Materials and Publications

Planning for Action: A Workbook for Youth 
This workbook is designed to help young plan action projects and seek grant funds to support their work. It is oriented to youth seeking funds from Youth Initiated Projects, YLI's San Francisco Youth Philanthropy program.

Sustainability Toolkit for Grantees
This toolkit assists adult allies in their efforts to support youth-led groups and organizations to sustain their work over time.

Changing the Face of Giving: An Assessment of Youth Philanthropy 
Prepared for The James Irvine Foundation, this report is the first national assessment of the field of youth philanthropy. This report highlights different purposes of these kinds of programs, notes the benefits and different program elements of youth philanthropy efforts, and makes recommendations for program designers, policymakers, foundation leaders and other stakeholders as they consider integrating or improving youth philanthropy efforts.

Additional Youth Philanthropy Publications

Best Practices in Youth Philanthropy
By the Coalition of Community Foundations for Youth, provides a comprehensive look at youth philanthropy programs across the United States, especially those affiliated with community foundations.

Making the Dollars Matter: Young Philanthropists Take up the Business of Change
By Barbara Cervone of What Kids Can Do, looks closely at youth grantmakers at two Bay Area youth philanthropy programs — YLI's Student Action Fund and the California Fund for Youth Organizing — with an eye toward how their grantmaking is sparking youth to engage actions leading toward real community change.

Leadership, Volunteerism, and Giving: A Longitudinal Study of Youth Grantmakers 1993-2003 
Prepared for the Council of Michigan Foundations, This document presents the results of a 10-year study of youth grantmakers from the Michigan Community Foundations' Youth Project. The Youth Project is one of the oldest and largest youth philanthropy initiatives in the country.

Youth Philanthropy in California

Youth Grants for Youth Action
A Program of Community Health Academy. A board of youth award grants of up to $5,000 for youth-led, youth-driven projects in Oakland. Contact Peggy Loper at (510) 532-9490

Force of Change
An independent youth philanthropy program offering grants of up to $7,000 to support youth-led projects in Oakland. Contact Nives Wetzel de Cediel at (510) 271-8390 or forceofchange01@aol.com

Sisterhood Fund
A program of The Women's Foundation of California. The Sisterhood Fund offers the opportunity for young women to learn about philanthropy and grantmaking. The Sisterhood Fund involves young women, ages ranging from 16 to 21, representing a diverse array of communities across northern and central California, who convene for a series of training sessions and make grants to programs serving young women and girls.

Youth in Philanthropy
A Program of the Community Foundation Silicon Valley. Youth grantmakers in San Jose and East Palo Alto learn how to create grant guidelines and applications, solicit participation from groups and individuals, interview those applying for grants, and decide which projects to fund.

The Grant Advisory Boards for Youth (GABY)
A "youth-to-youth" philanthropy initiative where Central Valley teenagers make actual grantmaking decisions in their communities. Its purpose is to offer Valley teens a meaningful experience in decision-making, promote civic participation and spread resources to local youth groups and youth serving organizations. Over the course of the program the selected young people learn about grant making, the region in which they live, perform site visits and make final decisions — just like a traditional foundation would. GABY programs are currently operating in the Sacramento Region through the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and in Shasta and Siskiyou counties through the Shasta Regional Community Foundation.

Pasadena Youth Fund
A Youth Philanthropy program of Day One, with support and assistance from the Youth Leadership Institute. Pasadena youth receive grants and assistance from a youth/adult grants board to turn their community building ideas into action. For more information, contact Day One at (626) 229-9750.

Long Beach Youth Fund
A Youth Philanthropy program of the Long Beach Youth Services Network, with support and assistance from the Youth Leadership Institute. A sister project of the Pasadena Youth Fund, youth in this community also now have opportunities to receive significant grants and assistance from a youth/adult grants board to for their community project ideas. For more information, contact Andy Romero at (562) 229-9750.

Dollars for Change
A youth philanthropy program of the Riverside County Office of Education and the Riverside County Department of Mental Health. Through Dollars for Change, a youth/adult board is providing grants and direct assistance to youth-led community action projects across the county. For more information, Contact Gentre Adkins, Riverside County Friday Night Live at (909) 782-5001.

Youth Funds for Youth Ideas
A youth grants Program of CHALK. The YFYI youth board awards grants for youth-led projects and organizations across San Francisco.