Overview of Youth Philanthropy in Iowa: Where We Have Been and Where We Are Headed
Joseph Piearson May 2009 YouthPhil@IowaCouncilofFoundations.org
The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF was funded by the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation through grant support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
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Contents Introduction..........................................................................................................Page 3 Section 1: An Overview of Youth Philanthropy • What does youth philanthropy look like nationally?..............................................Page 3 • What does youth philanthropy look like in Iowa?..................................................Page 4 • Community Foundation Based ..........................................................................Page 4 • Foundation Based..............................................................................................Page 5 • Community Foundation Based Programs with School-Based Granting.............Page 5 • Unique Collaborations........................................................................................Page 5 • Youth Advisory Board with Partial Grantmaking Aspect.....................................Page 6 • What can we expect to see?.................................................................................Page 6 Section 2: Summary of Youth Philanthropy Initiative 2007-2009 • Transition from MYPN to Youth Philanthropy Initiative..........................................Page 8 • Resources.............................................................................................................Page 8 • Partnerships, Collaborations and Alliances...........................................................Page 9 Closing Comments............................................................................................Page 10
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Introduction The Midwest is one center of the youth philanthropy movement. In 2004, several Midwestern youth philanthropy programs took the first step toward creating a cohesive youth philanthropy network by applying for a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. With a grant award of $200,000, the Midwest Youth Philanthropy Network (MYPN) was born. As MYPN grew, it turned its attention to finding a statewide organization in Iowa to house its operations. In 2007 the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF) began discussions on the possibility of incorporating a youth philanthropy component as part of its programming. ICoF was considered to be a possible housing organization for MYPN because of its experience in philanthropy and connection to a wide variety of foundations in the state. To support a full-time Coordinator of Youth Philanthropic Initiatives, ICoF partnered with the AmeriCorps State of Promise Program. Beginning in October 2007, Joseph Piearson worked as an AmeriCorps State of Promise Member to grow the project into what is now known as the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the Iowa Council of Foundations. The mission of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative is to grow youth philanthropy by connecting and offering resources to existing programs in addition to assisting grantmaking nonprofits in exploring ways to engage teens in the grantmaking process. This document explores the state of youth philanthropy in Iowa from the perspective of the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF and what youth philanthropy may look like in the coming years.
Section 1: An Overview of Youth Philanthropy What does youth philanthropy look like nationally? The term youth philanthropy can be interpreted several different ways. In this document, youth philanthropy refers to formalized efforts to engage teenagers (specifically high school students) in grantmaking processes where students have legitimate authority in decision-making. The specifics of how each of these youth philanthropy efforts operate varies from community to community. Youth philanthropy is a concept that has seen rapid growth across the nation in the past decade. Youth philanthropy efforts of some form are present in nearly every state in the country. The Iowa Council of Foundations has worked with the Council of Michigan Foundations and the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (housed at the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance), both of which are national leaders in the field. The Michigan Community Foundations’ Youth Project (MCFYP) of the Council of Michigan Foundations has established an endowed youth philanthropy program, referred to as Youth Advisory Councils (YACs), in every county in the state. These YACs are housed at Michigan community foundations. MCFYP has a student advisory board that acts as a steering committee to guide the Council of Michigan Foundations on issues pertaining to youth. The MCFYP committee also plans the annual Michigan Youth Grantmakers Summer Leadership Conference, which is a three day conference for youth philanthropy program participants. For more information, visit http://www.youthgrantmakers.org. The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (“YPII”) is a younger endeavor that acts as a support system and central link to the various youth philanthropy efforts in Indiana providing education materials, training and resources related to youth philanthropy. YPII is a special project of The Indiana Grantmakers Alliance Foundation. These services are provided to many community foundation youth councils across the state as well as youth-serving organizations wishing to integrate youth philanthropy concepts into Iowa Council of Foundations
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their exisiting programs. YPII also has a statewide Partner Network made up of community organizations that work together to foster the goals of promoting, supporting and sustaining youth philanthropy in the state of Indiana. YPII traditionally holds an annual statewide event for students based around youth and adult partnerships. For more information, visit http://www.ypin.org. What does Youth Philanthropy look like in Iowa? Youth Philanthropy efforts in Iowa use several different approaches to engage high school students. Map A shows where youth philanthropy programs are located and in what form as of April 2009. Youth philanthropy is constantly growing and changing in Iowa. If you are aware of programs not on the map, please contact the ICoF and accept our apologies!
