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What is 'Youth Philanthropy'?
The term youth philanthropy is often used both in terms of:
- philanthropic giving to projects that benefit young people; and
- the involvement of young people in the practice of philanthropy.
For the purpose of this page, Philanthropy Australia is adopting the second definition.
How can young people get involved in philanthropy?
When defining philanthropy as the voluntary planned donation of money, time and services for the public good, there are many opportunities for young people to be involved in philanthropic practices regardless of personal wealth. Some ways young people may want to become involved in the joy of giving include:
- Becoming involved in your family's philanthropic organisation
- Volunteering your time
- Offering your professional skills pro bono (i.e. at a heavily discounted rate or free of charge)
- Forming a group of peers and pooling funds to make a significant donation (also known as a 'Giving Circle')
- Planning your donations as an individual
- Donating goods instead of money
Browse the Getting Involved section for further information.
Useful resources
Young people looking to become involved in philanthropy, as well as others looking to better involve youth in their own philanthropic work, will find the following resources useful:
Philanthropy Australia Membership
Philanthropic bodies involved in Youth Philanthropy will find Membership with Philanthropy Australia beneficial. To find out which other Youth organisations are Members, browse the Members List.
The News and Events pages may also contain information relevant to Youth Philanthropy organisations.
Youth on Board - 14 Points to Successfully Involving Young People in Decision Making
This is a comprehensive handbook for anyone who is interested in working with young people in decision making roles. Includes case studies, worksheets and handouts to help organisations work through the process of engaging young people.
Members may borrow this publication from the Philanthropy Australia Library.
ActNow.com.au
ActNow.com.au is an initiative of The Inspire Foundation, who are also behind the extremely successful ReachOut program.
ActNow is an web-based service that helps young people take action on social issues that affect them and their community.
ActNow is driven by young people and responds to their desire to understand issues, articulate their opinion, and take action in their community. ActNow provides timely, relevant and interesting calls to action that are suggested by and resonate with young people.
ActNow addresses the fact that young people often feel overwhelmed and disengaged by the quantity and quality of information available to them. It responds to young people's need for relevant, simple and reputable information, and demonstrates that the action taken to create a better world is undertaken every day by people just like them.
The ultimate objective of the program is to increase the number of young people who get engaged in the issues that affect them and their community - and to improve their skills, confidence and experience of being involved.
ActNow also aims to support and showcase the work of social, civic and community organisations by creating a unique online resource that acts as a broker of information and action opportunities for young people.
ActNow has received support from a range of philanthropic and government bodies including Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, Foundation for Young Australians and Bokhara Foundation.
The Foundation for Young Australians
"The Foundation for Young Australians is an independent national grant-making organisation, funding and working in partnership with youth-led initiatives which aim to positively contribute to young people and their communities."
Education Foundation
"The Education Foundation is unique in Australia in its focus on philanthropic support for public education. It is the only independent, non-profit organisation in Australia that strengthens public education by investing private monies (philanthropic and corporate) into primary and secondary schools. Our focus is educational excellence and equality of opportunity.
Every child, regardless of home circumstance, deserves the best possible education. Our vision is that every student is imbued with the confidence, creativity and imagination to seize every opportunity and to contribute productively to the nation's future."
Oaktree Foundation
The Oaktree Foundation is an entirely youth run aid and development organisation, driven by young people under the age of 26. Its mission is to empower developing communities through education in a way that is sustainable.
Common Cents (USA)
Common Cents New York was founded by journalist and author Teddy Gross to promote the Penny Harvest, the first of what would become an annual campaign of students collecting pennies to help feed and clothe homeless people in New York City. In partnership with the New York City Department of Education, Common Cents has integrated Penny Harvest into more than seven hundred public schools, growing it into a year-long program of community action, engaging students in resource mobilization, youth philanthropy, civic engagement, and peer mentoring. In 2004-2005, the program mobilized close to a half-million students in 720 schools and raised nearly $627,255 — all in pennies; since its inception students have collected more than $4.5 million and donated it to hundreds of community-based organizations for student-led service projects. Common Cents is expanding the program nationwide.
2006 Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Competition
Winners of the 2006 Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Competition were announced during a special presentation at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 17 October.
The winners of the school and tertiary competitions, including winning essays, can be found here.
