How It All Began - History of MCFYP

In 1988, the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) and community foundation members developed a proposal to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for the Michigan Community Foundations' Youth Project. Their efforts meant to do the following:

1) expand the areas served by community foundations in Michigan so that every citizen would have access to a philanthropic vehicle,
2) strengthen existing community foundations, and
3) involve youth in community foundations through the creation of Youth Advisory Committees.

To spearhead the effort, CMF received the help of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation—formidable advocates for community self-reliance and community foundations, and champions of youth. The Kellogg Foundation agreed to help seed the development of community foundations and, in the process, create a philanthropic training ground for youth.

A challenge was made: For every two dollars raised locally and placed in permanent endowment within a community foundation, the Kellogg Foundation pledged one dollar to build a youth fund—up to one million dollars for every participating community foundation. The Mott Foundation also issued a companion grant to provide startup support and technical assistance to emerging community foundations. As part of the challenge, each community foundation was required to form a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)—made up of young people and adult mentors—to address local youth needs, assist in fund development activities and direct grantmaking toward youth programs.

In just a few short years, scores of Michigan communities responded to the challenge. Community foundations blanketed the state and over 2,000 teens got involved—the Michigan Community Foundations' Youth Project is a great success!