Youth Empowered Philanthropy Grants

Youth Empowered Philanthropy Grants is sponsored by Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne. Empowers youth to make real decisions with real money that creates real impact in Allen County, Indiana.

Youth Empowered Philanthropy | Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne Youth Empowered Philanthropy Youth Empowered Philanthropy (YEP) is a program of the Community Foundation and teaches youth about charitable giving while empowering them to make real decisions, with real money to create an impact in Allen County.

YEP strives to make our community a more vibrant place to live, work, and play while inspiring philanthropy as a habit for future generations. YEP is a youth philanthropy pod that is structured as a once-a-month meeting, during the school day, for students in grades 10-12. Students have the opportunity to learn about the nonprofit community, boards, charitable giving, and how to be a good steward of funds.

Students have grantmaking dollars and collectively decide whom to grant the monies to, while also learning about how to give their time and talent through community volunteer projects. Students also learn a variety of skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, and decision making, from experts throughout the community.

Be a current high school sophomore, junior, or senior attending an Allen County high school (public, private, charter, or homeschool). Preference is given to sophomores and juniors. Be in good academic and behavioral standing.

Be available to attend a monthly two-hour meeting from 11:00 a. m. –1:00 p.

m. during the school day. Be willing to participate in volunteer service opportunities throughout the year as determined by YEP members.

YEP Kick-off: Saturday, October 10, 2026 Wednesday, October 21, 2026 11 a. m. –1 p.

m. Wednesday, November 11, 2026 11 a. m.

–1 p. m. Wednesday, December 9, 2026 11 a.

m. –1 p. m.

Wednesday, January 13, 2027 11 a. m. –1 p.

m. Wednesday, February 10, 2027 11 a. m.

–1 p. m. Wednesday, April 7, 2027 11 a.

m. –1 p. m.

Wednesday, April 28, 2027 11 a. m. –1 p.

m. Tentative Final Celebration Date – Wednesday, May 19, 2027 4-6 p. m.

Youth Empowered Philanthropy (YEP) begins accepting grant applications in November. Nonprofits can submit a short application for operational funding. Grant applications open November 2, 2026 and close November 30, 2026.

Applications are brief and designed to be quick and easy to complete. Nonprofits must be located in Allen County and serving Allen County to apply. Grants range between $1,000 – $5,000.

All grant applications will be reviewed and decided on by the current cohort of YEP members. Nonprofits that advance will be asked to host a site visit with students via phone, zoom, or in person. Nonprofits will be notified in March on funding decisions.

Looking for YEP student volunteers? Please reach out with your request to yep@cfgfw. org .

All requests will be monitored and approved by the current cohort of YEP members. YEP students only volunteer between the months of October – May. Your project must fall within this timeline.

Volunteers are high school students. Your project must be willing to accept volunteers 15 years of age and up. Nonprofits must be located in Allen County and serving Allen County to apply.

All applications will be reviewed and decided on by the YEP members. Each year, students in our Youth Empowered Philanthropy (YEP) program participate in a hands-on grantmaking process, learning about community needs and nonprofit funding challenges. In March 2026 the YEP cohort gathered to make funding decisions, marking the culmination of months of site visits, research, and thoughtful discussions.

After careful deliberation, students allocated $13,000 in grants to the following local nonprofits: YWCA Northeast Indiana – $4,000 The Language Access Lab Inc – $2,000 Just Neighbors Interfaith Homeless Network – $2,000 Foundation for Art and Music in Elementary Education (FAME) – $3,000 As the only youth philanthropy pod in Allen County, the Community Foundation sees this as a vital program to teach the next generation about the nonprofit sector and philanthropy.

Without your support, vital initiatives like this would not exist to make impact on the education of youth in the community. To learn more, please contact either Jaren or Stephanie: Senior Donor Engagement Specialist Stephanie Carlson Plimpton, CFRM You can also contact another member of the Grants team .