Engaging Youth in Philanthropy
In addition to awarding grants and scholarships, part of Marion Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the Marion area through leadership and civic engagement. An example of this was several years ago when Marion Community Foundation created the MarionMade! program to help spread the word about our area’s amazing people, places, products, and programs. That very successful program now resides under the respected leadership of Marion Technical College.
Another way Marion Community Foundation seeks to improve the Marion area through leadership and civic engagement is our Youth Engaged in Philanthropy program for high school students. “YEP,” as we like to call it, has been at the Foundation almost since its inception 25 years ago. The program includes three juniors representing each of the local high schools — Pleasant, Harding, River Valley, Ridgedale and Elgin. These 15 bright young people meet with us once a month, October through May. We just kicked off this year’s program at our offices inside the historic Stengel-True mansion We introduced the “Yeppies,” as they’re affectionately known, to our staff of seven, gave them a tour of the vast collection of artifacts inside this beautiful Civil War-era house, and talked to the students about what a community foundation is and does, and the many forms philanthropy can take.
In November, we’ll take the students on a walking tour of downtown Marion, focusing on the businesses and nonprofits located there. If people are going to support their community, they must love their community, and they’re not going to love it until they get to really know it. It’s especially important that young people begin to appreciate, at an early age, all their hometown has to offer.
In December, will be part of the annual Holiday Open House at our offices. Here, they help with the coat check and distributing parting gifts, but, more importantly, they get to mingle with some of Marion’s “movers and shakers.” We encourage the students to engage with the adults at the event to learn more about what they do and how they positively impact the Marion community.
January’s meeting starts the philanthropic process in earnest. We invite representatives of several non-profit organizations to a speed-networking session with the students. Small groups of the Yeppies get several minutes to learn about each of these organizations and ask questions about what they do in the community. This is a great session and each year the students remark about their realization of the number and diversity of charitable organizations in the Marion area.
In February, we inform the Yeppies about more of our local non-profits, then engage them in mock grantmaking exercise. The activity is challenging because it offers a variety of grant requests, but a limited amount of pretend money to distribute. The debates around the table during this activity are lively and often mirror the same types and intensity of discussions our real Grants Committee has during our competitive Community Grants season.
The real fun is in March, when the students interview representatives from three very real, Marion-based non-profits they have selected. This time, the non-profits are there to ask for an actual grant from a real endowment fund we have at Marion Community Foundation. The organizations pitch their charitable project and, then, they’re on the hot seat as our Yeppies ask them detailed questions to ultimately discern a grant recipient. After the three organizations are interviewed, the students discuss each grant application and select which organization will be the recipient of their grant money. Marion Community Foundation is proud to award this grant to the winning organization.
In April, the students learn about our scholarship program at the Foundation, followed by the end-of-the-year celebration meeting in May. The May meeting invites the schools’ administrative representatives, parents, the winning grant organization chosen in March, and a speaker to talk about personal philanthropy.
Marion Community Foundation is proud to offer the Youth Engaged in Philanthropy program and help to foster a philanthropic attitude in these local students that will continue into their adulthood. The result will be our vision of a generous, educated, healthy, collaborative, and vibrant community.
More About YEP:
Youth Engaged in Philanthropy 2022-23
Donate to Support YEP here: Youth Engaged in Philanthropy Fund
