Scroll through the links below and choose from
a wide variety of Web sites that offer ideas
for volunteering and getting involved in philanthropy.
Here you'll find information on everything from
starting a club to help out in your community,
to instructions on how kids can start their
own nonprofit organizations!
Global Volunteer Network
The New Zealand-based organization offers volunteer opportunities throughout the world to support the work of local community organizations in developing countries. Volunteers can be from any country to participate.
America’s
Promise
The mission of America’s Promise is to mobilize
people from every sector of American life to
build the character and competence of our nation's
youth by fulfilling Five
Promises to the nation’s youth. This site
offers resources for career development, opportunities
to give back through community service, and
much more.
Ben's
Guide
A U.S. Government Web site for kids, Ben's Guide
provides a long list of links to government
sites for kids on topics that cover everything
from animals to transportation.
Plan
Plan helps children and families living
in 43 developing countries around the world
to develop long-term solutions to break out
of the cycle of poverty through community-based
programs revolving around five areas: growing
up healthy, learning, livelihood, habitat, and
building relationships.
Children
for Children Foundation
Founded by a group of parents in New York City,
the Children for Children Foundation’s mission
is to endow the next generation with a sense
of responsibility for others and encourage them
to participate in the greater community.
Corporation
for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service
connects Americans of all ages and backgrounds
with opportunities to give back to their communities
and their nation through voluntary service.
Do
Something
This is a national network of young people who
know they can make a difference in their communities
and take action to change the world around them.
Earth
Force
Earth Force helps provide youth with knowledge
and skills to discover and implement lasting
solutions to environmental issues in their community.
Earth Force Youth Advisory Boards, also known
as YAB, gives youth a chance to be leaders and
work to involve other youth on environmental
issues. In the process, they develop life-long
habits of active citizenship and environmental
stewardship.
Global
Youth Service Day
Global Youth Service Day works collaboratively
with organizations around the world to mobilize
young people in countries everywhere to carry
out community improvement projects.
Idealist
Kids and Teens
This site is a project of Action Without Borders
that offers resources and ideas for youth and
teachers for activism. Read about organizations
started by kids, find volunteering opportunities,
learn about how to get involved in the world
of important causes around you, and much more.
Kids
Can Make A Difference
Kids Can Make A Difference® (KIDS),
an educational program for middle- and high
school students, focuses on the root causes
of hunger and poverty, the people most affected,
solutions, and how students can help. Click
to find out what kids can do to make a difference.
Kids
for Community
Kids for Community is for children and teens
looking for volunteer opportunities in New York
City; parents who want to get their kids involved in the community; teachers striving to develop their service learning programs; and organizations
that value young volunteers.
Just
For Kids
Volunteer Houston has put together this great
site, filled with information on topics such
as: What’s Hot for Kids, 10 Good Reasons for
Kids to Volunteer, Ideas for Self Starters,
and Useful and Fun Links.
Kids
Care Clubs
Ten years ago, a group of children got together
to rake a lawn for an elderly neighbor. That
was the beginning of Kids Care Clubs. Visit
their site to learn how you can start your own
club and see what other kids are doing.
The LEAGUE
This nonprofit combines community service, learning, and friendly “co-opetition” between schools around the world. It is a school-based system that combines state standards-based lesson plans with community service events that teach students the value of giving and recognizes them for their efforts.
leagu
National
Wildlife Federation
The National Wildlife Federation is the nation's
largest member-supported conservation group,
uniting individuals, organizations, businesses
and government to protect wildlife, wild places,
and the environment. Learn how you can take
action.
Network
for Good
Network for Good is a nonprofit collaboration
to help nonprofit organizations increase capacity,
reach new audiences, and build Internet strategies.
Explore volunteering opportunities, learn how
to start a nonprofit, and see a list of resources
on working in the nonprofit sector.
SERVEnet.org
This site offers service and volunteering opportunities.
Through SERVEnet, users can enter their zip
code, city, state, skills, interests, and availability
and be matched with organizations needing help.
SERVEnet is also a place to search for calendar
events, job openings, service news, recommended
books, and best practices.
Student Voices Resource Center
Student Voices Resource Center is a place for students to share their views and opinions about technology in education. The website includes: How-To-Guides, Sucess Stories, Focus Chats, and other relevant resources
Student
Volunteer Network
Student Volunteer Network is a student-led nonprofit
organization dedicated to connecting the high
school and nonprofit communities in Colorado.
