Y2Y Announces: Funds Available for Youth-led Projects in La Porte County

Leadership La Porte County’s Youth to Youth (Y2Y) program has funding for youth groups or individual youth in La Porte County to apply for mini-grants to carry out community service projects that will meet local needs.

Y2Y is a spin-off of the Leadership La Porte County Youth Program and is a result of collaboration between Leadership La Porte County, the Youth Service Bureau of La Porte County and the Unity Foundation of La Porte County. The program is now in its 10th year and has collectively funded more than $5,000 to youth-led community projects. Grant requests will be reviewed by a youth committee. The grant application and project must be completed by youth, and must serve a community need. 

Grant packets are now available upon request by contacting the Leadership office (email info@leadershiplaportecounty.com) The deadline for grant applications is: April 1, 2020.  Grants will be reviewed by the youth committee who will invite finalists to a face-to-face interview with the committee. Grant amounts can range from $50 to $500 per project and must meet a community need. Youth groups meeting the criteria could include school classes, athletic teams, clubs, neighborhood groups, Scouting groups, 4H clubs, church youth groups, and other organized groups. An adult supervisor is required, but the grant application and project must be youth-led. Any La Porte County youth group or individual youth is welcome to apply. 

“This is a unique opportunity for youth to make an impact in carrying out projects that benefit the community and grow servant leadership skills. It also provides Y2Y committee members an opportunity to get directly involved in their communities and learn about philanthropy, grant-making, grant-writing, and volunteerism,” stated Monica Komasinski, Executive Director at Leadership La Porte County. “It is our hope that students involved in Y2Y will carry this commitment to philanthropy and community service throughout their lives,” she concluded.