Youth Philanthropy
 [Download the Schedule of Meetings]
[Download the 2010 Request for Proposals]
The Youth Grantmaking Board (YGB) helps young people learn how philanthropy can effect positive change in their community by giving them the opportunity to take the lead on all phases of grantmaking. Supported by Foundation staff and community experts, YGB members will: - Identify and discuss critical community issues, learning from field experts
- Select a grantmaking focus area
- Develop a request for proposals
- Evaluate funding requests from nonprofit organizations
- Conduct site visits with potential grantees
- Make funding recommendations to The Seattle Foundation Board of Trustees
The Youth Grantmaking Board runs from October through May and applications are available starting in June. The program is open to local high school-aged youth with a priority given to participants from the Philanthropy Camp and current donor families.
The 2008-2009 YGB chose the focus area of youth violence intervention programs. They awarded grants to the following organizations: - Alive & Free/YouthCare partnership - $7,500
- Big Brothers Big Sisters - $5,000
- Peace for the Streets By Kids from the Streets - $5,000
The 2007-2008 YGB chose to focus their funding on programs addressing the physical well-being of youth. They awarded grants to the following organizations: - Children’s Hospital - $10,000
- Choice & Consequence - $5,000
- Peace for the Streets By Kids from the Streets - $5,000
The 2006-2007 YGB chose to focus their funding on programs that improved the home lives of King County youth who were at risk of homelessness and other major upheavals. They awarded grants to the following organizations: - Mockingbird Society - $5,000
- Youth Advocates - $10,000
- YWCA, Girls First program - $10,000
“Philanthropy programming is important for youth, because it gives us an idea of how to make changing lives a life-long project. By participating in this program, I have learned so much about the whole grant-making process, and about a variety of issues in our community. I also know so much more about local organizations. I've learned a lot about how philanthropy works and I think that this will make it possible for me to continue to work with nonprofits into the future.” --YGB participant
For more information about The Seattle Foundation's Youth Grantmaking Board, or if you are interested in supporting our work in providing this learning opportunity to young people in our community, please contact Kim Wright at (206) 515-2136.
 The Youth Philanthropy Camp is a wonderful way to introduce teenage and pre-teen students to the joy of giving in a way that allows them to experience first-hand the process of intentional and effective grantmaking.
High school camp participants (grades 9-12) experience the grantmaking process alongside Seattle Foundation staff, learning about philanthropy through hands-on experience, including evaluating community needs, developing grant criteria and conducting site visits. They are also responsible for awarding a small grant based on their findings.
Contact Kim Wright at (206) 515-2136 for more information about The Seattle Foundation’s youth philanthropy programs.
In 2007, Alumni from the inaugural Youth Grantmaking Board (YGB) came together to learn about grant evaluation and impact assessment. Thanks to a generous donor, the youth were given the opportunity to asses whether additional funds could have a positive impact on the work of the organizations they funded the previous year. In 2008 the alumni group (YGAB) grew to 16 members, consisting of youth from the 06-07 and 07-08 YGB groups. In addition to impact assessment the youth participated in the first annual Seattle Youth Philanthropy Summit. Through continued learning in grantmaking, impact and financial assessment, public speaking and team skills, the youth philanthropists gained a deeper understanding of how to be effective grantmakers. The goal of the YGAB is to continue engaging youth in learning about grantmaking and community issues so that they will grow into thoughtful changemakers. In addition to participation in the local Youth Summit, alumni participants will be offered the opportunity to represent the Seattle community at a National Youth Conference in the summer of 2009.
Currently the 2008-2009 YGAB are assessing impact evaluation, stay tuned for information on grant awards. The 2007-2008 YGAB chose to continue their investment in the following programs:
- Mockingbird Society - $10,000
- Summer Search - $10,000
- Youth Advocates - $5,000
“Through working with the YGB/YGAB, I've learned even more that there are many issues in the Seattle area, particularly among the homeless/in-foster-care youth. Through site visits, I've seen youth my age struggle with finding a place to live, dealing with squatting laws, and finding their own voice. It's helped me appreciate my privileges and motivates me to find ways to help.” --YGB/YGAB participant
On Feb. 28, 2009, The Seattle Foundation and Social Venture Partners hosted the Seattle Youth Philanthropy Summit. Two teen philanthropy groups, The Seattle Foundation’s Youth Grantmaking Alumni Board (YGAB) and Social Venture Kids (SVK) convened for the first time at this year’s summit.
From lectures, to networking, to hands-on activities, the young philanthropists at this summit geared up for the work ahead. “I learned…how to read financial statements, and what makes a good, viable not-for-profit,” said one participant. “This will be useful in the coming months, when we receive our grant-requests and have to make the tough decisions about which organization(s) to grant our money to.”
For many of the youth involved this was the first time they had met with other teen philanthropists. “We saw this as a great opportunity to combine our efforts and grow the teen philanthropy movement here in Seattle,” says Kim Wright, from The Seattle Foundation. Sullivan and Wright hope that this meeting will become an annual event, which will grow to include more teens from the Puget Sound region.
“In challenging economic times our community needs are greater than ever,” says Susan Sullivan, SVK’s facilitator. And the call for help is being answered by our next generation of philanthropists. “This summit was about more than simply cultivating generosity,” says Sullivan, “participants learned how to be more strategic and effective in their giving.”
Teens in both SVK and YGAB came to the Summit with their own wealth of philanthropic experiences. Members of each group conduct research in the areas that they fund, they learn to identify a well-written grant-proposal, get to know nonprofits in their community, and in the case of SVK, they do all of their own fundraising. But SVK and YGAB participants benefit most from seeing their grantees in action.
“We get to go in and see exactly who the money goes to,” says YGAB member Jennifer Reeve, remembering a visit to Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets. Danielle Vellon, an SVK member recalls visiting a school focused on juvenile justice. “It was touching to see the program in progress…to hear the personal stories from the teachers…I thought: ‘Yes! I’m actually making a difference!’” Danielle appreciates being able to have a more “holistic impact, affecting entire organizations rather than just one individual.”
Both SVK and YGAB have funded nonprofit organizations for years, making grants that total between $10,000 and $25,000 annually. They primarily focus on issues affecting other teens such as: drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy, depression and suicide, domestic and dating violence, the juvenile justice system, and homelessness.
The idea for a Youth Grantmaking Board grew from The Seattle Foundation’s successful one-on-one work with young philanthropists. In just three years, The Seattle Foundation Youth Board Members have granted $70,000 to King County organizations. Thanks to a generous donor, youth from the inaugural board set out to assess the impact of their previous grants. The YGAB have continued their learning in grantmaking and impact assessment. The addition of the Philanthropy Camp has offered a great way to introduce middle and high school-aged youth to philanthropy while preparing them to participate on the grantmaking board. In addition to great philanthropy programming, The Seattle Foundation staff will work with donor families to create successful intergenerational giving within the family.
“Philanthropy is important to me because I strongly believe in fundamental equality (housing, healthcare, etc). I believe everyone (especially youth) deserves equal access to basic necessities in order to move their lives forward. Young people should learn about philanthropy because it's something everyone should learn about, so why not start at a young age? As a community (whether it be neighborhood, city, county, or larger), people have to look out for each other. We should all understand that not all of us are born with the same privileges and philanthropy is one of the ways to help better our communities.” --YGB/YGAB participant
To make a donation to support The Seattle Foundation’s youth philanthropy programs, please contact Kim Wright at the Seattle Foundation at (206) 515-2136.
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