Nineteen YACs Meet W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grant Challenge
Youth Develop and Grant in Excess of $1/2 Million in 4 Years

Thanks to $190,000 in incentive matching funds, ARCF Affiliates across the state of Arkansas now boast a total of 19 Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Endowments valued at $393,173.34.  Add to that YAC grantmaking/operating funds, and the total value of funds developed solely by and for young people in the state of Arkansas reaches $430,610.93.

In addition to those funds, which will continue to produce earnings for grantmaking in perpetuity, YACs have granted out $112,644.92 to youth and children’s programs in their communities during the four-year grant period.  The value of YAC funds plus grants totals $543,255.85, an impressive achievement in just four years!

Over 400 youth from around the state have participated in YAC, functioning as standing committees of their Affiliate Community Foundations, learning about the needs of youth and children in their communities and practicing the art of philanthropy through grantmaking and endowment building.

Cecilia Patterson, ARCF Program Director, who has coordinated the grant in its entirety, joins YAC Adult Advisors and Board Liaisons, as well as hundreds of YACers throughout the state, in expressing appreciation to Dr. Thomas A. Bruce for his knowledge and foresight in advocating a partnership between the Kellogg Foundation and the ARCF Board. 

Contributions from the Bruce Endowment were matched with funds from the Board to provide the initial incentive for Affiliates to organize Youth Advisory Committees as grantmakers.  The WKKF grant then matched dollar-for-dollar all funds developed by and for each Affiliate YAC up to the $10,000 level to build permanent endowments.

All who have participated would agree that faith in these young people to be thoughtful and thorough grantmakers is well placed.  Thank you, Kellogg Foundation, for the opportunity to help YACers grow as young philanthropists!

Emily Cohn and Matt Vaccaro, outgoing and incoming presidents of the St. Francis County Community Foundation YAC

Emily Cohn of St. Francis County Community Foundation YAC proposes a renewal of their successful letter writing campaign to her peers (in mirror) and Adult Advisor, Carla Nimocks.  The SFCCF YAC is building their endowment through letters to friends and acquaintances both within and outside of their county.  Members liked the idea and......
	Are shown here preparing to undertake the letter writing project, seeking to build their already healthy endowment beyond the $30,000 mark.
Delegates to YAC ATTACK! 2003 listen in rapt attention as Arkansas Community Foundation President and CEO Pat Lile helps YACers learn to "Talk YAC Talk."  Telling the YAC story to many people is of vital importance as groups seek to build their endowments for future grantmaking.