Youth philanthropy is the donation of time, energy or resources, including money, by children and youth towards philanthropic causes. According to one study, "youth philanthropy is, at the broadest level, youth giving of their time, talents and treasure." [1] It is seen as an effective means in which youth develop knowledge of and participate in philanthropic projects such as volunteering, grant writing, and community service. [2]
Youth philanthropy educates young people about social change in order to identify community problems and design the most appropriate solutions in a systemic way. [3] Philanthropy in this case is defined as anything young people do to make the world around them a better place. [4]
Focused on youth-adult partnerships and youth voice, youth philanthropy is seen as a successful application of service learning. [5] Youth philanthropy helps young people develop skills, knowledge, confidence and leadership abilities. [6] Youth philanthropy is also identified as a particularly effective means for educating children and youth about volunteerism and civic engagement. [7]
Within the Jewish community institutions such as synagogues, day schools, Jewish federations and other organizations have created Jewish youth philanthropy programs to provide Jewish youth with opportunities to engage in grantmaking activities through a Jewish lens. The Jewish Teen Funders Network serves as a central address for Jewish youth philanthropy, and aims to help grow and strengthen the burgeoning field. [8]
Youth voice refers to the distinct ideas, opinions, attitudes, knowledge, and actions of young people as a collective body. The term youth voice often groups together a diversity of perspectives and experiences, regardless of backgrounds, identities, and cultural differences. It is frequently associated with the successful application of a variety of youth development activities, including service learning, youth research, and leadership training. Additional research has shown that engaging youth voice is an essential element of effective organizational development among community and youth-serving organizations.
A giving circle is a form of participatory philanthropy where groups of individuals donate their own money or time to a pooled fund, decide together where to give these away to charity or community projects and, in doing so, seek to increase their awareness of and engagement in the issues covered by the charity or community project. Many circles, in addition to donating their money, also contribute their time and skills to support local causes.
A Mechina Kdam-Tzvait is an autonomous unit of specialized educational institutions valuing non-formal education and pre-military training in Israel. Funded and supported by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Defense, as well as by the Israeli Defense Forces. As for 2017, there are 46 mechinot whose mission is to prepare for the conscientious service in the army, and to educate leaders of local communities that could affect society and state. Educational program blocks mostly include: Judaism and Jewish identity, Zionism, development of leadership skills, volunteering, and elements of military training. Most mechina programs last one academic year.
The Wexner Foundation focuses on the development of Jewish professional and volunteer leaders in North America and public leaders in Israel. Founded by Leslie Wexner, CEO of Limited Brands, and his wife, Abigail Wexner, the headquarters are located in New Albany, Ohio with additional offices in New York City and in Jerusalem. In addition to the core leadership programs, the Wexner Foundation supports other Jewish charities on a local, national, and international level.
John Gandel, an Australian businessman, property developer and philanthropist, made his fortune in the development of commercial real estate as well as shopping centres located in Melbourne, Victoria.
The Jewish Funds for Justice (JFSJ) was an American charity based in New York. In 2005, Simon Greer became its President and CEO. In 2011, Progressive Jewish Alliance merged with Jewish Funds for Justice and became a new organization, Bend the Arc.
New Profit is a nonprofit social innovation organization and venture philanthropy fund based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Melissa Helmbrecht is a New Jersey based social entrepreneur and advocate for young people. Over the course of her career, she has been working with children and families who struggle with adversity by helping them get the tools and resources they need to improve their lives. Through non-profit work, she actively addresses three social problems including reforming the foster care system, making college affordable for low income youth, and engaging young people in volunteer service and civic life.
Nonprofit studies is a multidisciplinary field of teaching and research that focuses on practices of the nonprofit sector and can date back to the 1920s. This area of inquiry examines the management and effectiveness of the nonprofit sector, and has sub-areas of research including administration, marketing, communication, economics, human resources, philanthropy, ethics, law, information technology, social entrepreneurship, grant writing, policy, fundraising, advocacy, volunteerism, data research, and civic engagement.
buildOn is an international nonprofit organization that runs youth service afterschool programs in United States high schools and builds schools in developing countries. The organization's programs engage young Americans from mostly urban areas in community service and promote literacy among children and adults in developing countries.
The Institute for Philanthropy is a not-for-profit organisation which provides information and educational programmes to philanthropists and to charitable organizations. Originally established in 2000 by Hilary Browne-Wilkinson, a former solicitor at University College London, the Institute currently operates from offices in London and New York.
The Police Athletic League (PAL) is an independent, nonprofit youth development agency in New York City. PAL is funded by a combination of private donations and public funding sources and is a designated charity of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Robert M. Morgenthau, the late former New York County District Attorney, served as Chairman of the Board of Directors beginning in 1963. PAL is open to all New York City children.
Adrienne Arsht is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She made a $30 million contribution to Miami-Dade County's Performing Arts Center, which was renamed the Adrienne Arsht Center. She is on the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center.
Philanthropy in the United States has long played a major role, from the Puritans of early Massachusetts who founded Harvard College down to the present day. Since the late 19th century, philanthropy has been a major source of income for religion, medicine and health care, fine arts and performing arts, and educational institutions.
Naftali Schiff is the Founder and Chief Executive of Jewish Futures, also known as Jewish Futures Trust, a not-for-profit international organisation, which creates, incubates and scales dynamic educational organisations and initiatives, propelling each forward to ensure vibrant Jewish futures.
Lynn Schusterman is an American billionaire philanthropist. She is the co-founder and chair of Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and founder of several other philanthropic initiatives including Schusterman Family Philanthropies – Israel, the ROI Community and Jerusalem Season of Culture.
The Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) is a private foundation established in 1993 and located in Agawam, Massachusetts. It is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization charitable organization with the goal of "enhancing Jewish and community life in Western Massachusetts, North America, Israel, and beyond."
J. Shawn Landres is a social entrepreneur and independent scholar, and local civic leader, known for applied research related to charitable giving and faith-based social innovation and community development, as well as for innovation in government and civic engagement.
Colleen S. Willoughby is an American philanthropist who is credited with credited with creating the model of collective giving grantmaking, which is commonly referred to as giving circles. She is the founder and former president of the Washington Women's Foundation and current director of Global Women Partners in Philanthropy.