Wellesley Students Serve on Local Nonprofit Junior Board

October 21, 2020 (Natick, MA) – The Foundation for MetroWest, the only community foundation serving the MetroWest region of Greater Boston, today announced 32 students will represent MetroWest on its Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) Junior Board. Of these, seven students represent the town of Wellesley. YIP has grown to become the largest youth philanthropy education program in the country and has been offered by the Foundation for more than 20 years to middle and high school students across MetroWest. The students will serve on the student-run board, which functions like a nonprofit board and supports the work of the Foundation and the YIP program, during the 2020-2021 school year.

“Youth in Philanthropy is so important because it provided a unique educational and philanthropic opportunity for me to make a difference in our community,” said Alice Cook, senior at Wellesley High School. “I joined the Junior Board to work with recruitment because it’s important to me that other people have that opportunity too. I also love being in a room with other committed, motivated, and engaged peers and it pushes me to be a better philanthropist.”

“I have loved participating in the YIP program because it has taught me valuable lessons about investing in our communities,” said Catherine Friendly, a junior at The Winsor School. “Through the program, I have had many opportunities to learn skills such as analyzing financial statements and grant proposals, honing my public speaking skills, and most of all, learning about incredible work around our MetroWest community and what we can do to support it. I was excited to join the YIP board so that I could help expand the program throughout MetroWest.”

“YIP has exposed me to the wide variety of needs in my own community, and has provided meaningful ways for me to make a difference,” said Sawyer Helzberg, a senior at Rivers School. “The opportunity to work alongside like-minded philanthropists has been an experience I will take with me through life, inspiring me to give back.”

“I have been in YIP since my sophomore year, and I love working side by side with my peers to accomplish large goals,” said Samantha Joseph, a senior at Wellesley High School. “As teenagers, we handle grants, participate in countless meetings, and come to a final consensus no matter what group or part of YIP we are in. I want to take what I have learned the past two years in YIP and apply it to the Junior Board, where our decisions become even more important and life-changing.”

“Everyone who joins YIP has the same goal: To make a change in the community,” said Sydney Kanter, a senior at Wellesley High School. “Through YIP, I was able to learn about nonprofit organizations and meet other people who wanted to make change, and work as a team to achieve our goal.”

“After my first year of YIP, I could not wait to continue helping organizations around the community,” said Alexander Lo, a sophomore at Belmont Hill School. “Everyone was extremely passionate about working towards the greater good, and I was inspired by the dedication and collective progress that we achieved. I really enjoyed how all perspectives were considered, eventually fostering a thriving community of inclusiveness.”

“After having learned so much about the nonprofit world through the YIP Wellesley program, I wanted to get more hands-on experience by serving on the YIP Junior Board,” said Ben Workman, a senior at Wellesley High School. “In addition to giving back to the MetroWest community, I enjoy learning about the innovative ways nonprofits across the region are tackling a variety of issues, and my role in our fundraising committee has given me tons of valuable experience in nonprofit fundraising.”

Once students apply and are accepted to the Junior Board, they immediately delve into assessing and addressing the needs of their community: writing grants, volunteering, and visiting local organizations across MetroWest. Junior Board members have the opportunity to create change by promoting and supporting youth philanthropy education while providing unique leadership opportunities within their communities. They learn not only the ins and outs of how nonprofits operate, but also crucial skills like teamwork, budgeting, and project management that they can carry beyond the program and into their community and future careers.

Cook, Catherine Friendly and Lo will serve on the YIP Junior Board’s Recruitment committee. Helzberg will serve on the Events committee. Joseph, Kanter, and Workman will serve on the Fundraising committee.

The Junior Board is also crowdfunding for the Foundation’s most ambitious annual fund campaign yet: ONEmetrowest, which celebrates 25 years of service to the MetroWest region. Though the region is comprised of a multitude of towns and cities, we are stronger when we come together as one. For more on ONEmetrowest and information on how to donate, please visit www.foundationmw.org/onemetrowest-campaign.

About Foundation for MetroWest

Established in 1995, the Foundation for MetroWest is the only community foundation serving the cities and towns in the region, encompassing 700,000 residents from Westborough to Waltham and Acton to Walpole. The Foundation promotes philanthropy across the area, helps donors maximize the impact of their local giving, serves as a resource for local nonprofits and enhances the quality of life for all our residents. The Foundation is supported by a wide range of businesses, individuals, community groups and other philanthropic organizations. Since inception, the Foundation has granted $23 million to its nonprofit partners and currently stewards more than $26 million in charitable assets for current needs and future impact. To learn more, please visit http://www.foundationmw.org/ or call 508-647-2260.

About Youth in Philanthropy

The Foundation for MetroWest’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program is a 15 or 17-week experiential leadership development program designed to empower and educate local youth to become our community’s next generation of philanthropists. Operating 14 programs across MetroWest September through May, YIP is one of the largest and longest-running youth philanthropy programs in the country. Since 1997, YIP has empowered hundreds of youth to invest over $1 million to support youth-serving nonprofits in our region. YIP helps students gain the knowledge, confidence, and skills to take on leadership roles and pursue a lifelong passion for giving back.