Map A.
Community Foundation Based One of the most prevalent forms of youth philanthropy in Iowa is the Community Foundation Based model. Granting dollars generally come from a fund established by the community foundation. Typically an intern (frequently a college student) or an AmeriCorps Member is hired to steer the youth philanthropy program, while a community foundation staff member oversees the intern and other associated program responsibilities. After an initial orientation session near the beginning of the school year, students often meet one or two times a month until June. Meetings are typically curriculum based for the first few months to give students the opportunity to learn the basics of philanthropy, grantmaking, nonprofits and to assess needs in their community. It is also common for the students to participate in volunteer projects throughout the program year. After the first of the year, students begin to review grant requests from local nonprofit organizations. Whereas guidance is available from adults when needed, the students themselves Iowa Council of Foundations
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make the final funding recommendations. Students spend the remainder of their time volunteering, conducting site visits or personally presenting the awards to grantees. Community Foundation Based models typically allow students to participate for either one or two years. The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa began their youth philanthropy program, Teen Trust, in 1994. Eventually the Community Foundation created an informational binder to support other community foundations interested in starting similar programs; this tool assisted in the development of Teens for Tomorrow with the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, Youth POWER with The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation and the Youth Area Philanthropists (YAPPERS) with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. These four programs have since inspired the creation of several other youth philanthropy efforts, examples of which can be found in Clinton and Jackson Counties. Foundation Based The Dekko Foundation (a family foundation headquartered in Indiana) began initiating youth philanthropy programs in 1994 in communities in Iowa, Alabama, Minnesota and Indiana where the Foundation’s founder had business connections. The Foundation has ties to five counties in Iowa: Clarke, Decatur, Lucas, Ringgold and Union. These programs, referred to as Youth Pods, typically engage 15 to 20 students in grades 8 through 12 and allow them to remain members until they graduate high school. Students request funds from the Foundation annually, which typically consist of approximately $15,000 for grant awards, $2,500 for administrative support and additional funds for training and development (refered to as Philanthropic Oxygen Dollars). Some Pods use a traditional leadership structure, while other use a shared leadership format. The Dekko Foundation has put a strong emphasis on youth empowerment in recent years, and views youth philanthropy programs as a vehicle to achieving this goal. The South Central Iowa Community Foundation acts as the fiscal agent for the Youth Pods. Currently, the Dekko Foundation is the only known private foundation to create and implement youth philanthropy programming in Iowa. For more information, visit www.youthpods.org. In 2005, the Dekko Foundation created Education and Support for Philanthropy (ESP), a two-person team of youth development professionals dedicated to providing support to the Youth Pod leaders. ESP has partnered with the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF on several occasions and shared numerous resources. Community Foundation Programs with School-Based Granting Several community foundations have started youth committees of students who review grant requests for funding from their respective schools. Funding typically comes from a portion of the community foundations’ granting dollars. Six to ten students meet several times to learn about their roles and responsibilities before reviewing grants. These programs are different from other models as the curriculum pieces are typically less intensive and students do not interact with other nonprofits in their communities. Community foundations using this model have reported a high level of success with students and strong youth/adult partnerships. Such models are present in Greene, Hancock and Wright Counties in Iowa. Unique Collaborations Many of the more recent youth philanthropy programs to emerge have been collaborations between several organizations. These programs have elements that are similar to the Community Foundation Based models, such as the curriculum based timeline and volunteer opportunities. Examples of Unique Collaborations include partnerships between a community foundation and I.S.U. Extension; a community foundation and a volunteer center; and a private charitable foundation and a countywide alliance for youth. As youth philanthropy continues to grow, more community partners are likely to Iowa Council of Foundations
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form collaborations in Iowa. Examples can be found in Story, Jackson, Pottawattamie and Wayne Counties. Youth Advisory Board with Partial Grantmaking Aspect Several youth-based programs may not have an emphasis on philanthropy, but may incorporate grantmaking as one component of their activities. One example would be the Youth Advisory Commission of Iowa City. The Youth Advisory Commission reviews Youth Empowerment Grants, which allow students to apply for up to $500 with a sponsor for a project to improve Iowa City. Applicants must be between the ages of 15 and 21. What can we expect to see? The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the Iowa Council of Foundations is currently aware of Youth Philanthropy programming in 18 Iowa counties and has held conversations with grantmaking organizations in 19 additional counties (see Map B below). Of these conversations, degrees of interest range from foundations showing a basic interest to newly formed partnerships currently recruiting Map B.
