Mentoring Young Adults in the Youth Philanthropy Movement

At Foundant Technologies we have always been supporters of the youth philanthropy movement and are passionate about mentoring young adults as they grow into thoughtful, engaged leaders. We began as early supporters of Youth Philanthropy Connect (YPC), a youth-led peer advisory network for young people in philanthropy. We attended their conferences and even joined them during their on-the-road events in 2015.

Mark Larimer, VP of Marketing and Client Success, and I were amazed at how thoughtful the participating youth, ages 8–21, were at granting decisions.

On the road in 2015, we discussed starting a youth philanthropy project in Bozeman, MT. Right away I was excited to be involved and work hands-on with the young adults in our community, helping them learn about our community’s needs and the grantmaking process.

Now, in my second year of Youth Giving Project, I have some tips for those who, like me, have limited experience mentoring youth. Heck, most days I feel like I’m their age myself! These may seem like simple tips—because they are. A youth philanthropy project should be the product of the participants, not the adults advising them.

You don’t have to go it alone

As we started our program with two like-minded community partners, the Bozeman Area Community Foundation and Bozeman Youth Initiative, I easily found others to help me in mentoring young adults. I work with two amazing women who make guiding 10+ students through a 6-month program fun and manageable.

Your role is to mentor

We are very careful to use “mentor” when referencing adults who are helping the team. The term mentor is important because we don’t hold any weight in the decision-making process; we are there as advisors. Also, we do not see ourselves as teachers. We rely on returning students to take leadership roles in teaching the grantmaking experience. Even first-time members can take leadership roles in social aspects of the program. (Keep reading for more on the social side.)

Make it fun whenever you can

We use movement and games to break up sitting, build trust, and help participants find their voices during tough decisions. We most often choose games based on the rules of improvisation to help participants find their voices and build trust.

Step up, step back

We set group expectations with every cohort, including my favorite: Step Up, Step Back. This reminds them to “step up,” voice your opinion, even if it doesn’t come easily. And also, to “step back” to allow others space to talk. It also reminds me that my role as an adult mentor is to step back. A dear friend recently said her greatest tool when working with youth is silence, and I couldn’t agree more. You’ll be surprised how much you learn by allowing the youth to lead.

To learn more about how you can get started with your own youth giving program, visit YouthGiving.org.

[This post originally appeared on PhilanthroFiles, Exponent Philanthropy’s blog | April 25, 2017]