Youth In Philanthropy
Youth in Philanthropy or YIP for short is a program for high schools across Canada sponsored by private and community foundations. YIP programs have been around in the major centers for a long time, but have only recently begun in rural parts of Manitoba. The Gimli High School YIP program was started as a matching pledge from the Thomas Sill Foundation of Winnipeg, and The Westshore Community Foundation. The pledge was for 3 years of funding from the Thomas Sill Foundation being matched by 3 years of funding from the Westshore Community Foundation.
The program, which was started in 2003, is quite simple: the group was given $3500.00 per year of which they must give away $2500.00 to local youth related charities. The remaining $1000.00 was to be used for any administration costs, with the balance going into a capital fund to generate interest in perpetuity. The students meet and learn about meeting etiquette, and how to run and participate in a meeting. They learn about the foundation movement and more importantly about lifelong giving, and philanthropic thinking. Each year a call for grants goes to find out what worth while projects are happening in the community. Once the deadline has passed the group gets together and reviews all of the applications and removes any that do meet the criteria of the YIP program. They then divide the applications up and each student takes a few applications and contacts the groups, either in person or on the phone and discusses their project. This process gives the grant applicant a chance to show the passion and vision of the project that does not come thru on a paper application. The student then has to make a report to the rest of the group at the granting meeting with a recommendation to either grant or not. The group now gets together for a granting meeting where we use a scoring grid to rate all of the applications to determine which project most closely meets our criteria. We then determine how much of the available funding will go to each chosen group. This process leads to some very lively discussions and is a great way to teach the youth about what is happening in their communities and how every little effort goes a long way to making our communities better places to live.
This program is a great experience for our youth and is a great way to teach them about giving back to society and the communities in which they live. Philantropy is a life long philosophy that is very rewarding and necessary in todays fast paced word. It is all of the little gestures that combine to make the greatest effect.
The 6 year program with the Thomas Sill Foundation and the Westshore Foundation has expired but the board of the Westshore Foundation is eager to continue this very important program in the school. Unfortunately in 2011/12 school year there is no YIP program for various reasons but we hope to be up and running again in the 2012/13 school year.
The program, which was started in 2003, is quite simple: the group was given $3500.00 per year of which they must give away $2500.00 to local youth related charities. The remaining $1000.00 was to be used for any administration costs, with the balance going into a capital fund to generate interest in perpetuity. The students meet and learn about meeting etiquette, and how to run and participate in a meeting. They learn about the foundation movement and more importantly about lifelong giving, and philanthropic thinking. Each year a call for grants goes to find out what worth while projects are happening in the community. Once the deadline has passed the group gets together and reviews all of the applications and removes any that do meet the criteria of the YIP program. They then divide the applications up and each student takes a few applications and contacts the groups, either in person or on the phone and discusses their project. This process gives the grant applicant a chance to show the passion and vision of the project that does not come thru on a paper application. The student then has to make a report to the rest of the group at the granting meeting with a recommendation to either grant or not. The group now gets together for a granting meeting where we use a scoring grid to rate all of the applications to determine which project most closely meets our criteria. We then determine how much of the available funding will go to each chosen group. This process leads to some very lively discussions and is a great way to teach the youth about what is happening in their communities and how every little effort goes a long way to making our communities better places to live.
This program is a great experience for our youth and is a great way to teach them about giving back to society and the communities in which they live. Philantropy is a life long philosophy that is very rewarding and necessary in todays fast paced word. It is all of the little gestures that combine to make the greatest effect.
The 6 year program with the Thomas Sill Foundation and the Westshore Foundation has expired but the board of the Westshore Foundation is eager to continue this very important program in the school. Unfortunately in 2011/12 school year there is no YIP program for various reasons but we hope to be up and running again in the 2012/13 school year.
