Youth Advisory Councils
Engaging Young People as Community Leaders
Through our Youth Advisory Councils (YACs), local high school students have the opportunity to be community leaders and decision-makers about issues impacting local youth.
Our YACs are made up of young people from each of the five counties we serve—Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, and Leelanau.
Together, YAC students act as advisors to our Youth Endowment. They annually review grant applications and recommend grant awards, giving money to youth programs and services that make a difference across the region.
To guide their grant decisions, YACs use our Youth Needs Assessment, which is updated every three years with data from local youth.
Why Join
Our YACs offer students the chance to:
- Be decision makers for youth issues, needs, and opportunities.
- Build leadership skills.
- Earn community service hours.
- Learn about local philanthropy.
- Give back to our community.
Over the years, hundreds of local students have participated in our YACs—meet some of our alumni!
"Being a part of YAC encouraged me to come out of my comfort zone and make important decisions that would benefit many organizations. It helped my leadership skills and enlightened me on the process of applying, reviewing, and making grant decisions.”
-Alison Amalfitano, YAC alum
How to Join
High school students (in home, private, or public schools) from Antrim, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska and Leelanau Counties as well as the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are all invited to participate.
To join one of our Youth Advisory Councils, please complete a New Member Application.
"As a YAC member, I’ve enjoyed being able to have input into bettering our community. I was able to have a direct voice in how funds are allocated. It’s a great feeling to know that I impacted the organizations around me that needed support."
-Tucker Hubbard, YAC alum
How to Continue Participating
If you are a continuing YAC member, please complete your Member Commitment Form prior to the upcoming academic year.
About Our Youth Endowment
The Youth Endowment was one of the first endowments created at the Community Foundation and was established through a matching grant opportunity from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This meant that for every $2 raised for our other endowments, $1 was then matched for the Youth Endowment. As a result, donor partners came together to contribute $4 million to launch the Community Foundation, with $2 million contributed toward the Youth Endowment.
To date, thanks to the leadership of our YAC students, the Youth Endowment has supported more than $2.3 million in grants for youth causes across the region.
Questions? Contact Us!
For more information, please contact our Youth & Community Impact Coordinator, Torey Caviston at (231) 935-4066 ext. 111 or tcaviston@gtrcf.org.