Background and Goals

JOY Background
Forward-thinking Maine foundations Unity Foundation and Maine Community Foundation along with corporate partner, UniTel, Inc., are collaborating to fund an initiative to teach Maine middle and high school students about the value of hands-on community commitment and the principles of "smart" philanthropy. Jobs for Maine's Graduates, (JMG) serves 4,000 youth in 67 chapters at middle and high schools and delivers JOY as part of its annual curriculum. Each group of JMG students awards $1000 in local grants with funds provided by the JOY funding partners.

Students Making Grants Make a Difference
Like foundation program officers, students design and distribute requests for proposals (RFP), review applications from local youth-serving nonprofits, participate in site visits, interview nonprofit applicants, review budgets — and then award grants. The students develop service learning projects with their grant recipients in order to provide hands-on support to the community and strengthen their understanding of the value of local organizations. Several JMG chapters enhance their grants with their own dollars raised through activities.

Goals
Before long, Maine’s young people will be running nonprofits, contributing to community causes and serving as board members of organizations that help Maine’s people and places. Building on the intensive community service and citizenship curriculum already offered by JMG, the students learn the critical role that nonprofits play in meeting overwhelming community needs. They come to appreciate that community service includes hands-on work as well as thoughtful grantmaking and stewardship. They learn critical evaluation, collaboration, finance and operational skills as they determine how to award their grants.

Research shows that youth engaged in philanthropy lead in volunteering and giving throughout their lives.