The Winona Community Foundation is teaching the joy of giving by providing area youth the opportunity to select grant recipients and is making a call for grant proposals at this time. As part of the Winona Community Foundation’s ongoing effort to educate the community about the benefits of giving, a special granting opportunity has been created through the Foundation. This cycle titled ‘Youth in Philanthropy’ will involve area youth at the following levels: - Elementary class – for tangible items, materials and equipment requests - High School class at Alternative Learning Center – for athletic/ extracurricular and civic related requests - WSU Social Service class – for health and human services requests Each class group listed above will receive $1000 from the Winona Community Foundation which will in turn be granted to area non-profit programs and projects as decided by the classes. Grant seekers are invited to submit proposals by October 26th to the Foundation office for funding consideration. Awards will be announced November 12th for National Philanthropic Week. Nationally, similar programs have demonstrated that giving youth the opportunity to learn first hand about philanthropy has a substantial impact on the participants and communities involved. Those involved grow from making a difference and learning more about the needs of the communities in which they live. A sense of empowerment is experienced when these youth are part of the process of determining and directing their future as part of the community. It is said that acts of giving literally transform, empower and improve us as individuals and as a society. The Winona Community Foundation hopes to foster this concept through this program and continue to grow it for future years. For full details on this grant program, please contact Foundation staff at 454-6511.