Sussex Youth Philanthropy Board Presents $10K+ in Grants

The Sussex County Youth Philanthropy Board (YPB) of the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) awarded $10,220 to three Sussex County nonprofit organizations.

The DCF’s Sussex County YPB is composed of 19 Sussex County students from public, independent and diocesan high schools. Since September, YPB members have been studying youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, learning about community service and grantmaking, and visiting nonprofit organizations.

This year’s Sussex County YPB chose to focus on organizations that provide afterschool programs, with an emphasis on programs that teach English as a Second Language (ESL) to both adults and children.

Lutheran Church of Our Savior ESL Program – $2,400 will help fund additional ESL classes for program participants and partially fund staff.

FORGE Youth & Family Academy – $3,020 will help fund the REWIND program to teach youth better life choices, and to assist with the organization’s search for a lrager home to further expand their services.

Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware ESL Program – $4,800 will help purchase new computers for beginning students and provide food for two years for the children’s program.

The Delaware Community Foundation sponsors a Youth Philanthropy Board in each Delaware county to encourage high school students to become more involved in philanthropy. Each board of high school students is allotted a pool of money to give as charitable grants. The students learn about philanthropy and effective grantmaking, study youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, solicit grant proposals, conduct site visits, and award grants to those they determine to be most deserving.

Retired Delaware educator Phyllis Wynn established the Youth Philanthropy Fund in 1999 because she wanted to encourage youth to become more involved in philanthropic ventures. Students who serve on the YPB are nominated by their principal or guidance counselor.

“The Youth Philanthropy Board program does more than give kids the chance to make a difference,” DCF President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said. “It gets them out into the community to experience firsthand the impact their work has on people’s lives.”

 2016-17 Sussex County YPB

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