Igniting the Spark: Foundation for Metrowest

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Youth Philanthropy Connect

The Foundation for MetroWest, based in Natick, Massachusetts, has been committed to educating the next generation of community leaders through the Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program since 1997. In that time, over 900 youth from MetroWest communities have funded nearly $700,000 in grants that support youth. This case study describes their history of youth engagement and programming, and new strategies… Read More

Igniting the Spark next gen case study: Foundation for Metrowest

Posted on October 31, 2014

Youth Program Name: Youth in Philanthropy Website:  www.foundationformetrowest.org Located in: Natick, Massachusetts Who is Involved: Youth from the MetroWest Boston communities Led and managed by staff from the Foundation for MetroWest Youth Programming History and Scope: The Foundation for MetroWest has been committed to educating the next generation of community leaders through the Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program since 1997… Read More

Raising Children with Philanthropic Values

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Ellen Remmer

Develop an understanding of your own values, starting with your “money values.” We all have beliefs about money. Affluent parents may have more difficulty clarifying these values since there are so many choices they can make available to their children. Wealth counselors offer a variety of tools to help people articulate their money values and assess whether their behavior is consistent with these values. Keeping a money diary, identifying “money heroes,” or creating a priority ranking of “belief statements” about money can provide valuable insights. Your understanding of how philanthropy fits into your money values will determine the way you shape your children’s philanthropic values… Read More

Igniting the Spark: Greater Worcester Community Foundation

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Youth Philanthropy Connect

As a way to support the voice of youth in the community and engage donors, the Great Worcester Community Foundation adopted the Youth for Community Involvement (YCI) Program in 1999. YCI provides an opportunity for youth from schools across the area to build skills in leadership and philanthropy. The foundation set up a youth endowment to support the program and… Read More

Can young people (under the age of 18) legally serve on our board?

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Youth on Board

“Three states have laws supporting youth board involvement – Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.  Forty states have laws that are silent on youth board involvement, meaning that the laws say nothing explicitly regulating or prohibiting involvement based on age.  Seven states prohibit youth board involvement – Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Utah.  Members of boards must be… Read More

Igniting the Spark: Creating Effective Next Gen Boards

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Andrea Hernandez Rodriguez, Katie Marcus Reker, Kevin Laskowski

This Passages Issue Brief introduces an increasingly popular method for preparing the next generation for philanthropic service: the next generation or junior board. The paper covers the variety of purposes for establishing next generation boards and how they are typically structured, explores how foundations use next generation boards as a tool for engaging younger family members, and describes options for preparing younger family members for governance and grantmaking… Read More