The Role of Community Foundations

Community foundation roles -- Developing constituencies and local capacity for youth civic engagement.

Community foundations are a logical nexus for youth civic engagement. Through youth organizing, youth philanthropy, youth mapping and other strategies, community foundations have led other sectors in creating authentic civic roles for young people. Community foundation, with networks of grantees, donors, and partners and ties to diverse sectors of the community, are in a position to stimulate serious attention among key constituencies about the importance of civic engagement as a youth development strategy. As funders and conveners, they can influence policy and implement change. Moreover, community foundations have the stature to create a "place at the table" for young people, can transcend turf within the youth-serving sector, and can engage other sectors, such as business and faith institutions, in ways that will expand the array of opportunities and supports for young people. Community foundations can seek out, listen to and advance the perspectives of youth around issues of concern in their communities.


Coalition Grants

Through the generosity of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, since 2000 the Coalition has made grants totaling more than $555,000 and organized learning opportunities to support YCE work by 14 community foundations. (Please note that the Coalition is not at this time accepting proposals.)

• Arizona Community Foundation is working with its affiliates, community and state-level partners in four pilot sites around the state to design and implement community-based systems that provide quality out of school activities for youth and engage them in meaningful ways in the civic life of their communities.
  
  
• Baltimore Community Foundation is developing and implementing an operating plan to institutionalize youth in governance throughout the city’s nonprofit, civic and political structure.
  
  
• Battle Creek Community Foundation has established a community-wide youth on boards program and is developing a local infrastructure and cadre of trainers to continue the program.
  
  
• Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo piloted a model of youth philanthropy using the Study Circles Resource Center model for community reflection and agenda setting. In year two, young people in Buffalo will be engaged in citywide and statewide educational reform initiatives.
  
  
• Community Foundation for the National Capital Region facilitated the creation of a youth city council, supported a citywide Youth Summit, is integrating youth philanthropy with youth civic engagement opportunities, and will conduct a citywide YCE audit.
  
  
• Community Foundation for Muskegon County is engaging young people in the design and implementation of a model restorative justice program at a local middle school that, if successful, will be replicated at other schools in the county. Young people are also participating in an evaluation of the county’s juvenile justice system and serving on the committee that is developing countywide restorative justice strategies for both the juvenile and adult justice systems.
  
  
• Community Foundation of Sarasota County has partnered with a local community youth development organization and county government to establish a youth in governance system in which young people serve on Sarasota County government advisory commissions. In year two, the program is expanding to nonprofit board service.
  
  
• Community Foundation of the New River Valley (VA) is working with the county school system to engage young people in a countywide effort to embrace diversity in the schools; support young people in diversity team leadership positions in their schools; and encourage and support youth-led projects at the school-level aimed at promoting diversity.
  
  
• East Bay Community Foundation is working with the City of Oakland to develop and implement a system of training and priority-setting for young people who serve on Oakland’s extensive system of municipal youth advisory councils and other governing boards, including those associated with Oakland’s public funding vehicle for out of school time services.
  
  
• Greater Milwaukee Foundation is working with the public school system and community-based organizations to incorporate youth civic engagement opportunities throughout the city’s out of school time service system.
  
  
• Greater New Orleans Foundation explored the development of a youth on boards program.
  
  
• Northern Virginia Community Foundation and its partners are supporting Community YouthMapping in targeted neighborhoods in Fairfax County.
  
  
• San Diego Community Foundation is engaging young people in the Intergroup Relations Project, which fosters strong relationships between new immigrant and established populations through joint problem solving.
  
  
• San Francisco Foundation is supporting youth participation in the leadership of a multi-year revitalization initiative in the 7th Street McClymonds corridor of West Oakland and youth-led activities to support goals of the comprehensive community initiative.