WGC-Funded "Youth in Philanthropy" at CFHoCo Awards $25,000 in Community Grants

A student panel from the Community Foundation of Howard County’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program has selected nine nonprofits for its community grant awards. The grants total $25,000, with funding coming from the Youth in Philanthropy fund and the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, two field of interest funds under the Community Foundation of Howard County umbrella.

Youth in Philanthropy, a second-year program of CFHoCo, was established in 2019 to provide opportunities for high school students to learn about philanthropy firsthand. The YIP class consists of 26 students representing 13 different Howard County high schools. The students learn about community nonprofits, explore the fundraising and grant process and tackle local issues such as homelessness, hunger, domestic violence, environmental issues, arts and cultural opportunities.

“Our YIP students did a tremendous job throughout this process – learning about needs of our community and awarding grants that can make a real impact,” said Dee Athey, CFHoCo’s Director of Grants and Community Engagement. “I was so impressed and proud of their thoughtfulness, focus and competence during the review and interview processes.”

Youth in Philanthropy empowers students to solicit and evaluate grant applications and award funds based on need and effectiveness to nonprofit organizations in Howard County. The group met virtually to talk through the nominations, discuss the merits of each application and interview finalists. This year the group placed a premium on programs that enable access to basic needs, address mental health and help young girls and women.

This year Youth in Philanthropy merged with the WGC's Young Women's Giving Circle (YWGC), which included a meaningful track throughout the year specifically for young women about women's philanthropy.

“YIP participants were able to actively learn about the entire lifecycle of the grant process from the grant submission, review, interview and award phases.  In the end, they were able to gain consensus as a collective group to make decisions about contributing financially to causes they felt address basic needs in their own community. They were able to gain insight into the reasons why these non-profits were requesting the money, and how the grants would be used if selected, while becoming more aware and learning more about the various struggles these organizations and the populations they serve encounter “ said Lee Draminski, WGC Liaison to the YIP Committee.

The WGC has funded the Youth in Philanthropy program and has helped to shape and guide its growth jointly with the Community Foundation's YIP Committee.

"The WGC is proud to be a fund of the Community Foundation of Howard County, and this partnership continues to leverage and strengthen our joint efforts to promote philanthropy in the community to focus on programs that benefit women and girls" said Barb Van Winkle, WGC Chair.

Click to see the nine Howard County nonprofits selected and to read more.

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