Youth Advisory Council (YAC)
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
We are targeting students who are one or more of the following:
Going into or currently attending 9th or 10th grade this fall
Attending High Schools in South Berrien or Cass County including Buchanan, Niles, Brandywine, Ross Beatty (Cassopolis), Dowagiac, Edwardsburg, and Marcellus School districts
Students who bring a unique perspective and/or represent diverse populations due to life experiences, racial/ethnic background, LGBTQ+, disability, socioeconomic status, etc.
We are looking for students who could be profoundly impacted by the YAC experience, not those just looking for another thing to add to an already full resume. Students will need to be committed and engaged and have reliable transportation to monthly meetings and events.
Overview
The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of students representing high schools within our service areas of South Berrien & Cass Counties. They are empowered to assess local youth needs, review grant applications and advise the Community Foundation on youth grant awards. They use the power of a Youth Endowment, which generates approximately $18,000 in spending for the needs of young people. This endowment was raised with a matching grant from the Kellogg Foundation and the support of hundreds of individual donors in our communities.
YAC grants have brought enrichment programs to our schools, supported youth outreach in our communities, and helped provide youth agencies with the resources they need to run programs. The group also assesses youth needs by designing and employing a needs assessment tool, participates in leadership training activities through the foundation, and attends the state YAC conference and local community service activities. Membership in the YAC is an excellent training opportunity for leadership roles later in life.
Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Priorities Areas
The Youth Advisory Council focuses its resources on specific areas based on the YAC needs assessment that is completed every few years. The next needs assessment will be completed in 2023 for the 2022-23 school year. To learn more about the needs assessment, click below:
Youth-Led Mini-Grants
Up to $500 for youth-written, youth-led projects in southern Berrien and Cass Counties
Do you have a great idea to make your school or community better? The Michigan Gateway Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) invites students to apply for Mini-Grants—youth-written, youth-led projects that create a positive impact for young people in our area.
Mini-Grants are available for up to $500 and must be written by students for projects that benefit youth in southern Berrien and Cass Counties. These grants are a great way to turn your ideas into action while learning about community service, leadership, and philanthropy.
What Can Be Funded
Projects most likely to be funded will:
Encourage young people to improve themselves, their community, or their school
Provide a service to others
Address a need among youth
Your project could be a volunteer effort, a community event, a student council initiative, or an academic enrichment project. Past ideas have included:
Organizing a special event for the school or community
Starting a volunteer or service project
Developing a classroom or student council initiative
Creating a project that promotes academic improvement or student engagement
How you do it is up to your creativity! Students must be actively involved in planning the project and writing the grant application.
Who Can Apply
Any student (or group of students) can apply for a Mini-Grant.
Applications can come from a classroom, club, school group, or extra-curricular activity.
All applications must be written and submitted by students and co-signed by a teacher or adult advisor and the building principal.
For students in preschool through 3rd grade, teachers may help students write the application or write it for them after class discussion.
Each project must include a simple way to measure success, and grantees will be asked to share a short written report and photos by May 2025.
How to Apply
Applications must be received by November 1, 2025.
All proposals will be reviewed by the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), who will recommend projects to the MGCF Board of Trustees for approval. Applicants will be notified by the end of November 2025 whether their project has been funded.
Download the YAC Mini-Grant Application
Completed applications can be:
Mailed to:
Michigan Gateway Community Foundation
111 Days Avenue
Buchanan, MI 49107OR emailed to: Jpopielski@mgcf.org
For questions or guidance, contact:
Jennifer Popielski, YAC Advisor
📞 269-695-3521
📧 Jpopielski@mgcf.org
A Note to Teachers
The Mini-Grant Program is designed to introduce students to the concept of a community foundation—an organization that invests charitable gifts and uses the income to support local needs. Teachers are encouraged to discuss terms such as grant, grant proposal, and budget to help students understand how community giving and youth leadership work hand-in-hand.
