While other area students enjoy sleeping in and lazing their days away during summer vacation, Youth Advisory Council (YAC) students are busy making an impact on kids’ lives throughout the region.

So far this summer, eight YAC teams have visited several local nonprofits to evaluate first-hand the programs and projects under consideration for THCF grant funding.

The YAC evaluations offer the grants committee a unique perspective. While the students are on their visits, they are encouraged to engage and ask lots of questions. Students evaluate each organization based on several criteria: what is the community needs to be addressed, do the goals and evaluation plans seem like they will lead to the program’s desired outcomes, does the proposal include a realistic plan for sustainability, how does the project or organization incorporate collaboration, and compare the amount awarded to the number of lives impacted.

Once the students finish their site visits, they are tasked with creating a professional presentation to share with their fellow YAC members. After reviewing the presentations, members of the 12 schools decide which projects to fund in full, partially, or not at all. These presentations are also presented to the THCF grants committee for consideration. And the adult committee members take the YAC presentations very seriously, and they heavily influence their decisions.

Thank you to each organization listed below for opening your doors to our YAC students. We greatly appreciate you sharing your mission and vision with our students. They are the next generation of community leaders, philanthropists, and change-makers. Angel Fight, Blue Springs City Theatre, Coldwater, Gilda’s Club KC, Giving the Basics, Hillcrest Ministries, Hope Network of Raytown, Marion Hope, Mother’s Refuge, NW Development Corporation – Fairmont Community Center, Puppetry Arts Institute, River Community Pool, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Summit Church, Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity, and Vaile Mansion.

For more information on Youth Advisory Council or the competitive grants process, please get in touch with Diana Castillo, Director of grantmaking and donor services.