The Coatesville Area Youth Philanthropy Program is seeking grant proposals for LCTBQ health and education programming.
COATESVILLE – The Coatesville Area Youth Philanthropy Program (CAYPP) of the Brandywine Health Foundation announced that it is requesting proposals from organizations dedicated to providing LGBTQ sexual health education and services in the greater Coatesville area.
Initiated during the summer of 2015 by the foundation, CAYPP is the first program to allow youth to direct significant philanthropic donations in the greater Coatesville area. Their philanthropic endeavors are being funded by a generous donation of $100,000 from Citadel, which will support the program for a total of five years. “Putting dollars into the CAYPP members’ hands and letting them figure out what to do with it, has been and will continue to be a great experience, not only for them but for all the organizations they interact with” says Jeff March, Citadel’s president and CEO.
The fifteen Coatesville area youth, young men and women between the ages of 14 -18, who were accepted into this exciting youth philanthropy program, identified and determined a significant area of need in their community. They met regularly during the fall and winter to learn how philanthropy works, and researched and discussed a myriad of possible philanthropic goals to improve their community before deciding to fund programs that focus on the LGBTQ community.
Later this spring, after a review of applications and site visits, the CAYPP members will award $15,000 in grants in the range of $5,000-$10,000 to eligible organizations to support programs that provide LGBTQ sexual health education and services.
“It’s really been a great way to teach the youth about philanthropy and the network of non-profit organizations in the Coatesville area that work together to support their community,” says Alyson Ferguson, MPH, the program’s director as well as the grant-making director for the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation. Adds Brittany Briskus, a CASH senior and member of CAYPP, “As youth philanthropists I think we are able to bring a lot of different and unique perspectives to the foundation.”
The grant application is available online at www.BrandywineFoundation.org or https://brandywinefoundation.org/current-priorities/coatesville-are-youth-philanthropy-program/grant-application/ or by calling 610-380-9080. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at 5:00 pm. Applications received after the set deadline will not be considered.
“As a returning member, I know the decision making process is a huge responsibility and I am excited to expand upon our experiences and ideas with the new members,” says CAYPP member Jared Elters Dempsey, a junior at CASH. “I anticipate another great year, with us pushing ourselves to be good stewards of Citadel’s generous contribution.”
