Brandon Area Community Foundation’s Youth in Philanthropy (YIP) program is celebrating its 20th anniversary on April 29th at Elton Collegiate School in Forrest, Manitoba. In the fall of 2004, with the support of the Thomas Sill Foundation, BACF launched the Youth in Philanthropy program. The first grants were awarded in the spring of 2005. YIP is a Brandon Area Community Foundation program designed to introduce motivated youth to philanthropy and local community development. This program gives the students a hands-on experience working as a team and with local charitable organizations to help our communities thrive.
Over the past 20 years, approximately $235 thousand has been distributed grants from the 4 schools who have participated in the program. The four schools who helped launched the program are still participating – Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, Elton Collegiate School, Neelin High School, and Vincent Massey High School.