For the past year, 17-year-old Sebastian Amin, a junior at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, has received added training — entirely outside the classroom — about the world of philanthropy.
It’s part of a new program that offers participants the opportunity to learn more about giving, including vetting and selecting nonprofit community groups to receive some portion of a pot of $10,000.
“It’s a cliche, but helping people is a good thing. It makes you feel good, but it makes other people feel better,” Amin said. “It’s coming together for a common good.”
Amin is one of 27 juniors at Glenbard West who are part of the inaugural class of the Teen Philanthropy Network, a nonprofit organization formed by a group of interested Glen Ellyn and Wheaton residents. Founded by retired real estate executive Rich Cline, who serves on the board of trustees of the DuPage Foundation, and his daughter, Sara Howland, the Teen Philanthropy Network was inspired by a similar philanthropic endeavor for high schoolers in Oak Park.
Cline and Howland immediately saw the opportunity to bring the idea to Glen Ellyn, and they partnered with that Oak Park-based group, Three Pillars Initiative, to launch the Teen Philanthropy Network at Glenbard West. Offering hands-on learning, the Teen Philanthropy Network is a two-year program that starts at the ground level, teaching students what philanthropy is and what the nonprofit sector is and then working with them to identify worthy recipient organizations that address causes about which they are most passionate.
“It feels good knowing we can help many nonprofits and fix whatever they’re trying to fix,” said Glenbard West junior Mimi Simon, 16, who said she takes great interest in any organizations devoted to children. “From this program, I learned I have a lot more interest in philanthropy than I thought.”
The Teen Philanthropy Network’s day-to-day work is guided by its program coordinator, Abby Shapland. Over the past year, Shapland worked to implement the Three Pillars Initiative’s curriculum within the Teen Philanthropy Network and made sure that each session was meaningful for the teens. In addition, eight community members, including Cline and Howland, agreed to serve as mentors assigned to groups of seven or eight students.
“The mentors were monumental in getting the organization off the ground,” Shapland said.
By the end of the year, the teens had identified and vetted groups that they were interested in, and ultimately selected four grant recipients: Glen Ellyn Youth and Family Counseling Services, Glen House Food Pantry, Glen Ellyn Children’s Resource Center and District 93 Kids Foundation. Each recipient group received between $1,000 and $3,000, presented at a capstone ceremony on April 27.
“When it came time to allocate the money and make decisions, the kids rocked it out of the ballpark,” Shapland said. “They were awesome. The decision was totally theirs, and they had to work together to reach consensus as a group, which is a difficult thing to do when you have 27 different kinds with different viewpoints and different perspectives, but they did it with flying colors.”
One grant recipient, the District 93 Kids Foundation, is a group providing support to at-risk youngsters in Community Consolidated District 93, which covers Bloomingdale, Carol Stream and Hanover Park. The teens awarded $1,000 to the foundation.
“In their grant application, they stated that any money awarded to them would be used to ensure students with the most significant needs would have access to essential resources for both academic success and personal well-being, (including) school supplies, winter coats and clothing and emergency assistance,” said Glenbard West junior Claire Nielsen in presenting Dist. 93’s communications director, Ryan McPherrin, with the grant. “The foundation addresses critical needs in order to empower these students to thrive in numerous aspects of life and foster a more equitable and supportive community. … We were impressed by the substantial impact of the program and the detailed analysis he provided for us.”
Another nonprofit, the Glen Ellyn Children’s Resource Center, received $3,000. The center provides programming outside of school hours to assist under-resourced students from kindergarten through high school. Students are eligible to participate in the Glen Ellyn Children’s Resource Center’s programs if they qualify for a free lunch program at school.
The Teen Philanthropy Network’s grant will help support the center’s general operations, including after-school tutoring and a summer camp.
“As an after-school tutor myself, this program encourages (Teen Philanthropy Network) members to support the community, as I see rewarding benefits from volunteering for the (Glen Ellyn Children’s Resource Center),” said Glenbard West junior Charlotte Franz.
Next year, the Teen Philanthropy Network’s inaugural class will spend their senior year focusing on fundraising, including writing appeals, hosting events, exploring corporate partnerships and holding one-on-one conversations with potential donors. Every dollar they raise will be used for future Teen Philanthropy Network grants.
“It’s powerful to think about what this means,” Howland said. “High school students are making real, meaningful financial decisions that will ripple through our community.”
The Teen Philanthropy Network’s founders also will welcome a new junior class next year.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
