Youth approve $57,000 in grants to youth-led community projects

by Nela Reyes Lee
Philanthropic Services Officer, Sacramento Region Community Foundation

The Grants Advisory Board for Youth (GABY), a local grantmaking advisory board comprised of youth between the ages of 12 and 19, recently approved $57,000 in grants to youth-led community projects that will be carried out in Sacramento and Yolo counties. After reviewing all funding requests, the GABY awarded Youth HOPE grants to 24 youth-led projects. The funded projects address a range of issues impacting youth, including environmental education, cultural literacy, and health and wellness.

The Youth HOPE grant opportunity is made possible through a partnership between the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and Sierra Health Foundation’s REACH youth program. The GABY awards grants for projects that are planned and carried out by young people ages 10 to 19. In order to be considered for funding by GABY, projects must incorporate significant youth involvement throughout all stages, including project planning, grant application completion and project implementation. Since its inception in 2002, the GABY has granted more than $256,000 to 127 youth-led projects throughout the Sacramento region.

“I had the opportunity to make real-life decisions that can greatly make a difference in the community,” said Julia, 15, a three-year GABY member. Rohan, 16, another three-year GABY veteran said, “Facilitation and management skills are just some of the things I’ve learned by participating in the GABY program.”

For more information about the GABY program, please contact (916) 921-7723 or gaby@sacregcf.org. To view a complete list of the 2007-2008 Youth HOPE grant recipients, please visit the Sacramento Region Community Foundation’s Web site.

The Sacramento Region Community Foundation is an advocate for quality of life, dedicated to connecting people who care with charitable causes. An effective steward of the region’s charitable assets since 1983, the foundation’s mission is to serve as a leader and trusted partner in expanding philanthropic activity and enhancing its impact for the betterment of our communities.