Elevating Impact – The Louisville Youth Philanthropy Council (LYPC)
Youth have long influenced policy, change, and philanthropy, proving that inspired generosity reaches far beyond age, race, and environment. One particular group is the Louisville Youth Philanthropy Council (LYPC), founded in 2005, as a result of a strategic initiative from the Donors Forum of Kentuckiana. For the past 15 years, LYPC was supported under the fiscal sponsorship of the Community Foundation of Louisville. Today, LYPC is a thriving, inclusive, and dynamic 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has worked with over 360 students from 32 different schools. LYPC participants have gifted $275,000 to date in the form of student grants to 49 various local nonprofits— a significant impact on the Louisville community.
LYPC is building the next generation of community leaders. As each year passes, the student impact through the LYPC program champions the voices of the youth in our community. Haylen Wehr used her love of fashion and spirit of philanthropy to develop a clothing line, Bad Trip Clothing, which donates a portion of sales to The Healing Place. Haylen shared, “Before LYPC, I didn’t realize that adding a donation structure to my business plan was an option.” This experience gave Haylen the opportunity to combine her creativity with philanthropy.
Another former LYPC student Thomas Fogarty stated, “Although I have learned incredible amounts of practical knowledge, like how to classify a 501(c)3 or perform a grant solicitation, my most important takeaway from this whole experience is my dedication to social impact. I have learned the technical skills necessary to network and coordinate with local organizations, but I have also become more civic-minded; I am certain that my career will be anchored in making an impact.”
The future of LYPC is bright as they plan to unleash the potential of future students. The leadership team has a vision to transform the organization to be more representative of our community, more united with community partners, and more expansive in their overall impact. LYPC will achieve this through strong collaborations with other youth-serving nonprofit organizations, deliberate outreach, and engagement with students in underserved schools. as well as broaden their continuum of services to inspire generosity before, during, and after high school. Their mission to nurture the next generation of community leaders is alive and thriving!
As of July 1, 2022, not only is LYPC a standalone nonprofit, public charity but they will also celebrate 15 years of youth philanthropy in Louisville. The Community Foundation of Louisville invites you to join LYPC at their celebration event on July 16th at Tyler Park from 2:00 – 5:00 pm as they welcome LYPC students, friends, supporters, and you, the community we love and serve.
Learn more about the Louisville Youth Philanthropy Council (LYPC) at www.lypc.org or at:
