Youth Advisory Group (YAG)
In 2010, The Guilford Foundation and Guilford High School (GHS) Interact Club partnered to form the Youth Advisory Group (YAG), which aims to foster and empower youth philanthropy.
TGF seeded the initiatives with a $5,000 challenge grant. YAG raised another $5,000. The students were charged with soliciting, reviewing, and recommending $10,000 to worthy local organizations and projects.
Fast-forward from 2010, and YAG has awarded over $130,000 to the community through 96 grants. The Guilford Foundation established a permanent legacy fund for YAG to ensure that resources would exist for this project for years to come. The fund is called the Guilford Interact Student Advisory Fund. Annually, the YAG students raise funds to contribute to their permanent endowment fund, now valued at over $60,0000.
In 2024, YAG funded grants totaling $14,000 to the following recipients:
- ALEX, Inc.: Queer Prom
- Community Dining Room: Pride Rally
- Guilford Center for Children: Tuition Assistance for Early Education and Before and After School Program
- Guilford Art Center: Teen Art Club at the GAC
- Guilford Free Library: Gaming at the Library
- Guilford Social Services: Back to School Program
- SARAH Foundation: Gavin & Friends Courtyard Renovation
- Shoreline Arts Alliance: Leadership Development Initiative
- The Guilford Fair Parade: Parade
- Women & Family Life Center: Guided Assistance Program
In 2016, TGF asked YAG to take on another responsibility: to solicit and review requests for grants that support the high school but fall outside the budget. TGF has a specific fund—The Guilford Institute Fund—for these purposes. In addition to the grants YAG reviews from local community organizations, the members also review the GHS internal grant requests and prepare recommendations to TGF’s Board of Directors for these funds (around $11,000 annually).
To date, YAG has distributed 36 grants totaling $72,000 specifically for the Guilford Institute Fund. These funds provided seed money for the Science Olympiad, water bottle filling stations, LED fixtures for the music boosters, and more.
In 2024, YAG supported these causes at the high school:
- GHS Art Club at Guilford Art Center
- GHS Girls Tennis Team Jackets
- GHS Multicultural Festival
- GHS Unified Sports Spring Fling
- GHS Unified Sports Sports Camera
The Guilford Foundation’s goal is for the YAG members to identify and address issues of importance to the youth in the Guilford community. As part of the process, YAG members learn about the role of a community foundation and all facets of grantmaking, including actively supporting nonprofit organizations serving the Guilford Community.
They elect their own officers, run their own meetings, organize fundraisers, and present grant recommendations to the TGF Board of Directors.
The loftiest goal for this effort is to cultivate the next generation of responsible philanthropists.
Become a YAG member: Email this application to [email protected].
Donate to the Guilford Interact Student Advisory Fund by clicking here.
Apply for a grant by clicking here.
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