Teen Philanthropists Award Nonprofits $10,000 in Grant Funding

Area nonprofits will receive a total of $10,000 in grants from Teens for Tomorrow (T4T), the youth philanthropy program of the Quad Cities Community Foundation.  Teen members met on Sunday, May 4th, to decide the grant recipients from a pool of 23 applicants. The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors approved their decisions on Tuesday, May 6th.

T4T members chose eight nonprofits to receive grants:

  • Camp Kesem Augustana - $1,500 – Camp Kesem at  Augustana College

  • Children’s Therapy Center - $2,000 – Therapy Evaluations

  • Community Action of Eastern Iowa - $1,325 – Baby Pantry

  • Family Resources - $500 – Therapeutic Comfort Carts for Youth

  • Project Renewal - $825 – Summer Youth Program

  • Rock Island County Extension - $750 – 4-H Teen Hunger Ambassador Meals & Food Packaging Event

  • Scott County Family Y - $2,500 – ACES Food Assistance Program

  • Vera French Foundation - $600 – Summer Camp Scholarships for Kids

The decisions were made at the end of a nine-month program in which 35 teens learned to assess community needs, implemented a grant application process, performed site visits to nonprofit applicants, and attended sessions on leadership, values, decision-making and philanthropy.  Grant checks will be delivered in person to the nonprofits by members of Teens for Tomorrow on May 9th and May 16th.

“This was the most difficult decision I’ve ever made because all the groups were really worthy and meet different needs in the community,” said Rivermont Collegiate Junior and T4T member Grace Moran.  “I enjoyed the process and valued seeing the passion the nonprofit staff had for the work they do.  During the site visits, seeing the people that the grant would help in person was very important.”

Since 2002, the T4T program has given Quad City area young people real-life experience in evaluating and distributing charitable grants.  Members are recruited from high schools in both the Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities.  T4T is currently accepting applications for membership during the 2014-2015 school year.  Due by May 31st, the application is available online.

Grant applications to Teens for Tomorrow are accepted between January and March of each year through the Community Foundation’s online system. For more information about Teens for Tomorrow, contact Kelly Thompson at (563) 326-2840 or email kellythompson@QCCommunityFoundation.org.

 

Melanie JonesScholarship, Nonprofits, Grant, T4T Grant