The Community Foundation of Teton Valley’s Youth Philanthropy Program, in partnership with the Dual Enrollment Government class at Teton High School, planned to announce this year’s Youth Philanthropy grant winners at a small Awards Assembly at Teton High School today. However, late Monday afternoon Governor Little announced the rollback of the Rebound Idaho Plan to Stage 3 statewide to combat rapidly rising infections of COVID-19. With indoor gatherings limited to 50 or less, the Community Foundation made the difficult decision to cancel the live assembly and create an online awards ceremony to connect students with the winning nonprofits and their leaders next Wednesday.
Now in its 10th year, today’s awards mark the granting of $44,000 in total via this multifaceted program. Youth Philanthropy provides an excellent opportunity to introduce the concept of philanthropy to the next generation while helping them better understand the significant and impactful roles that nonprofits play in our own community.
According to one Senior, this program offers insight into “the many nonprofits in our valley and each one’s goals. It’s cool to learn more about what is going on, and to be a part of helping some of those things come to pass. The program also illustrates how selfless people are where we live – because they love to help others, and many are volunteers for these nonprofits.”
Not only does this program help develop a deeper understanding of the granting process, but students also get a firsthand look at the many roles that nonprofits play in our community and in meeting the needs of their fellow citizens.
The Youth Philanthropy Program is made possible through the generosity of Tin Cup Challengers and other private donors who partner with the Community Foundation of Teton Valley to elevate lives through the power of generosity. This year, Challenger Richard Grundler charitably augmented student’s traditional granting capacity with an additional gift, giving them a total of $7,000 in awards to distribute during the Youth Philanthropy grant cycle. This year’s seniors worked through 16 grant applications with a total funding ask of $13,993.44. After a thorough discussion over three class periods, they awarded 4 projects full funding and 6 projects partial grant awards with the funds they had at their disposal.
2020 Youth Philanthropy Grant Awards
| Organization | Project Title | Grant Amount |
| ABC — Above and Beyond the Classroom | ABC Afterschool: Supporting Strong Bodies and Minds | $800 |
| Education Foundation of Teton Valley | Bound for Success Seed Money | $1,000 |
| Family Safety Network | Increased Counseling for Children of FSN Clients | $560 |
| Hispanic Resource Center | Teton Valley Tenant Education Night | $500 |
| Immigrant Hope | Passport Photo Printing Supplies for Immigration Applications | $522 |
| Subs for Santa | Teen Christmas Gifts | $968 |
| Teton Regional Land Trust | Connecting Youth to the Greater Yellowstone Region’s Natural World | $500 |
| Teton Valley Foundation | Protective Gear for Adaptive Sled Hockey Program | $500 |
| Teton Valley Mental Health Coalition | School-Based Counseling Program | $1,000 |
| Teton Valley Ski Education Foundation | COVID-19 Care Package | $650 |
| GRANT TOTAL | $7,000 |
