Contact: Catharine Hartnett
Jumpstart Our Youth Communications Director
Hartnett@maine.rr.com
(207) 775-2673
November 5th kicks off third year of statewide student giving
(Unity–) On November 5,th more than 3500 middle and high school students across Maine will launch a third year of making grants and performing service projects in their local communities in recognition of National Philanthropy Day. Nonprofit community organizations can apply to receive grants of up to $1000 from Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) students who, through their schools, follow a curriculum focused on practical grantmaking and community service known as Jumpstart Our Youth or JOY. The JOY program is funded by Unity Foundation in collaboration with Maine Community Foundation and UniTel Inc .
Now in its third year, JOY is a program for students enrolled in one of 64 JMG program sites across the state. Students develop and distribute requests for proposals (rfps) to local community nonprofit organizations who may apply for the grants. Students evaluate an applicant’s operations, budget, expenses and program effectiveness. They invite nonprofit leaders to the classroom to offer presentations. Ultimately they decide which organization – or organizations – should receive the funding, and how they themselves can become involved on a volunteer basis. Click here for stories about past projects.
“Teaching young people how to make smart contributions of time and money provides them the fundamentals on how to be productive and giving members of a community,” said Unity Foundation CEO Larry Sterrs. “Jumpstart Our Youth asks young people to think critically about how to make meaningful contributions, how to impact their own towns and the services in them, and how to provide the ‘sweat equity’ to back up their financial support.”
Research demonstrates that students who are engaged in some sort of philanthropy lead their peers in giving and volunteering in their lifetimes and are more likely to serve as nonprofit board and staff members, civic leaders or choose a human-service career. As participants in a program that meets the needs of students who face challenges, the JMG students making the grant decisions are often more accustomed to being on the receiving end of the social services as opposed to being in a decision-making role about donations. They include youth in both of Maine’s youth-development (correctional) centers.
Last year, the JOY program donated $61,000 across Maine and the JMG students contributed more than 19,000 volunteer hours. Recipients ranged from small, local organizations such as Friends of the Lewiston Public Library as well as larger programs such as Make-A-Wish Foundation that works statewide. Students at several schools chose to augment the grant funding from the JOY program with their own funds raised from special events.
Organizations interested in applying for JOY funding should contact their local JMG school program for applications and guidelines.
This year, students will send out their rfp’s to coincide with National Philanthropy Day, celebrated both nationally and in Maine by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Northern New England at an awards dinner at the Portland Marriott, Sable Oaks, on November 4th.
Comments on this entry are closed.