New Canaan Community Foundation Announces Young Philanthropists’ Grants

by Jennifer Casper - New Canaan's Hamlethub

One of the signature programs of the New Canaan Community Foundation is the Young Philanthropists Program. Each year, approximately thirty high school students come together to learn about philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and how they can have an impact on local community issues. Students spend the year learning about various organizations in the area, how to fundraise, and complete a miniature version of the Foundation’s grantmaking process.

This past school year, students focused on funding human services, health, and youth-oriented organizations, many of which have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. One participant, a graduating NCHS Senior, commented “These organizations have struggled providing services to their members due to COVID. We really wanted to make sure we could support the ones that meant the most to us.”

Combining investment earnings from NCCF’s Young Philanthropists Fund along with donations the students raised through their online fundraiser, the group invested $20,000 in 5 organizations. The Young Philanthropist 2022 grants are as follows:

Building One Community: $4,000 to support the organization’s mission to advance the successful integration of immigrants and their families.