Students Get Crash Course in Giving

Call it Philanthropy 101. The Young Philanthropists Fund Steering Committee spent the last year taking an intensive course of sorts on giving back to the community. The 26 high school students didn’t just raise money. They also spent a large part of their year learning how charitable organizations work, so they could find the best recipients for their donations.

“The main focus of the group is to learn how financial contributions to a non-profit organization make an impact and how a contributor evaluates which organization to support, among many worthy choices,” wrote Cynthia Gorey, executive director of the New Canaan Community Foundation, which oversees the group. Over the course of this past school year, for example, the Steering Committee met with leaders from the New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the Silvermine Guild Arts Center, Newman’s Own, the New Canaan Mounted Troop and many others to find out what these organizations do and how they could help.

But the year’s activities were more than just academic exercises. The students put their philanthropy into action as well. In December, they organized a canned food drive to benefit the New Canaan Food Pantry, gathering supplies for hundreds of needy families. And they held fundraisers for throughout the year to benefit 10 grants totaling $6,840 to local charities.

This year’s grants went to Arts for Healing, The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, New Canaan CARES, New Covenant House, Nursing and Home Care, Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, Stamford Shelter for the Homeless, STAR Inc. Lighting the Way, Staying Put in New Canaan and the Waveny Care Center.

The YPF Steering Committee is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 school year. For more information, contact the New Canaan Community Foundation at (203) 966-0231 or visit their website.

 

First Photo (L to R): Grace Gummeson, Rachel Murphy, Nicola Scandiffio, Katherine Pettee, Brett Connors, Cassidy Dumbauld, Tommy Forese and Malloury Hall.

Second Photo (L to R): Faith Grabarz, Jordan Cerbone, Laura McCulloch, Kelly Barker and Madeleine Ker. 

Not Pictured: Ben Charas, Anjalie Christie, Ryan Christie, Adam Connolly, Katie Gummeson, Schuyler Higgins, Natalie Kristoff, Anjelique Kyriakos, Brian Lobdell, Michelle Paturzo, Hilary Schmidt, Timothy Verklin and Kiki Yuditski.

 

 

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