In 2021, the Foundation’s Chesapeake Initiative began development of a new program on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It aimed to engage youth in the process of youth-driven, community-based, and community-informed philanthropy. Foundation President, Samantha, wanted to learn about the needs of the Lower Eastern Shore by asking some of the most vulnerable in those counties to share their opinions and ideas. Youth have amazing powers of observation, a desire to help people, and they have a huge stake in the future. Could this be a way to tune in to community needs and ultimately support programs for people?
Our initial idea was to make funds available to a youth advisory board that would develop grant requests with non-profits and leaders. That board would then distribute grant funds to local groups. We wanted to put youth at the center of community action, and empower them with infusions of funding that they would independently direct.
We learned many lessons that Fall. We got very little response to our initial outreach, and we also had trouble hiring a coordinator for the youth board. Among other issues, we had not considered the severe burn-out that youth were going through in late 2021/early 2022 as schools and families were struggling with the effects of the pandemic. We also realized that potential coordinators may already be engaged in stewarding existing youth groups, thus lacking capacity to take on another role in the space. We learned more about the needs for transportation, especially in rural counties, and we developed a greater understanding of how many kids contribute to their family’s income with after-school jobs, leaving little room for extra-curriculars.
We shifted our lens and began to learn more about community needs by getting to know Lower Shore youth-serving groups. Through existing relationships and new conversations, we extended invitations to several youth groups to submit proposals.
Our new grantees included:
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- One Year to Empowerment – a yearlong program, for middle and high school girls on the Lower Eastern Shore, with enrichment opportunities that target mental and physical wellness.
- Horizons Delmarva – summer learning programs and year-round support, including mentoring and tutoring, for low-income students in Wicomico & Worcester counties.
- Epoch Dream Center – a free after-school and summer program serving under-resourced children in Western Wicomico County.
- Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore – programming that inspires and prepares youth with financial literacy and work readiness.
This list does not include ongoing youth programs we support on the Eastern Shore through Youth Environmental Action Summit, ShoreRivers, Minary’s Dream Alliance, and EarthForce.
As we search for ways to engage local youth in grantmaking decisions, we welcome your suggestions on how to achieve this. We are continuing to act on funding opportunities while we advance our learning; growing and expanding our support for youth within our Watershed Advocacy portfolio and our new Community Engagement program. We look forward to sharing more stories like this, to let you in on our process behind the scenes.
Julie Hester
Program Director, Watershed Advocacy
The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment
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