Global Education and International Development Reflection

On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, Allowance for Good began its newest program, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: A Student Seminar Series. Chicago-area youth are invited to participate in a weekly seminar to learn more about the global philanthropic sector and how they have the power to be philanthropists and agents for change.

Fiona reflects on our fifth session, focused on Global Education and International Development.

“Don’t be afraid to fail, because you will.” This quote was introduced last week and really stood out to me because it explains that if you really LOVE what you do and have a burning passion for it, you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things to bring your passion to life. That is one huge lesion that I learned last week and during this whole week, I have been trying new things in my life because I told myself that I would never know until I tried. I’m really passionate about making change and peace and when I get older, I would love to incorporate philanthropy in helping to make the change I wish to see.

During our lesson, my cousin Karin Scott came in and talked to us about the Global Engagement Summit. The Global Engagement Summit is a three-day program ran by 60 undergrad Northwestern students who meet during the year together and plan the capacity of the next generation of global change makers. It was extremely interesting for me.  Not only is Karin one of my role models in my life, but she inspired me to travel out of the country and help kids in poverty-stricken communities in need. We learned about goals last week. There were three parts to it, learn, connect and act. Learn: engaging in critical discussions in thinking how to do well. Connect: networking with other passionate individuals from around the world and innovate through leaders, and lastly, Act: building capacity and skills on how to carry these things out. Karin left us with some questions that really stuck with my throughout the week. What are you passionate about? In what ways have you volunteered around your community and outside the country? What kind of problems have you seen in these communities? Last summer, I traveled to Haiti on a ten-day service trip. I saw so many things that still stay in my mind to this very day, but one thing I will never forget is that even though Haiti is extremely poor, they are rich in spirit. I’m going back in two years and I hope that the service work we did there last summer really made an impact on their lives and showed them that you don’t know until you try. I know that I was scared that we were going to fail and we didn’t, and I’m blessed that we finished our work there because now kids have a place to learn. So this week, I encourage you all to try something new and don’t be afraid of failure. Trust me, you will feel empowered.

Corporate and Venture Philanthropy Reflection

On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, Allowance for Good began its newest program, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: A Student Seminar Series. Chicago-area youth are invited to participate in a weekly seminar to learn more about the global philanthropic sector and how they have the power to be philanthropists and agents for change.

Nina, reflects on our fourth session, focused on Corporate and Venture Philanthropy.

This week, we focused on Corporate and Venture Philanthropy. We learned that venture philanthropy is characterized by the willingness to experiment and try new approaches, focusing on measurable results, giving financial, intellectual, and human capital, and funding on a multi-year basis.

We explored these concepts by having a guest speaker named Sejal Shah-Myers come in and talk to us about her work at the Springboard Foundation. Founded in 1997 by 10 teenage boys with $50,000 and some support from the Chicago Community Trust, the Springboard Foundation invests in grassroots organizations by building their capacity to strengthen after-school programs, which benefit children in high-need neighborhoods. Sejal game us a quick overview of the Springboard Foundation, told us some stories about different grantees, and then talked a bit more about venture philanthropy in relation to the Springboard Foundation.

After she had left, we briefly went over our homework, which was to interview someone we knew whose company had a giving arm. In order to further understand venture philanthropy, we were divided into two groups of three to create our own venture philanthropy fund. There were a few things we had to take into account, such as the name, the mission or area of focus, the reason, how many people should be a part of this, the minimum financial investment, and if that financial investment should increase their vote. We finished this session with a video about Warby Parker, a company that distributes a pair of glasses for every pair sold. As a continuation of this session, we were asked to write a letter on the behalf of an organization of our own creation asking for a grant from the venture philanthropy funds we had created.

Grantmaking and the Foundation Landscape Reflection

On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, Allowance for Good began its newest program, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: A Student Seminar Series. Chicago-area youth are invited to participate in a weekly seminar to learn more about the global philanthropic sector and how they have the power to be philanthropists and agents for change.

Grace reflects on our third session, focused on Grantmaking and the Foundation Landscape.

