From the Desk of the Junior Board

Kylie, age 9, writes: Last year was such a great year. The board approved my grant request for Project HELP, and I presented a session called “Youth on Board” at the ASF National Conference. I was the youngest person to present at the conference. I got to answer questions and even get interviewed afterwards. Someone asked if it is OK for all ages to be on a board. We said that kids should be at least 6 years old, because younger kids probably wouldn’t understand this all! I loved giving advice and ideas to some of the grownups at the session. I feel that we helped them understand it is possible for even young kids to do philanthropy, understand about grants, and be involved in their family’s foundation.

Jamie, age 13, writes: Site visits are by far one of the best parts of being on the junior board. My family and I took a tour through the amazing headquarters for No Limits in Los Angeles and learned how deaf children could hear with new hearing aids and perform in theater productions. I have a personal interest in drama and theater, so this program was really interesting to me. My sister and I had so much fun in their various theater sets and classrooms that I knew it would be a great place to learn. Doing a site visit to No Limits made me more aware of the difficulties children have and how I can help out. I am so excited now, researching other nonprofits on the Web and making plans for my next grant request.

Katie, age 14, writes: Seeing how my grants help is my favorite part of the junior board. On all of my grants, I have visited the organization, received statistics, and met with staff so I see how the grant money helps make a difference. My recent grant to Parents Helping Parents, an organization that helps special needs kids, was specifically for their iTECH center that is filled with advanced technology for children with learning disabilities. My next favorite part is participating in foundation board meetings. I have participated every year since I was 7. Every time the foundation meets, the junior board attends to learn how foundations work by observing and listening, while adding our opinions into the discussion. Now believe me, board meetings are not all glamorous! But I learn a great deal, including that there is a lot of hard work that goes into running a foundation.

Grace, age 16, writes: I have heard people say that numbers speak for themselves, but I’m finding that the problems of the world cannot be reduced to numbers. Philanthropy introduced me to a girl who lives just a halfhour from me. We met during a site visit, and we started talking while loading our plates with chocolate-covered strawberries and sushi. We are both debaters, the same age, and like the same foods. But our lives have been different in ways that I can’t even imagine. I have been blessed with opportunity, while her high school didn’t have a debate team before this year. I am honored to have had a hand in starting the team at her school, through a grant to the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues. My grant goes to improving literacy and graduation rates, but philanthropy is not just an opportunity to improve numbers. It’s an opportunity to help real people, with their own personalities, ambitions, and dreams.