’t usually learn about the grant process anywhere else.

“When these kids have job or college interviews, they get asked about this committee way more than any other thing they’ve done. It’s different.”

The YGC gets approximately $45,000 each year to divide among the grant applications it reviews. The Community Foundation staff may offer advice, but the students are free to divide the money between whichever youth programs they believe will have the most impact.

The grant money comes from income generated by an endowment established in 1991 with $1 million in matching funds from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The current value of the Youth Fund is nearly $1.8 million.  
   
Since it began, the YGC has awarded more than $1 million in grants to 227 nonprofit organizations. This year, students reviewed 50 grant proposals with requests totaling more than $195,000. After researching each one, sharing their opinions and coming to an agreement, 11 of these proposals were brought to the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Grants totaling $44,884 were later presented at a celebration dinner on May 16 to the following organizations:

- Baxter Community Center, Inc.
- Calvin College
- City of Grand Rapids
- Comprehensive Therapy Center
- Grand Rapids Track Club GRPS
- Youth Program
- Grand Valley State University
- Hispanic Center of Western Michigan
- R.E.A.A.L.
- Specialized Language
- Development Center
- VSA Arts of Michigan - Grand Rapids
- Worldwide Christian Schools

While it may seem like all work and no play, YGC member Anneke Lehmann thinks it’s a lot of fun. Lehmann, 15, says she enjoys meeting kids from different schools and learning about nonprofit organizations. She’s learned how to review grant proposals and budgets and knows that YGC will look good on future college applications.

The committee also spends time volunteering for past grant recipients. This year, the students handed out United Way volunteer bracelets one day at ArtPrize and made sack suppers for impoverished kids at Kids' Food Basket another day.

Lehmann says “it’s really cool” to be able to make a difference and would recommend YGC to anyone.

“You learn so much about the community and you get to be a part of the community, too.”

Here’s how you can support the Grand Rapids Community Foundations Youth Grant Committee:
- Learn more about the Youth Grant Committee.
- Encourage someone to join. High school students interested in volunteering on the Youth Grant Committee can fill out an application online. New members are selected in August. 
- Donate to the Youth Fund endowment through the Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
- Like the Grand Rapids Community Foundation on Facebook.
- Follow @GRCommFound on Twitter.

Sources:
Roberta King, A.P.R., Vice President, PR & Marketing at Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Anneke Lehmann, Youth Grant Committee member

Writer: Heidi Stukkie, Do Good Editor

Photos provided by Grand Rapids Community Foundation