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SVP Teens is "a great organization for kids to learn about our
community."
-2003 participant
"As a group… we have fun and really get to know each other."
- 2004 participant
SVP Teens
Today’s teens will one day be the recipients of a tremendous amount of wealth transfer in this country – to the tune of $41
TRILLION.* Social Venture Partner Teens (SVP Teens) is a youth philanthropic project of Social Venture Partners Arizona
designed to better prepare our youth for a life-long commitment to
thoughtful, strategic charitable involvement.
Who are SVP Teens?
SVP Teens is open to the 11-18 year-old children of SVPAZ Partners and their friends. The pilot SVP Teens group had 7 teens and pre-teens participating in 2002-3, and the group has grown over the years to more than a dozen participants.
What is SVP Teens?
The SVP Teens program was created by Social Venture Partners Arizona (SVPAZ) in the fall of 2002 to give children the same opportunity for philanthropic education and grant making that adult SVPAZ partners have. In bi-weekly meetings from September – May, teenagers (ages 11-18) raise funds for their grant pool and learn about the challenging issues facing less fortunate young people in their community. The participants learn how to raise funds, write grant guidelines, evaluate proposals, conduct site visits and read financials in a process that mirrors the SVPAZ strategic investment process. Together, the teens decide what issues to focus on and what nonprofit agencies they want to award grant money from their pool of funds. The total time commitment for the academic year ranges from 60-70 hours.
What is the impact?
In the first four years of the program, SVP Teens donations to nonprofit organizations in the Phoenix area topped $35,000. Cash grants were given to nonprofits helping children & youth improve their academic performance and stay in school, while a sizeable donation of children’s clothing was made to 2 valley children’s shelters:
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3500 grant to AZ Quest for Kids to provide innovative educational activities to over 30 disadvantaged children at Madison school
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$3,500 grant to All-Star Kids Tutoring to purchase supplies and books so that all 160 children in their tutoring program could take home a new book every month
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$10,000 grant to Project Exito to assist immigrant families of students in south Scottsdale become mentors and educational advocates for their children
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Over $10,000 in brand new children’s clothing was collected and donated to Crisis Nursery and Vista Colina crisis shelter
A $7,000 grant to West Valley Child Crisis Center for services for abused and neglected children
Brandon Leibsohn
As an active participant in SVP Teens for the last three years, Brandon has developed a wealth of grantmaking experience. The teen grantmaking process begins with fundraising in the form of car washes, raffles, garage sales, and even a bowl-a-thon. After funds are raised, the teens solicit grant proposals from nonprofit organizations, review them, conduct site visits, and make final funding decisions. Brandon believes that the most productive part of the grantmaking process is the site visits. The teens have an opportunity to get to know the organizations as a whole and analyze exactly how they are being run. Brandon likes making a difference in the community. He feels that SVP teens "is a great way to gain satisfaction from helping others while also gaining business skills that he will use later on in his life." Brandon is currently applying to colleges and universities around the country and is looking forward to becoming involved in a new community when he starts college in the fall. "I hope to continue with charitable work wherever I am living. It will be fun to volunteer and make a difference in my new community."
How to get connected
Contact SVPAZ at 602/224-0041
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