An active youth philanthropy board should advise any corporate or nonprofit board that distributes funding for children’s charities or services. 

That recommendation comes from Katie Foley, a 2015 Dowling Catholic High School graduate who chaired uVoice — a new youth philanthropy board in Greater Des Moines. 

The board was formed through an initiative launched in January 2014 by the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, which aims to persuade community organizations to actively involve youths in their grant-making processes to fund youth-related health and well-being programs. The foundation partnered with Des Moines-based Community Youth Concepts to form a youth philanthropy board to advise that organization. 

“One of our primary target areas for our grant-making is children and youth healthy development,” said Suzanne Mineck, president of Mid-Iowa Health Foundation. “It became apparent to us that while we were doing good work in that area, we weren’t taking into account the voice of those we are ultimately hoping to serve.” 

The uVoice youth board, which during the past school year included seven students from four Des Moines schools, invited a half-dozen organizations to apply for funding from Community Youth Concepts before deciding how to grant $2,500 in available funds for projects. The students ultimately chose to grant $1,500 to Children’s Cancer Connection and $1,000 to Amanda the Panda.

The students first coordinated a youth survey that identified some key issues for middle- and high-school-age students, the results of which helped uVoice develop a set of core philanthropic principles that it used in its grant-making decisions. 

“By actually giving money to charity, you learn the importance of that later in your future career,” said Otto Gunderson, a board member who is now a sophomore at Roosevelt High School. “We chose these nonprofits because we had a very clear idea of where the money would be going in the organizations, and we really agreed with where the money would go. It felt like it really went along with our core principles.”

The board experience provides a solid learning platform for the students, said Tess Hunting, a Community Youth Concepts staff member who coordinates the youth board. Other schools participating along with Dowling and Roosevelt are Southeast Polk High School and Walnut Creek Campus. 

“One thing I really saw is that it’s really building the skills of these students,” Hunting said. “I didn’t know what a grant was until I received one to go to college. But then you don’t know until you’re through the process that it’s someone gifting you money. … I think it’s really unique for these students to learn not only about leadership and serving their community, but also building some of those other skills they might not get from a different service project.”

Although several community foundations around the state sponsor youth philanthropy programs, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation’s approach is notable because few private foundations have established youth philanthropy programs, said Laura Sauser, president of the Iowa Council of Foundations. Additionally, Community Youth Concepts’ youth philanthropy board is unique in that it’s focused on health-related projects, she said. 

Community Youth Concepts has looked to Michigan as a leading state in youth philanthropy efforts. The Michigan Council of Foundations has a rule in place that foundations in that state must incorporate a youth philanthropy component. And among private foundations nationally, the Frieda Fox Foundation and the Dekko Foundation are leaders in incorporating youth philanthropy boards as well. 

“This model could be replicated with large organizations,” Foley said, noting that State Farm already has a youth philanthropy board that operates nationally. “In Des Moines we have this enormous insurance industry and all this money flowing into Des Moines,” she said. “They give a lot of money to charity, and it would be very easy for these corporations to have youth philanthropy boards.” 

Mineck echoed that sentiment. 

“Overall, we hope this is just the beginning,” she said. “Whether this particular group continues to grow or other similar groups are created throughout our community, it’s elevating the youth voice into the future of this community and empowering them to be our future leaders. We hope this can be a platform to invite our youth into that conversation and that current and future responsibility.”

New youth board surveys teens to help decide how to allocate grants

School, grades and pressure to succeed are the top causes of stress in teens’ lives, according to a survey conducted last fall by uVoice, the youth philanthropy board of Community Youth Concepts. More than 200 students from four schools responded to the survey how students cope with stress. The uVoice board used survey results to inform its decisions on allocating grants promoting healthy development. 

How do you deal with stress? 
(check all that apply)

58.4% Listen to music
53.5% Watch TV/Netflix
51.0% Sleep
47.5% Friends
40.1% Hold feelings in 
36.6% Exercise

Do you think your ways of dealing with stress work well for you? 

81.5% Yes
18.5% No

Do you think your ways of dealing with stress are healthy? 

64.5% Yes
35.5% No