This week at Allowance for Good we went to the Evanston Public Library. When we first got there we started to talk about the story we had read for homework. It was called Alex's Lemonade Stand. This story was about a young lady with childhood cancer. After she got out of the hospital she started this stand. She made lemonade and sold it for 50 cents a cup. This story got us talking about what we can learn from her work about the power of spreading a movement. When talking about this one of the key points we brought up was even though she was young and is now dead her project is still raising money so that other children like her will not need to share her fight.  We also talked about how she was so passionate and if she had not felt so strongly about this it would not of gotten very far at all. She was also very outgoing because she wanted this more then someone might want a new phone. She wanted this because she wanted to be a hero for herself and for many others. After we had talked about this for some time we went off by ourselves and thoughts about what we would do if we had a hunk of money, meaning what would we donate it to, how would we spread it out, how would we raise it, and other things around theses lines. After we did this we shared our ideas and then headed down to the arts and crafts center. When we got there we each got a little canvas and some paint. We then painted them how ever we wanted and donated them. Each one was different a special.

Philanthropy and Financial Literacy Reflection

On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, Allowance for Good began its newest program, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: A Student Seminar Series. Chicago-area youth are invited to participate in a weekly seminar to learn more about the global philanthropic sector and how they have the power to be philanthropists and agents for change.

Emma, reflects on our second session, focused on Individual Philanthropy and Financial Literacy.

Allowance for Good is a nonprofit organization helping broaden education across the world.  I am partaking in a course they are doing to learn about being a global citizen and a philanthropist. Philanthropy is the love for humankind as a whole. Throughout the sessions so far we have learned the true meaning of giving, budgeting and philanthropy.

Everyone seems to know the act of charity, a passive transaction where you do not partake in the doing of making a situation better. The first week we figured out the true meaning of philanthropy as a social corrective that you take part in to make a difference around the world. In philanthropy you are actually taking action and are motivated to act on your thoughts, and either you do something about the problems being faced or inform people of social challenges and potential solutions unlike a charitable act in which you just give and go.

We also talked about budgeting our money and how much we really spent on things we don’t necessarily need.  It was surprising to me how much money an average American family spends when we really don’t need all that we bought but if people cut down on their personal spending’s the people who receive the money they spend won’t make enough to get by. In other words I’ve figured out if we cut back, others do not benefit as much because spending our money results in the livelihood of others. We also talked about what should go into your budget. You should spend on yourself to keep yourself healthy, save for college, your kids, retirement, or whatever you need, invest so that you can make money and share with the people in need. In other words, we learned about financial literacy. Although in America we live a pitch perfect society, other places need our help and money so saving and sharing can make a difference in many ways.

Brainstorming with our youth about personal budgeting

So if you are interested come and join and be a part of something bigger, take action and give back to the rest of the world, be a philanthropist. You don’t have to be old and wise to help out anyone any age can help with any amount. You can be a philanthropist so start now when you’re young because we are the world’s future.

The Roots of a Changemaker

Whether I was aware of it from the beginning or not, a philanthropic sense has been a pillar of my family over generations. Significant international and service-oriented experiences throughout my life led me to launch Allowance for Good. A medical mission trip with my father to Mexico and a high-school choir tour to Puerto Rico provided my first glimpse into a world

beyond national borders. But it was the children in the remote Guatemalan coffee villages who captured my spirit, allowing me to consider how I would go about affecting change both here in the US and abroad. I'm able to give of my time, talent, and treasure today as Allowance for Good takes root. I want youth to know that they have the power, capacity, and ability to invest in the lives of others, giving them a hand to lift themselves out of poverty.

You see, philanthropy is using what you have been allowed in life for positive social impact - be it locally, nationally, or globally. I envision a world where youth are open to balancing personal realities with those outside their own culture and are educated to be active global citizens in the worldwide marketplace. And I believe that becoming a “changemaker” starts at a young age. Through Allowance for Good, I seek to empower youth to start down their path of affecting social change today. In so doing, their commitment will be deepened in their own lives and their impact felt among others around the world.

I want for youth everywhere to know that they don't have to be wealthy or older or wiser to be a philanthropist. A philanthropist can be anyone, and it can be you. All you have to do is be willing to give of your philanthropic portfolio - your time, your talent, or your treasure - to help make our increasingly interconnected world a more sustainable, just, and peaceful place. We have created an opportunity for youth to connect with the reality that they can be a part of the solution.
Rather than dwelling on images of fear, we focus on hope. Rather than emphasizing the insurmountable tasks of providing proper education, clean water, and medicine for all youth everywhere, we offer the chance to be a part of the solution where we are not bound by barriers and borders but open to balancing the realities of others with our own. It is our collective task to reimagine our world - won’t you join me?