The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of students representing youth in the Greenville and Lakeview areas. They are empowered to create a positive role model for youth as philanthropists, assess local youth needs, review grant applications, and advise the Greenville Area Community Foundation (GACF) and the Lakeview Area Community Fund (LACF) on youth grant awards.
The Greenville Youth Advisory Council Fund was initially created in 1993 with a $1 million dollar challenge grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through the Michigan Community Foundations Youth Project. The purpose of the Youth Project was to encourage youth development in local communities throughout the state while strengthening community foundation leadership and grant making capacity.
Proposals that support youth and family programs in our community are given special consideration through the Youth Advisory Councils in Greenville and Lakeview (GYAC and LYAC). Members of these very active and involved groups come from the area high schools and middle schools and are learning first-hand about the importance of community involvement and philanthropy.
YAC Best Practices
The YAC is a permanent advisory committee of the community foundation with the primary responsibility of making funding recommendations for grants made from the community foundation’s endowed Youth Fund. These Best Practices are intended to serve as a guide for YAC members’ work within YAC’s.
- Best Practice 1: Attends, is prepared for, and actively participates in all meetings.
- Best Practice 2: Knows the names and schools of fellow YACers and makes an effort to get to know them.
- Best Practice 3: Is aware of officer and committee positions available and their responsibilities.[
- Best Practice 4: Understands the function of the YAC and actively informs others in the community about YAC.
- Best Practice 5: Is aware of the needs in the community through needs assessments and personal observations.
- Best Practice 6: Takes an active role in all aspects of the grant making process.
- Best Practice 7: Volunteers for community service projects and other YAC activities.
- Best Practice 8: Learns about the importance of fund development and works to grow the YAC’s endowment.
- Best Practice 9: Knows the roles of philanthropy and foundations in society.
- Best Practice 10: Understands the foundation’s role in the community and looks for ways the YAC can help.
- Best Practice 11: Is acquainted with the foundation’s staff and board members.
- Best Practice 12: Participates in the Youth Grantmakers Summer Leadership Conference and Regional Trainings.
Updated June 2009 by the Michigan Community Foundations’ Youth Project (MCFYP) Committee of the Council of Michigan Foundations.
