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Youth Service Award

Since 1994, the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation has been encouraging the next generation of philanthropists through our Youth Service Award.
 
Each year, CACF presents a Citizenship Award to one senior from each local high school who has demonstrated active participation in community service, leadership and academic excellence. These students are then invited to participate in the Youth Service Award Committee for the upcoming school year. The selection committee includes Youth Citizenship Award recipients, members of CACF’s board and distinguished members of the community.

The committee selects an organization best serving the needs of youth in our community to receive a $10,000 award. The committee meets monthly from September to April to research local organizations, make site visits, evaluate the organizations, select the grant recipient and present the $10,000 check in a special ceremony. 

The 2011 Youth Service Award was given to Piedmont CASA, an organization that trains Court Appointed Special Advocates, who work one-on-one with abused and endangered children to assist the courts in determining the best environment to ensure each child’s safety and well being, primarily in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.  This grant will provide materials for two annual volunteer training sessions.

Since its creation, the Youth Service Award Committee has awarded $170,000 to  community organizations.
   
Past recipients of Youth Service Award grants include:
 
●      The Music Resource Center
●      UVA Teen Health Center
●      The Brittany Hope Bishop Fund
●      Blue Ridge English as a Second Language
●      Computers 4 Kids
●      DePaul Family Services
●      Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

The 2012 Youth Service Award (YSA) Grant will be awarded to an organization that serves the youth in our community.   Grants are limited to tax-exempt public charities in the Charlottesville area including the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Greene, Orange, Louisa, Fluvanna, Buckingham and Nelson. All schools are ineligible to apply.

Application guidelines

Application deadline:  November 1, 2011.  A student member of the committee may contact the applicant to schedule a site visit.  Award Decision Date: April 2012.
 
Application Procedure:
 
There is no special form to use in applying for the award; however, requests should be submitted in writing under the organization’s letterhead and signed by its chief executive officer on behalf of the governing board.  The following information must be included: 
  1. Please describe how you would use a special grant of $10,000 to serve youth
  2. Evidence of 501 (c)(3) status, I.D. number and copy of most recent Form 990
  3. Latest financial statement (audited if available)
  4. Current year’s budget
  5. List of Board of Directors and staff positions
  6. Brief description of the organization’s purpose, history, and accomplishments
  7. List of current programs, including the geographic area and people being served, especially in reference to infants, young children and teen-agers

Award application should be addressed to:


Youth Service Award Committee
Charlottesville Area Community Foundation
Post Office Box 1767
Charlottesville, VA  22902



Or hand delivered to: 114 4th Street, S.E. on the Downtown Mall
 
For questions regarding the grant application process please contact Brennan Gould, Associate Director of Donor Relations and Programs Support at (434) 296-1024 or bgould@cacfonline.org.