There is a generation of young Canadians and their counterparts throughout the world who are community- and globally-minded citizens and activists poised to wield tremendous power.

This has become the conviction of Community Foundations of Canada and Barbara Oates, its BC Regional Co-ordinator/National Consultant on Youth in Philanthropy, based on their five years’ experience in engaging this Millennium Generation in meaningful volunteer occupations which service their own generation.

“Today’s youth are not satisfied with traditional volunteer opportunities,” says Oates. “They are looking for roles that provide them with skill and knowledge development, and will lead to better employment opportunities. They want challenges and responsibility and the opportunity to make a difference in areas that they care about.”

CFC in recent years, and before that certain individual foundations, led by the Calgary Foundation and Vancouver Foundation, have been providing that “opportunity to make a difference” to young people through their Youth Advisory Councils, supporting them with enough structure and adult input to help them be effective while keeping rules and regs to a minimum so each YAC can flexibly work out its own modus operandi.

“Genuine youth engagement does not just happen,” says Oates. “It requires the presence of a variety of factors in combination for its initiation and implementation, and the creation and maintenance of conditions conducive to supporting its growth and evolution.

“Primary factors include: a field of interest relevant to youth, real decision-making responsibility, supportive adults, room for new ideas, and shifts of power and control.

“Such factors can be threatening to many organizations, for they often represent fundamental changes to their culture, their ways of doing business and their power structures. Yet even many conservative and traditional types of organizations are finding that including young people is an effort worth pursuing, and it is increasingly becoming a priority in the voluntary sector.”

Research and experience show that today’s youth are increasingly concerned about the world around them and that they “have ideas, skills and energy to contribute, and tremendous capacity to learn, to serve, and to lead,” she says. “They are ready to accept more responsibility at younger ages, and are prepared to challenge the status quo and initiate change where they feel it is due.”

Voluntary sector organizations willing to make a commitment to involving youth, as have 44 community foundations so far, will gain: “increased volunteer hours, a new network of support and supporters, valuable perspectives, energy and ideas, passionate activists, advocates and ambassadors for their cause, an entrepreneurial spirit, creative and technology-savvy approaches, and organizational renewal.”

However, she warns, “they must be aware that a genuine commitment is required on their part; there is no room for tokenism. Youth need to feel that their work is not done in vain, that it is meaningful, valuable and appreciated, and that they are respected as individuals and members of the organization.”

The Youth in Philanthropy movement started in Canada in earnest when the Vancouver Foundation set up a province-wide support program encouraging BC community foundations to establish Youth Advisory Committees.

It would provide program development, co-ordination, training and technical assistance as well as start-up matching grants over a three-year period to eligible foundations which agreed to:

• Convene a Youth Advisory Committee representative of the young people in their community,
• Designate an advisor/mentor to work with the YAC and liaise with the community foundation board of directors, and
• Establish a permanent youth endowment fund, the income from which would be used to grant to youth projects in the community.

Beyond these minimum specifications, each foundation would design and structure its YAC as best suited the individual needs of its community and according to the suggestions of the YAC members. Staffing and management of the program was transferred to CFC late in 2003.

Canadian community foundation youth councils have granted more than $1 million to youth projects over the past five years, and many new donations have been received directly as a result of a community foundation’s commitment to youth engagement.

Like all foundations’ grants committees, the YACs’ power is only to recommend directions of funds to the board of directors, but again as with most advisory committees, boards are usually attuned to following their advice. Many boards are now inviting representatives of their YAC to join the board and/or hiring them part-time or as summer interns.

Among the side benefits of this engagement with youth is the outreach it provides to greater cultural diversity, says Oates, “since most youth councils reflect the cultural makeup of the community, unlike most of the adult boards of directors. This has extended the reach of community foundations into ethnic populations often not previously engaged, bridging structural holes and increasing social capital.”

Expansion of community foundations’ activities into the youth in philanthropy thrust brings value to community foundations in many ways, says Oates, including:

• It offers more informed grantmaking to youth projects, as youth are in the best position to determine what will be most effective for youth.
• It enhances the foundation’s credibility among youth in the community.
• It enhances the foundation’s visibility, as not only does it expose it to a broad new network of youth and their friends and families, but also there is considerable media interest in youth participation in philanthropy.
• It exemplifies community capacity building – the development of a new generation of philanthropists, community volunteers, and foundation and voluntary sector professionals.
• It helps to reflect the diversity of the community, not only in terms of age, but also cultural diversity, as youth of other cultures generally have a greater degree of comfort than their parents in operating in both their birth culture and the dominant culture.
• It expands development opportunities. Donors are pleased to see young people engaged in positive activities in the community. Also, there is a new breed of donor that wants to know community foundations are relevant.
• It helps to make new connections, explore new opportunities, and develop new partnerships, particularly with youth and youth-serving organizations, as well as inter-generational programs.

Not only community foundations, of course, but all nonprofits could benefit from this process of engaging youth in their operations, says Oates. “The following key learnings,” she says, “are based on more than six years of engaging youth in Canadian community foundations, and are largely consistent with recommendations from a variety of similar initiatives in the US”:

First, before committing to a youth initiative, understand what is involved in engaging youth – the resources required, both financial and human; the long-term commitment, and expectations – both adult and youth. Boards and staff need to explore fully both the philosophical and the practical considerations of what it will really mean for the organization to involve young people effectively, and to be prepared for the accompanying changes in the organization, including areas of governance.

