YLI continually works to refine the best practices of youth philanthropy. To this end, we follow these four strategies to focus our work, and to guide our learning and program development.

1. Learn by Doing
In the San Francisco Bay Area, YLI supports its own youth-adult grantmaking boards. These grantmaking groups are collectively awarding close to $200,000 per year to youth-led projects, programs and organizations across the region.

2. Strengthen Resource Base
YLI has provided customized youth philanthropy workshops, assistance, materials and trainings to dozens of foundation and community clients across the U.S. and beyond. In this capacity, YLI acts as a convener, trainer, and strategic consultant, building the capacity of local community foundations and other institutions to sustain high-quality youth philanthropy efforts over time.

3. Build Capacity
YLI works at multiple levels to build the field of youth philanthropy. As one of eight recipients of a demonstration grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Civic Innovation Fund, we are strengthening the connection between youth philanthropy and youth civic engagement by combining research, grantmaking and advocacy to help promote meaningful student involvement in local public high schools.

4. Research and Assess
YLI is committed to research, evaluation and dissemination of findings that educate practitioners, funders and policy makers about this field. In 2000, YLI produced a groundbreaking national study, Changing the Face of Giving: An Assessment of Youth Philanthropy that shows the great promise of youth philanthropy — the more than 200 youth philanthropy initiatives at foundations, community organizations and schools nationwide; the many young people invested with grantmaking authority; and the numerous benefits that youth philanthropy brought to foundations, young people, adult allies, youth-serving programs and communities.

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