The
Virtual Volunteering Project
This organization supports the growth and success
of volunteer activities that can be accomplished,
in part or entirely, through the Internet.
Youth
Activism Project
This site provides links to the stories of kids
and teens from around the world who are active
in their communities.
YouthNOISE
An initiative of Save
the Children, YouthNOISE works to inspire,
connect, and empower youth to help young people
everywhere by volunteering, fundraising and
speaking out.
Youth
Service California
Since 1990, Youth Service California has been
working to ensure that all young people in California
are empowered to make a positive difference
in their community via quality community service,
service learning, and youth organizing experiences.
Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards
The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high
school grades for outstanding volunteer service
to their communities.
Strength In Numbers Award
The award celebrates young leaders', under the age of 30, achievements and their work in their community. Must be involved with a board, council, or any governing body, including church organizations, school committees, sports groups, etc. All nominees honored. Contact Youth on Board, 58 Day St, 3rd Floor, Somerville, MA 02144; 617-623-9900.
YouthActionNet Award
YouthActionNet awards youth leaders whose emerging projects will promote social change and connect youth with local communities. These youth-led projects should have clearly defined goals and have potential for growth or further replication. Final selections are made following a peer review process in which previous award winners select the next round of awardees. Award recipients will receive US$500 and are eligible to participate in an international capacity-building workshop.
Educating Young Philanthropists and Volunteers
A
Handbook for Supporting Community Youth Researchers (PDF)
Developed by the Gardner Center at Stanford
University for its Youth Engaged in Leadership
& Learning (Y.E.L.L.) project, the handbook
is designed help those training youth to become
active decision-makers in their communities.
Charity Checks
In a sponsored classroom, every student receives a Charity Check for $25, which can be donated to any U.S. nonprofit recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization. An individual or group can sponsor the classroom, or the students can raise the money for themselves. The website also provides free curriculum resources.
Connect for Kids
Connect for Kids, an award-winning multimedia project of the Benton Foundation, helps adults make their communities better places for families and children. The Web site offers a place on
the Internet for adults-parents, grandparents,
educators, policymakers and others-who want
to become more active citizens, from volunteering
to voting with kids in mind.
El Pomar Youth in Community Service (EPYCS)
El Pomar Youth in Community Service works directly with Colorado high school students to introduce them to the importance of leadership, service, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. While in the program, students identify important needs within their communities. Each EPYCS school, after completing a $500 student-fundraising challenge, receives an El Pomar matching grant of $7,500 to form an $8,000 grant pool for distribution to local nonprofit and school organizations.
Learning
in Deed
Launched by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in 1998,
Learning in Deed targets the K-12 population
and features resources about service learning in general
for teachers, students, and policymakers. The site
also includes information about related demonstration
projects, youth leadership training, and research
findings.
Learning
to Give
The Council on Michigan Foundations developed
Learning to Give as a way to engage educators
and others in teaching philanthropy in the classroom.
The site includes syllabi and curricula aimed at integrating
a program of philanthropic instruction into the schools.
Maryland
Student Service Alliance
The Maryland Student Service Alliance is a public/private
partnership established in 1988. Its Web site includes
electronic presentations, project ideas, and curricula,
all related to service learning.
Minnesota
Toolkit for Giving
Produced by the Minnesota Council on Foundations
and their partners, the “Youth Philanthropy Resources”
section of their Toolkit for Giving includes
information about teaching philanthropy, in addition
to resources on community service, youth as funders,
and “giving stories,” written by Minnesota philanthropists.
Northland Foundation
Youth in Philanthropy Program
Minnesota’s Northland Foundation launched its
KIDS PLUS program to engage young people at a variety
of levels, from program planning in cooperation with
adults, to formal leadership training.
Rose Youth Foundation
Rose Youth Foundation, a grantmaking initiative of Rose Community Foundation, encourages Jewish youth in the Denver metro area to make a difference by becoming grantmakers.
Youth Grantmakers
Youthgrantmakers.org, a communication of the Michigan Community Foundation Youth
Project of the Council of
Michigan Foundations, presents resources for youth grantmakers
including best practices, lessons learned, and sample documents.
Youth
Philanthropy and Service
Youth Philanthropy and Service (YPS) is a program of Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations. YPS provides resources and support for adults implementing K-12 youth service and philanthropy programs within their schools and organizations.
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