The Brandywine Health Foundation is entering its fifth year of an exciting program that allows youth in the Coatesville Area School District to get involved and give back to their community.  The Coatesville Area Youth Philanthropy Program (CAYPP) is designed to engage youth between the ages of 14 and 18, to learn more about philanthropy and non-profits by giving them the opportunity to lead and make important funding decisions. The CAYPP members act as if they are board members and program officers to a special fund, which is generously underwritten by Citadel Federal Credit Union.

The CAYPP program goals include:
• Provide $15,000 in grants to deserving non-profits that are promoting a positive, safe, and healthier Greater Coatesville.
• Develop a cohort of youth leaders that are interested in careers in the non-profit and/or business sectors.
• Foster a cohort of youth leaders that are:
        -  Well versed in the area of health and wellness needs of Greater Coatesville
        -  Sensitive and thoughtful to a variety of opinions and beliefs
        -  Excellent collaborators and team players
        -  Empowered to make changes in their community

CAYPP members will acquire or improve upon professional skills including but not limited to:
• Conducting a needs assessment to determine what the priorities and opportunities are in the Greater Coatesville area
• Event planning for meetings, site visits, and ceremonies/receptions
• Programmatic writing (e.g. press releases, emails, speeches, etc.)  
• Public speaking
• Conference calling

With mentorship provided by the Strategy Officer and other community leaders, youth participants will learn about various Coatesville area agencies, understand how to evaluate the needs of their community, and engage in the grant making process by reading grant proposals, going on site visits, and ultimately distributing $15,000 to non-profits they select for grant awards.  The program will meet approximately two to three times a month. Meetings will take place on a combination of Thursday evenings from (5:00-7:00 p.m.) and a few Saturday mornings (9:00a.m. to Noon) from late October through May. Meetings will be held at the Brandywine Health Foundation Offices in the Historic Lukens Building, 50 South First Avenue, Coatesville, PA.  

All applicants must be ages 14 to 18 as of August 31, 2019, and must live in the Coatesville Area School District. Students can be enrolled in public, private, parochial, charter, or cyber schools or home schooled.

Applications may be emailed to Kimberly Daye Hardy, Strategy Officer: kdayehardy@brandywinefoundation.org

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY 4:00PM ON FRIDAY, October 11, 2019!