Students Raise $19,500 to Support Toledo-Area Nonprofits

High School Juniors and Seniors Dedicated to Grassroots Community Support

40 upperclassmen from 20 different Northwest Ohio high schools donated $19,950 to 11 local youth-serving non-profit organizations. 

Youth in Philanthropy Encouraging Excellence – or YIPEE, for short – is a program for high school juniors and seniors wanting to learn more about community needs and the elements of thoughtful giving. In partnership with Greater Toledo Community Foundation, the program’s goal is to establish a foundation for a lifelong commitment to leadership, volunteerism, and philanthropy.

Within this unique program, students identify key problems facing youth, solicit and review grant applications from local youth-serving organizations, and raise and allocate funds to deserving area non-profits to address those needs. The decisions regarding how funds will be raised and allocated are completely student-driven.

Organizations receiving YIPEE funding:

·       Adopt America Network

·       Friends of Lucas County Children Services

·       Good Grief of Northwest Ohio

·       Hospice of Northwest Ohio

·       Open Arms Transformation Living

·       Person Centered Athletic Network (PCAN)

·       The University of Toledo Foundation

·       Toledo Day Nursery

·       Toledo Elementary Athletics Movement (TEAM)

·       Toledo GROWS

·       Toledo Tomorrow

Emily Boellner, a member of YIPEE and senior from Springfield High School says, “Youth in Philanthropy Encouraging Excellence has strengthened me as a leader because it enabled me to learn about issues in my community that I otherwise may have stayed ignorant to. This, and meeting the strong leaders who fight for change through nonprofit organizations, has grown my empathy and understanding of those around me.”

“I am wildly proud of our YIPEE participants this year. Not only does their work mean 11 local organizations receive funding to further their mission, but these students are now more engaged with and aware of the issues facing youth in our community,” shares Nicole Susdorf, Program Director at Leadership Toledo.

Since the program began in the year 2000, YIPEE has granted $413,443 to 102 local organizations supporting 249 projects for the betterment of our region’s young people.

Students interested in joining the next YIPEE cohort are encouraged to connect with Nickie Susdorf via nicole@leadershiptoledo.org

YIPEE is possible thanks to the generosity of Greater Toledo Community Foundation