BY MICHELLE OWNBEY
The Young Philanthropists giving circle at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln has announced the recipient of its 12th annual grant award. Sangamon County nonprofit organizations were invited to submit grant proposals in the fall of this year for the competitive grant to support programs for children and youth.
The 2017 grant award for $10,000 was presented to The Outlet to pilot College Ready -- which would provide a mentoring service for young men that gets them college ready through advising on high school courses to take, helping navigate FAFSA, the college application process, and conducting college visits.
The Outlet provides mentoring and support for young men to ease their emotional, educational and spiritual passage toward becoming an adult. College Ready will take youth entering high school and help them discover what paths are available and help make the transition toward higher education.
“It was a rewarding experience to serve on Young Philanthropists’ grant committee and review so many well-thought out programs for our community,” said Rob Patino, who chaired the grant committee. “The Outlet stood out for its plan to tackle numerous hurdles young men face when navigating the road toward higher education.”
Michael Phelon, director of The Outlet, said “Many students in our community want to be the first generation in their family to attend college. Our youth will succeed if they can connect their vision and ability to the resources. In turn, our community will continue to thrive.”
Launched in 2006, Young Philanthropists invigorates community leaders to join together to be philanthropists and to learn more about themselves as donors. By pooling and leveraging their annual contributions of $125 per person, Young Philanthropists members have steadily built an endowment at the Community Foundation called the Future Fund and have awarded a total of $79,000 to local charities serving children and youth.
“It’s been exciting to watch this program evolve over the past decade and establish itself as a key grantmaker for local nonprofits serving children and youth,” said Stacy Reed, vice president for programs.