Second, it takes patience. Starting a youth program doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time to get support from others in the organization; time to recruit youth, and to retain, orient, train them and let them run with it; time to gather and maintain the resources required; and time to integrate it into the organization. Planning for sustainability is a long-term process, and followed by the developmental phase, there will a long period required to ensure program stability.

These phases are not necessarily sequential, and sometimes there will be setbacks and it may seem as if you are having to start all over. Keeping the long term vision in focus will help you reach the ultimate goal of sustainable effective youth participation in your organization, even if you take a meandering path to get there.

Just as every community is different, every foundation and organization is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Avoid the cookie cutter or one-size fits all approach, and explore the model or combination of models that will best meet the character, needs, opportunities and resources of your organization.

As much as possible, have the youth themselves make the decisions on what their model will look like. This will require research and information about different approaches and practices, and discussion about what is a good fit for the organization and the community it serves.

Keep in mind that, although it is ideal to aim for a practical plan with short and long term goals, it will be a work in progress. It’s okay to change something that is not working well, or to try a different approach, or take advantage of a new opportunity. The most effective and innovative programs are those that are prepared to shift gears, to evolve, adapt and learn from their experiences, while keeping the vision intact. And although there will be many different models, there will also be much in common and much that can be learned from each other. There is great value in sharing information, ideas, experiences and evaluations with others in the field.

Make sure to appoint an adult advisor who has the appropriate attitude, knowledge, skills and style to work with young people. The person must have active listening skills, and know when to be quiet and when to speak up, when to offer assistance and guidance, and when to allow the youth to work through things themselves, when to listen and when to let go. S/he should be a guide on the side, and not a sage on the stage. This must be a person who can act as a bridge between the youth and other areas of the organization, and advocate for youth at times when they are unable to advocate for themselves. The job requires training and orientation, and the ongoing support of other adults in similar roles.

Be inclusive. Consider diversity in all its forms: ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, sexual, religious, geographic, disabilities. Ensure that there is a variety of interests and experience included. Athletes, academics, boarders, ravers, techies, punks, those in school and those who are not, street-engaged youth, teen moms, natural leaders and not-so natural ones.

Avoid having intimidating membership criteria and application processes that may exclude many youth from taking the first steps to getting involved. It can be incredibly powerful to invite someone in who has never been asked to participate in something before. Given time and the opportunity, everyone will have something to offer, and the leadership will evolve from unexpected places. Bring in new and younger youth regularly to maintain and renew the group.

Create the space for youth in the organization. Recognize that they are not miniature adults, and will have different ideas, interests, energy and skills to bring to the table. Their needs for information and support will also be different. Although they are there to do serious work, the way they do it will be different. Accept that.

Recognize where it makes sense to have them adapt to the organization’s systems and procedures, and where the organization needs to adapt to the youth way of working. Ensure that the culture of the organization is prepared to be youth-friendly, and that positive attitudes and understanding are nurtured by providing staff and board with information, training and support about what effective youth engagement looks like and how it can be supported.

Engage young people as decision-makers. Provide them with the training, tools, guidance, information, support, mentoring and environment so that they can learn experientially and make progress early on. Give them roles that will enable them to make decisions, not just provide feedback, opinions or recommendations. Be clear about parameters – what are the decisions they are responsible for, when it is their role to make recommendations. Create opportunities for them to move into positions of increased responsibility. Give them the trust they need to make their own decisions and the responsibility to get things done. There is no room for tokenism. There will be times when it may seem chaotic or as if nothing is getting done, but believe in them and support them, and they will come through.

Learn from them. Young people know a lot about a lot of different things. Take the time to listen with an open mind, to inquire and appreciate their knowledge and their perspective. Be prepared for new ideas and different approaches to problem solving. Encourage opportunities for them to apply their creativity and act on their passions.

Integrate them into the organization. Provide opportunities for interaction with board and staff. Include them in events. Visit their meetings occasionally. Work with them in fund development. Do joint projects. Co-ordinate activities and information. Provide them with opportunities to represent the organization at events. Create internship and mentoring opportunities for them. Put youth on your board. Make them feel a part of the organization, and make the organization feel that they are a valued part of it, and not just an add-on.

Support peer training and networking opportunities. There is huge value in youth speaking to youth. Make sure that new and younger members are regularly brought into the group and give them appropriate orientation, training and support. Give more experienced members more responsibility in leading, training and mentoring. Create connections with other organizations and develop partnerships, share information and training, conduct joint projects.

Acknowledge the contribution of youth and the value they bring to the organization and to the community. Send them thank you notes. Write them reference letters. Print their names and feature their activities in annual reports and newsletters. Tell their parents how great their kids are. Support their attendance at training or youth leadership development events or at conferences.

Feed them. Make sure snacks or meals are provided at appropriate times. Give them bus tickets or parking passes. It shouldn’t cost youth to volunteer.