Young Professionals for Charity (YP4C)
Young Professionals for Charity is "a group of people with education and money to burn and use their energies to make a difference". The group has over 110 members, including lawyers, doctors, teachers, artists, actors, management consultants, and more. Average earnings of the group are $40,000-$80,000, and the average age is 27.
YP4C runs extremely successful fundraising balls, and has recently teamed with Our community to connect "the growing army of young professionals who love the idea of changing the world and making some kind of contribution, to the not-profit sector."
Foundation grant begins philanthropy program (USA)
"A new subject - philanthropy - will be taught for the first time this year at Concord Academy, Concord-Carlisle High School, The Fenn School, Middlesex School and Nashoba Brooks School, thanks to the Crossroads Community Foundation.
Crossroads, a foundation which assists nonprofits throughout the MetroWest region, received a $1.4 million grant from an anonymous donor. The money will be used to begin its Youth In Philanthropy program in Concord's middle and high schools for the 2006-2007 school year. The gift established the Concord CommonWeal Fund, an endowment which will allow the program to continue long beyond its first year."
Young Volunteers and the Activation Gap
Young people want to volunteer, but often fail to follow through, according to a new study which describes their inactivity as an 'activation gap'. MTV in the US released Just Cause, a research project which studies youth "activism" and the motivating factors and barriers to becoming involved in social causes. Researchers studied with more than 1200 young people aged 12 to 24, from December 2005 to April 2006.
Youth In Philanthropy Program
"Supported by Foundation for Young Australians, The Myer Foundation and FRRR.
The Youth in Philanthropy Program has been able to provide a further three Community Foundations with establishment grants which will enable them to develop and run a Youth Philanthropy Group within their communities.
The successful applicants are:-
- Community Foundation of Bendigo and Central Victoria VIC
- Stand Like Stone Mt Gambier SA
- Wyndham Community Foundation VIC
With the addition of these three community foundations there are now a total of seven community foundations that will provide a model of Youth Philanthropy that can be used throughout Australia.
The successful foundations will evaluate and provide working models that can be used for a wide range of demographic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to demonstrate the value of involving young people in philanthropy."
From the FRRR Newsletter, Issue 13, January - April, 2006.
Walking the Talk: Youth Engagement and Grantmaking in the National Capital Region
Walking the Talk: Youth Engagement and Grantmaking in the National Capital Region (USA, 2001–2005) shows what youth and adults in the Greater Washington Youth Philanthropy Initiative have learned about engaging youth as grantmakers and community leaders over four years. The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region initiative is the greater Washington area’s first regional youth grantmaking program. The report includes key findings, outcomes and practices; describes effective grantmaking from a youth perspective; and discusses how such grantmaking fits into the wider field of youth engagement.
Philanthropy UK's Spotlight on Youth Philanthropy
Philanthropy UK have published a "Spotlight on Youth Philanthropy" in the Summer Supplement edition of their Newsletter:
Young people are central to changing attitudes about giving: today’s youth are tomorrow’s philanthropists.
We begin our feature with an overview of patterns in and beliefs about charitable giving by young people, drawing from the latest research by Giving Nation, which organisation is the subject of our Feature Profile. We also highlight the work of some ‘youthful foundations’ as well as v, the new charity set up by the Russell Commission which launched last month. Lastly, we suggest some resources for families seeking to involve their children in philanthropy – “bringing the younger generation closer to the family legacy”.
You may download this edition of Philanthropy UK's newsletter here (PDF).
Resource Generation
Resource Generation is a US organisation
that works with young people with financial wealth who are supporting and challenging each other to effect progressive social change through the creative, responsible and strategic use of financial and other resources.
Although Resource Generation works exclusively within the USA, the structure of the model and programs offered yield potentially relevant information to Australian organisations also.
Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing
" Youth organizing is an innovative youth development and social justice strategy that trains young people in community organizing and advocacy, and assists them in employing these skills to alter power relations and create meaningful institutional change in their communities.
Youth organizing relies on the power and leadership of youth acting on issues defined by and affecting young people and their communities, and involves them in the design, implementation, and evaluation of these efforts. Youth organizing employs activities such as political education and analysis, community research, campaign development, direct action and membership recruitment. "