The Jewish Fund is empowering metro Detroit’s youth grantmakers with the agency to decide the social and financial impacts in their communities through the Fund’s Teen Board. Each year, the Jewish Fund engages two diverse groups of 25 Jewish high school students to serve as Teen Board members, through Year One and Year Two boards, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to participate fully in the Fund’s grantmaking process and enhance their leadership abilities.

“We give our teens a voice, we empower them, and they have real decision-making power. We treat them like they are our Board of Directors, they have a responsibility, and they rise to the occasion,” Laura Charnas, coordinator of the Jewish Fund’s Teen Board, said. 

Teen Board members can serve for up to two years, and after their first year, they are eligible to serve on the Teen Board Leadership Committee. Alumni of the board are invited to serve as mentors for new members.

“The Leadership Committee is involved at the start of each year with the application review process and they’re responsible for facilitating each of our Teen Board groups as well as engaging in site visits with all of the grant applications,” Margo Pernick, executive director of the Fund and CMF trustee said. 

Alumni can attend philanthropic conferences and learning programs for free or at a reduced cost and engage in paid nonprofit internship experiences, extending their learning and exposing them to the wider world of philanthropy and community engagement. 

“The impetus for this program was that we wanted to have the ability to guide future leaders, whether they’re volunteers, donors, or just as active and engaged citizens. We need to do something for our future, not just for today, and by providing this kind of opportunity, that makes a dent,” Pernick said. 

The first 6 months of the program focus on interactive learning, which gives teens the knowledge and skills needed to evaluate grant proposals, participate in site visits and utilize a consensus process to make funding decisions.

“The way that the program is structured, from the application process through the entire year-long program, focuses on respecting our teens. The same things that our Jewish Fund Board members are expected to do, our Teen Board members are expected to do,” Pernick said.

The second half of the year is devoted to actively reviewing grant proposals, participating in site visits and working together to select projects to fund.

“What they think matters and it’s based on consensus across the board. That aspect of decision-making really requires teens to listen to each other and accept other’s opinions,” Pernick said. 

Teens can choose to enroll in a second year, which allows for more robust discussions and learning related to evaluation and program impact. It also provides them with a deeper dive into a variety of grantmaking and philanthropy topics to further solidify board members’ knowledge and connection to their community and the impact they can have.

At the end of each year, the Teen Board members will work together to grant $50,000 to both Jewish and secular nonprofits in metro Detroit. 

Charnas shared that the board has focused on mental health support and access for underrepresented communities for the past several years. The Teen Board follows the same priority areas as the Jewish Fund and has focused on economic stability, food access, healthcare access and more over the years.

“Young people don’t always have the opportunity to learn and understand the problems in their community and then have the accessibility to use real money to help resolve those problems. Youth want to make a difference and that isn’t always available to them, but this is one where they can come together as a group and make an impact,” Pernick said. 

Now in the program’s 11th year, the Fund is incorporating a mentorship program for Teen Board members to build relationships with the Fund’s Board of Directors who are active in the community. 

“We want our teens to know that once they’ve left the board, there’s still opportunities to come back and to be involved in the work,” Charnas said. “Investing in our youth with our time, energy and resources, we hope will strengthen our community’s future and show youth that we’re acknowledging them and prioritizing what they have to give.” 

Want more? 

Learn more about the Jewish Fund’s Teen Board. 

Read the perspectives of youth who have served on the Teen Board.