SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - High school students awarded $52,000 to 20 nonprofit organizations throughout Delaware, with $17,500 going to Sussex County groups, through their participation in the Youth Philanthropy Boards of the Delaware Community Foundation.
The foundation sponsors a Youth Philanthropy Board in each county to encourage high school students to become more involved in philanthropy. Students are tasked with studying issues in their neighborhoods and schools, identifying a focus area for grantmaking, soliciting grant proposals, and conducting site visits to nonprofit organizations. Each board of high school students is allotted a pool of money to give as charitable grants.
In 2023, the Sussex County board focused on funding nonprofits that support those who struggle with access to health services in the areas of mental health, substance abuse, and teen pregnancy. Preference was given to nonprofits that mentored middle and high school students and that helped them avoid and minimize these obstacles.
Organizations that received grant money include the YWCA of Delaware, to support its ESTEEM program; Zoe Ministries, for equine mentoring; Delaware Guidance Services, for child-centered play therapy toys; Courageous Hearts, for equine therapy; the Tether Foundation, to support Camp Abilities Delaware; and SOAR, for specialized trauma training in Sussex County.