Youth Philanthropy Council gives out $10,000

NORWICH – Three local agencies received grant allocations Tuesday night from a group of high school students committed to making positive changes in their community.

Norwich High School’s Youth Philanthropy Council distributed a total of $10,000 during its second annual awards presentation, held at the Canasawacta Country Club. This year’s recipients were Roots and Wings ($4,500), Literacy Volunteers of Chenango County ($3,500) and Opportunities for Chenango’s Quaranta Housing Program ($2,000).

“Our mission was ... focused on education, and breaking the cycle of poverty,” explained Norwich Senior Alison Brown, who is one of the ten 11th and 12th graders involved with the YPC.

Now in its second year, the program is a collaboration between Norwich High School, the Upstate Institute at Colgate University, Chenango United Way and The Community Foundation for South Central New York.

Since September, the students have met after school to learn more about non-profit organizations, philanthropy and the needs of the community through a series of seminars. These after-school meetings featured guest speakers from Colgate University, The Community Foundation and United Way. They then began to put that knowledge to use developing a mission statement, establishing award criteria and issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the local non-profit community.

According to Senior Nathan Biviano, the group received a total of six proposals, all of which fit their mission.

“They were all very good applications. ... It was a very difficult decision,” added Senior Colleen Monday, who is in her second year with the program.

But with only a finite amount of money to distribute, the students knew they couldn’t help every program which submitted a proposal.

“These three we felt matched it best,” he said.

How have these three non-profit agencies proposed to use the funds they have been allocated?

At Roots and Wings, the money will be used to purchase a computer system to allow the organization to better track how clients are utilizing the services they provide, explained Senior Andrew Austin. Currently those records are kept only on paper, and stored in large filing cabinets.