The Community Foundation of Howard County, which raises, manages and distributes funds to support Howard County nonprofits, requested applications from Howard County high school sophomores and juniors to participate in the foundation’s new Youth in Philanthropy program.
Youth in Philanthropy will empower students to solicit and evaluate grant applications and award funds based on need and effectiveness to nonprofit organizations in Howard County. A committee of 10 to 15 students will begin meeting in 2020 to award $10,000 in grants ranging in size from $500 to $5,000.
Students interested in joining the Youth in Philanthropy committee may download the application online or email yip@cfhoco.org with questions.
“Student committee members take direct responsibility and oversight for soliciting and evaluating grant proposals,” said Jeffrey Boutwell, a foundation volunteer and donor who established the program. “They will have to make the hard decisions on who to fund. That’s the most difficult part of the job, deciding who gets funded and who doesn’t, so it’s a great learning experience for the students.”
In addition, each student on the Youth in Philanthropy committee will partner with one of the community organizations seeking a grant, meeting with representatives, witnessing operations firsthand and learning more about the organization and the needs it addresses.