The Gift of Giving
Giving a gift to a friend or family member makes us feel good. The same could be said for helping others and giving through volunteering. Our community is blessed with, and known for, its generous people who donate both time and money. By focusing on serving others and making a difference in the lives of others, we often gain a sense of purpose, feel more sociable, and become more involved in our community.
What is Philanthropy?
The Greek root of the word philanthropy may be literally translated as ‘loving people'. (Merriam-Webster)
The dictionary (Collins) describes philanthropy in two ways:
1. the practice of performing charitable or benevolent actions
2. love of humankind in general
Youth in Philanthropy, also known as “YiP”, is the name of a club operating in several schools within GVSD. The purpose of YiP is to learn about philanthropy through volunteering and grant-making to support needs in our community.
How YiP Clubs Work
YiP clubs are teacher-advised groups that are formed on a voluntary basis. Students learn about volunteering, fundraising, and granting by experiencing a complete grant cycle. There is no cost to participate in YiP. Each YiP club operates differently depending on the age of the students, their teacher advisors, and the goals set by the club.
GVC, NPC, and WES, have committed to running YiP for the 2024/25 school year.
When asked about her many years as a former GVC YiP Advisor, Susana Hawryshko had this to say:
“When working with YiP students at GVC, we had three goals: educate, volunteer, and fundraise.
The education piece involved helping YiP students and others in the school learn about the different organizations in the community and understand the community's needs.
For volunteering, we encouraged YiP students to volunteer at various organizations in the community. Once a year, we would volunteer as a group at one of these organizations.
Regarding the granting process, GVC has always handled it through an application process. The students would review the applications and decide who would receive the funds.
Additionally, at GVC, we often invited someone from the foundation to speak to the YiP students about the Winkler Community Foundation, the granting process, and the endowment process.”
GVC YiP 2024
How YiP is Funded
YiP is funded by The Winkler Community Foundation. The funding granted to YiP groups increased this year to $2,500 per high school on the condition they fundraise $1,000 for the YiP Endowment Fund. Each high school YiP club is also given $500 to assist with administrative expenses. Junior High YiP clubs will receive up to $500 in 1:1 matching funds to grant plus $250 to support administrative expenses.
WES YiP 2024
In 2004, when the first club was established at GVC, I assisted the teacher-advisor at the time, Angela Klassen, with getting the club started. Since that time, GVSD YiP clubs have granted over $73,000 into our community. Reflecting on my early years in Winkler as a newcomer, volunteering helped me become a part of Winkler. Volunteering was, and is, a fantastic way to meet people and learn about our community. In retrospect, I received so much more than I ever gave.
YiP is not unique to Winkler. There are YiP clubs throughout Manitoba and Canada. For more information on starting a YiP Club in your school contact your school principal or Myra Peters at the Winkler Community Foundation.
Tena Lane