Youth Engaged in Philanthropy (YEP) is pleased to announce their distribution of $13,591 in youth impact grants. Grants were awarded to ten community organizations for a variety of youth serving projects and programs in DeKalb County.

“I am so blessed to be part of this community where the youth have such an impact in DeKalb County,” said YEP Grants Chair Oliver Keicher. “It is rare to find an organization that gives such financial responsibility to a group of high school students. I don’t believe there could have been a better outcome to a unique year of grantmaking. We’re excited to see the impact that will come from these programs and projects.”

2021 YEP Grant Recipients:

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  During the April 2021 YEP meeting, members provide details and recommendations on grant applications.

  Barb Food Mart – $2,115 to create a youth-based community cooking program

• DeKalb County Community Gardens – $1,130 to provide cooking supplies and lessons for kids at the Genoa Area Food Hub
• DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau, Inc. – $1,925 to assist in creating a mental health space for tweens and teenagers inside their DeKalb facility
• Dimensions Youth Ballet – $1,250 to assist in producing Alice in Wonderland, a youth community cultural event
• Genoa-Kingston High School – $1,000 to purchase a high quality video camera for a high school film club
• Kishwaukee Family YMCA – $2,490 to purchase blocks for child-directed free play in their newly renovated children’s space
• Kishwaukee Special Recreation Association – $1,091 to assist in creating a sensory room for special education students
• Preservation of Egyptian Theatre, Inc. – $590 to support a youth musical performance event, “Jazz at the Egyptian”
• Pushing Together – $1,000 to support a skateboarding program for underserved youth in the community
• The Salvation Army – $1,000 to assist in the creation of a reading center that is usable for youth of all reading levels

As a youth-led committee of the DeKalb County Community Foundation, YEP exists to familiarize high school students in DeKalb County with local nonprofits, grantmaking, and philanthropy. The program builds up to a final meeting where members are responsible for reviewing grant applications and distributing more than $12,000 into the community. After recommendations are determined, YEP presents their grant decisions to the Community Foundation Board of Directors for final approval. This year’s YEP committee is made up of 63 high school students from six different schools in DeKalb County.

Learn even more about Youth Engaged in Philanthropy at dekalbccf.org/yep or contact YEP Staff Advisor Noah Nordbrock at 815-748-5383 or noah@dekalbccf.org.

Pictured above: Members vote on grant distributions during the April 2021 YEP meeting.

Interested in supporting future YEP grantmaking efforts?