The number of organizations approaching the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF with an interest in youth philanthropy has grown tremendously over the 2008-09 school year. Four organizations have begun to secure funding and structuring a timeline for new youth philanthropy programs and one program has begun working with students. The other three endeavors will most likely have programming in place in the 2010-11 school year. Over the 2009-10 school year, more than 270 students engaged in youth philanthropy efforts granted an estimated $139,750 in Iowa. By 2015, modest estimates by the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF put youth philanthropy efforts present in at least 30 Iowa counties, bringing the number of high school students engaged each year near approximately 500. Financial literacy is an increasingly popular topic and more organizations are looking to youth philanthropy as an ideal vehicle for educating young people. As more foundations create youth philanthropy programs, the practice will gain momentum due to the increasing visibility of numerous models. Iowa Council of Foundations
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The potential number of emerging youth philanthropy efforts will only reinforce the need for networking and training opportunities. Existing conference calls, director networking meetings and training opportunities are currently well attended; a greater pool of youth philanthropy efforts would allow for greater networking and learning opportunities in the coming years. While the number of new youth philanthropy efforts continues to increase, it is possible that some foundations may terminate their programs. Working with students for the first time is a learning process for all parties involved and can be challenging. Students are presented with a great deal of information and the adult leaders are charged with conveying many new concepts in a short amount of time. Misunderstandings can lead to disengaged students and an ultimately underperforming group: an adverse effect to what was intended. It is essential that a support system is in place to nurture youth philanthropy efforts at all levels to help them reach their full potential. As youth philanthropy grows in Iowa, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF will collaborate appropriately to ensure the support system for emerging and existing programs has the capacity to address important issues. As established youth philanthropy efforts continue to mature, new approaches to engage students will be explored; such tracking will facilitate growth and strengthen the youth philanthropy movement in Iowa. Some of the best evidence for the success of youth philanthropy programs is not found with current students but with alumni. Looking at where participants of these programs have taken their lives is truly inspirational, as many have chosen to pursue careers in the nonprofit field due to their youth philanthropy experience. Past youth philanthropy program participants are empowered individuals who act as responsible citizens. The youth philanthropy movement is young; many foundations are just beginning to explore the potential of engaging youth in the philanthropic community. As more teens become aware of the opportunities available to them, mature programs will begin to examine ways to broaden their capacity to work with students. Youth philanthropy is greatly valued by many Iowa communities and will continue to engage teens in unique ways.
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Section 2: Summary of Youth Philanthropy Initiative 2007-2009 The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the Iowa Council of Foundations (ICoF) has been overseen by AmeriCorps State of Promise Member Joseph Piearson since October 2007. In that time the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF has grown beyond simply networking youth philanthropy programs in Iowa to becoming the “go to” place in Iowa for work related to youth philanthropy. Transition from MYPN to the Youth Philanthropy Initiative The original task set before the Iowa AmeriCorps State of Promise Member was to “grow youth philanthropy in Iowa” using the remaining pieces of the Midwest Youth Philanthropy Network (MYPN). The original vision of MYPN, initially supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, was to bring together youth philanthropy programs to allow students and directors to learn practices from each other and move toward common goals. After exploring what youth philanthropy programs existed in the state, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF now acts as a center not only for existing programs in Iowa, but also as a source of information and resources for grantmaking organizations interested in creating new youth philanthropy endeavors. The original MYPN worked with four youth philanthropy programs in Iowa; seventeen youth philanthropy efforts are now connected through the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the Iowa Council of Foundations. Directors of these programs have had the opportunity to come together to discuss strategies and exchange ideas face-to-face, over the Iowa Communications Network, through webinars and over conference calls provided by the ICoF. In addition to current youth philanthropy efforts, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF has held conversations with organizations in more than 19 counties, many of which have expressed interest in having new youth philanthropy programs implemented in the coming year. In particular, Story County has seen great success. The Story County Community Foundation and the Volunteer Center of Story County had both expressed interest in a youth philanthropy initiative from the beginning of the AmeriCorps Member’s term, but decided the timing was not right for their respective organizations. In late 2008, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF connected both organizations with a youth philanthropy alumna who attends Iowa State University and a spark was reignited for the project. The ICoF facilitated a