Youth in Action 2011-2012 Community Grant Proposal

Central Oklahoma Nonprofits: Please consider submitting a Youth in Action grant request of up to $7,500 in funding for one of your organization’s projects which addresses the wellbeing of young people.

Youth in Action is a program of the Youth Leadership Exchange (which is a program of Leadership Oklahoma City) in which local high school students
• identify community needs,
• solicit funding requests from organizations working in the identified need area,
• select the proposal to fund,
• raise funds for the projects, and
• make the grants to the selected agency.
The purpose of Youth in Action is to teach the participants about community service by having them act as a mini-foundation to fund community improvement. The students learn meeting management and fund-raising skills, among others, and are better prepared to volunteer in their communities in substantive way.

In order to make the processes the class uses and decisions they reach “real,” actual grants are given by the class to local organizations. Up to $7500 is donated by the Youth in Action class. Leadership Oklahoma City seeds the program with $2500 towards the funding, and the youth raise about another $5000 from the business community, allowing them to fund a total of $7500 in community efforts.

The 2011-2012 Mission

We, the class members of Youth in Action Class XII seek to give hope to abused children by helping them obtain counseling, mentoring, and education. Our goal is to help the ones who can’t help themselves.

We encourage central Oklahoma nonprofit organizations to submit a proposal for funding. Up to $7500 may be requested. The students have, in the past classes, given all of their funds to a single project one year and divided their funds among several smaller projects another time. What they decide to do this year is up to them, and a decision they will make based on the proposals they receive.

Click here to download the 2011-2012 Youth in Action Grant Proposal Form
What Are the Youth in Action Grants?
Youth in Action is a program of the Youth Leadership Exchange (which is a program of Leadership Oklahoma City) in which local high school students
  • identify community needs,
  • solicit proposals from organizations working in the identified need area for funding,
  • select proposals to fund,
  • raise matching funds for the projects, and
  • make the grants to the selected agencies.

The purpose of Youth in Action is to teach the participants about community service by having them act as a mini-foundation to fund community improvement. The students learn meeting management and fund-raising skills, among others, and are better prepared to volunteer in their communities in substantive way.

In order to make the processes the class uses and decisions they reach “real,” actual grants are given by the class to local organizations. Up to $7500 is donated to one or more agencies by the Youth in Action class. Leadership Oklahoma City seeds the program with $2500 towards the funding, and the youth raise about another $5000 from the business community, allowing them to fund a total of $7500 in community efforts.

Past Recipients

Past Recipients of YIA Grants include Deaconess Adoption and Pregnancy Center (new furniture for waiting room and materials for classes), City Rescue Mission (musical instruments for the teen center), the Oklahoma County Juvenile Center (funding for a life skills program), The Children’s Center (a handheld computer for communication by non-verbal children), Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County (funding for the Smart Moves drug resistance program), The Care Center (money to refurbish the playground and to fund non-critical medical exams), Positive Tomorrows (computer work stations).

Youth in Action class sessions emphasize community board skills such as meeting management, group dynamics, and fund raising technique and are open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Read about the 2008-2009 Youth in Action Project for Youth Services of Oklahoma County:
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-teens-help-other-teens-live-on-their-own/article/3388649 

Watch a News 9 clip on the 2008-2009 Youth in Action Project: