Keweenaw Community Foundation Youth Advisory Council Recruiting New Members

Hancock, Michigan—The Youth Advisory Council of Houghton & Keweenaw Counties (YAC), part of the Keweenaw Community Foundation, is looking for local youth currently in grades 9-12 who have exhibited the potential to be leaders in their community to apply for membership before September 11^th, 2016.

Members must be willing to participate on a committee that incorporates working with students from several schools in the area while learning about philanthropy. The council will complete multiple service projects throughout the year, including the Bedtime Story Book Drive, while also awarding over $30,000 in grants to support projects that benefit youth in grades 6-12 in Houghton and Keweenaw Counties. It is important each member is compassionate about youth needs, as each member will help recommend which programs will be funded.

Member qualifications include displaying leadership potential, showing empathy for others, being willing to contribute their opinion in a group setting, being able to attend at least 75% of the meetings held, and showing an interest in the betterment of Houghton and Keweenaw Counties. Meetings are typically held twice a month on a Sunday evening.

Working with the Youth Advisory Council will broaden students’ perspectives on philanthropy in their community. They will become familiar with the process of writing, applying for, and awarding grants, while working with a compassionate group of students on multiple service events and fundraisers throughout the year.

KCF’s YAC was developed and supported by the Michigan Community Foundations’ Youth Project to spread youth philanthropy in the state, an initiative that was launched by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the community foundation members of Council of Michigan Foundations. Today, there are over 1,500 young people serving on 86 youth grantmaking committees statewide. Endowment fund assets exceed $62 million and collectively give $1.5 million in grants per year. KCF’s YAC alone has granted nearly $150,000 in funds since its inception.

For more information on the Youth Advisory Council, or to find the application, please visit the KCF website (www.keweenawgives.org) and visit the “Youth Advisory Council” page under the “Who We Are” section. Those interested in applying may also speak with their school’s Guidance Counselor to learn more.

Through philanthropic services, strategic investments and community leadership, Keweenaw Community Foundation helps people support the causes they care about, now and for generations to come. For more information on Keweenaw Community Foundation and how to give, visit its website at www.keweenawgives.org.