planning session and, immediately after the introduction of the alumna, the boards of both organizations gave their full support for the project. The Youth Philanthropy Council of Story County will first engage students over the 2009-10 school year. Resources The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF offers aid to existing youth philanthropy efforts beyond networking. Over the course of the summer of 2008, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF strategically created pieces for programs with the intention of having original resources on-hand for directors. The result was the creation of an introduction glossary of relevant terms for students, the purchase of several books to create a ‘lending library’ and the creation of several workshop sessions; topics include Social Change Philanthropy, Introduction to Youth Philanthropy, Introduction to Grantmaking, Public Relations & Marketing and Team building. In terms of data, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF has issued assessment surveys to students to gage perceptions of their experience. The results from the assessments were complied into reports for each director detailing areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Assessments were conducted at the beginning and end of the 2008-09 school year and will be complied in a report showing the change in students’ opinions. 2009 will also mark the first year the Youth Philanthropy Initiative Iowa Council of Foundations
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will conduct end-of-year surveys. These will assist in the planning of future training and educational opportunities and will also provide documentation for the first time of statewide figures of how much students in Iowa granted during the 2008-09 school year. The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF has worked to create a strong online presence. The first piece to creating a cohesive image was to create a logo to differentiate the Youth Philanthropy Initiative from MYPN; a college student, majoring in graphic design, volunteered for the project. Next came the updating and name change of the official Web site from www.midwestyouthphilanthropy.org to www.IowaYouthPhilanthropy.org. As soon as these key pieces were in place, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF was able to branch out into more experimental forms of communication, namely social media. Over the past year, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF has explored several media to spread its message. Podcasts have provided a venue for delivering interviews and testimonies pertaining to youth philanthropy on a national level. The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF’s podcast is called The Philter and is available both through a direct blog and the iTunes Music Store. Twitter is a microblogging media utility designed to share information and network professionals. Through this service, the ICoF has been able to network nationally with other youth philanthropy experts and share its work on a much broader level. All of the social media endeavors of the ICoF are accessible through the Youth Philanthropy Initiative’s Facebook page, located at http://bit.ly/2ALfrG. The page also hosts updates and events by the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF. Several organizations have approached ICoF for information on how to use social media or requested training sessions, which has lead to the development of basic procedures for creating and managing accounts with the most popular social media services. Partnerships, Collaborations and Alliances The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF has had the opportunity to work with several national organizations to further the concept of youth philanthropy. The Michigan Community Foundations’ Youth Project (Council of Michigan Foundations), the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of Indiana (Indiana Grantmakers’ Alliance) and the Dekko Foundation’s Educational Support for Philanthropy program have been supportive of the ICoF’s efforts to develop our own youth philanthropy initiative. Since 2007, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF has worked in 37 Iowa counties to grow youth philanthropy in Iowa, working with such entities as State Farm, I.S.U. Extension Polk County and the Governor’s Council of Developmental Disabilities. Piearson has also had the opportunity to present at several events, including the iLead 2008 Youth Pod Conference and the 2009 MidStates Community and Economic Development Conference. The AmeriCorps State of Promise Program has been essential to the ICoF’s efforts, as the Coordinator of Youth Philanthropic Initiatives position would not have been possible without this alliance. For more information on AmeriCorps, visit www.AmeriCorps.org.
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Closing Comments The Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the Iowa Council of Foundations provides a valuable resource to Iowa communities by offering common ground for our Iowa’s exciting youth philanthropy movement. While the specific vision of youth philanthropy efforts remains unique to each community, the Youth Philanthropy Initiative of the ICoF is available to help each effort reach its full potential and, in doing so, empower teenagers to become responsible citizens. Below are quotes from youth philanthropy alumni.
“Teens for Tomorrow exposed me to local needs while empowering me to work toward positive change.”
“My experiences with Teen Trust in high school really helped set the foundation for the career path I would like to pursue.”
Kimberly Quinn Teens for Tomorrow 2003-2005
Sunni Swarbrick Teen Trust 2002-2003
“My youth philanthropy experience undoubtedly changed my path in life. The people I met, the confidence I obtained and the understanding of the need in my community all had a great impact on how I looked at what I could do with my life and the person I would become.” Joseph Piearson Youth Answering the Call of the Community 2001-2004
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