Introduction
Established in 1989 with a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Youth Council gives young people an opportunity to help solve the problems and challenges they all share. By involving teens in grantmaking, the Youth Council, made up of area high school students, helps shape tomorrow's civic leaders. With very little guidance from adult advisors, this diverse group has made a huge difference in the lives of teenagers in our community. The Youth Council awards its competitive grants twice each year, in the fall and spring and has awarded over $1,200,000 in grants to date. In addition, YC offers an annual mini-grants program for fifth grade students in Ann Arbor.

Mission
The mission of the Youth Council is to:

• Enhance the decision making skills of young people.

• Provide a forum for youth interests, needs and problems.
• Commit resources to youth serving programs.
• Involve youth in both volunteerism and philanthropy.

Goals
The Youth Council's goals are to:

• Examine and prioritize needs of youth in the Ann Arbor area.

• Develop practical approaches to addressing those needs.
• Review grant proposals and make recommendations to the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation related to income from the youth fund.
• Develop and encourage youth involvement in philanthropy and volunteerism.

Youth Council Grants

The Youth Council is particularly interested in programs that:

• take place after school and/or weekends;

• involve teens grades 9-12 in the development and implementation of projects;

• appeal and respond to diverse needs and interests; and

• whose content and methods address youth needs for safety, fun, friendships, mentors, as well as the opportunity for teens to take a more active role in their community.

Highest priority will be given to programs that address the issues of:

• education

• discrimination/diversity awareness

• accessibility of arts programs

• recreational activities

• teen stress. 

For information on how to apply for a grant,  click here.

Membership
The Youth Council is composed of 20-25 youth from area high schools, one adult staff advisor and 5 adults in an advisory support role. YC recruits and selects new members annually to replace graduating seniors. 

For an application, click here.

Meetings
Council meets monthly, subcommittees as needed.

Youth Council Alumni Association

The new Youth Council Alumni Association was created to help re-connect the Youth Council Alumni to the Community Foundation and to each other.

If you are a former Youth Council member, click on the link below to fill out the data form. We’re seeking to collect current mailing and email addresses and phone numbers of all YC Alumni. We’re also asking for information on graduation year and high school, information on experiences since high school, parents mailing addresses and phone numbers.

We hope to create mentorship opportunities and other beneficial connections for our YC Alumni. For instance, the database will enable Alumni to connect to the wide range of people and organizations of the Community Foundation for internships or jobs. The Alumni Association will also serve to provide Alumni with opportunities to attend reunions and to participate in volunteer work and philanthropy in the Ann Arbor area again.

The Alumni Association is beneficial for current Youth Council members too. For instance, current YC members can look to Alumni for advice and information on college or volunteer opportunities post high school. They might also be able to participate in joint volunteer activities in conjunction with YC Alumni.

 Youth Council Alumni Survey

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 734-663-0401 or youthcouncil@aaacf.org