Youth and Philanthropy Fund


The Youth and Philanthropy Fund provides grants to Berks County programs that address youth-related issues that are considered critical needs by Berks County Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Board, which is managed in conjunction with the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading, a program of VoiceUp Berks. The Youth Advisory Board will provide up to $15,000 in grants in 2024 to organizations and programs that support, or promote awareness of, youth experiencing food insecurity in Berks County, with preference given to programs that provide access to healthy foods or nutrition education.

Note that applicants may be asked to participate in a site visit with YAB members. Site visits will occur in February and March. Decisions will be made in April, and funds will be available in May.

In April 1998, the Board of Directors of Berks County Community Foundation approved the creation of a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) in order to give interested Berks County youth a hands-on experience in philanthropy. Berks County Community Foundation strongly believes that young people should be able to participate in community decisions that affect them and their peers. Members of YAC had the annual responsibility of making decisions about the distribution of $15,000 in grants from Berks County Community Foundation’s Youth and Philanthropy Fund to programs and projects that serve Berks County teens.

In 2019, YAC merged with another program to become the Youth Advisory Board, a program of Berks County Community Foundation and the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading. Grants are now distributed from the Youth and Philanthropy Fund of Berks County Community Foundation through the Youth Advisory Board, which is run by VOiCEup Berks.

The new Youth Advisory Board program combines the grant-awarding component of YAC with the service-learning component of the Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading. The Youth Volunteer Corps of Reading is an affiliate of a national program. VOiCEup Berks runs the local affiliate.

From 1998 to 2021, the Youth and Philanthropy Fund of Berks County Community Foundation distributed 117 grants totaling $368,258.

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Current Funding Opportunities

Description

Deadline & Cycle

Region Served

Interest

Field of Interest Fund

Youth and Philanthropy Fund

This fund provides grants to organizations that address issues that impact young people in Berks County.

November 22 - January 22

Region Served

Berks County

Interest

Individuals in Need

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