For many, the term “philanthropist” brings to mind wealthy celebrities, such as Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey. This perception, however, only captures a narrow portion of all those involved in philanthropy.
Everyone who donates their time, talent, treasure, ties, and testimony — the five Ts, a common maxim in philanthropy — in promoting human welfare is, in fact, a philanthropist.
Philanthropy isn’t a tax write-off for the ultra-wealthy; it’s a form of service that people of all backgrounds, especially lower-income ones, participate in. The communities that lack resources often rely on said lower-income individuals to find solutions to issues. But when the needs outweigh the means, projects can get sidelined, delayed, or forgotten altogether. What these solutions need the most is a little extra help to overcome the inertia of getting started. With that, anyone can be an advocate for the change they want to see.
Every day, this becomes possible through the efforts felt across our region, thanks to Youth Advisory Councils (YACs), which serve to give voices to an underrepresented, overlooked, and often low-resource group: the youth.
Across Michigan, there are 86 YACs, each a subcommittee of its respective community foundation. Each YAC is run by youth, aged 12-21, tasked with reviewing and allocating funds to grant proposals, with the express goal of fulfilling the needs of youth in their communities.
Initially, I joined the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation’s YAC simply to pad out my résumé for college. Before I joined, I had no intent of becoming a philanthropist. But, as I got involved and saw firsthand the impact that I, a mere student in high school, could have on my community, my entire worldview shifted.
I realized how, in joining YAC and utilizing the platform it provided, I had already become a philanthropist. Many ways to address local issues, such as submitting grant proposals or campaigning for government funding, would never have crossed my mind.
My voice, and the voice of the many young people like me, also unequipped to do such things, would have gone unheard. YACs give that voice back.
With our collective voices, we can advocate for causes that matter to us by deciding on and awarding grants through the Community Foundation’s Youth Endowment. For example, last fall, local YACs awarded grants to organizations like SEEDS Ecology and Education Centers, which received a $4,500 grant; the Women’s Resource Center for the Grand Traverse Area, which received a $14,000 grant; and, most personally to me — as someone whose family has faced food insecurity in the past — Acme Christian Thrift Store & Food Pantry, which was awarded a $6,900 grant in 2024.
Youth are the future of every community, and as such, their needs are paramount. The only way to properly address those needs, however, is by heeding their perspective. Only those facing an issue are best qualified to solve it. YACs provide the means for youth to actively engage in solving the problems they face and, in so doing, foster a lifelong understanding of the importance of advocacy and philanthropy.
Now, I challenge you, the reader, to devote your time, talents, treasure, and testimony to make a difference in your community: Go volunteer at a nearby soup kitchen or food pantry, donate to your local community foundation (such as the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation), or advocate for the needs of your community at your local city council meeting.
Be the change you want to see; don’t wait idly for it to come.