Summer Youth Program Fund
April 2007:
Local Funders Collaborative Awards $365,000 to 26 Organizations Offering Summer Youth Programs
The Summer Youth Program Fund has hit a homerun in its inaugural grant year as it distributes $365,000 in grants to organizations serving Valley youth. It is anticipated more than 9,000 Valley youth will be impacted from the SYPF’s first year of grantmaking. Recipients (listed below) received grant checks at an Award Reception held April 23rd at the Nina Mason Pulliam Auditorium of the Burton Barr Central Library in Downtown Phoenix.
Over a year ago, the dream of a summer fund made its way to Phoenix from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust’s sister-city Indianapolis. Arizona Trust staff, along with the Maricopa Council on Youth Sports and Physical Activity, invited Valley philanthropic leaders to a roundtable discussion to brainstorm creating a similar opportunity for Valley youth. In essence the initial meeting ended with the hope to create a collaborative fund, leveraging local dollars and resources to increase the impact of organizations serving Valley children during the summer months.
"The Summer Youth Program Fund is modeled after the Fund in Indianapolis that began in 1995 at approximately the same financial level as our collaboration. Today, it is providing over $1.9 million to organizations serving 98,000 youth," said Robert Berger, grants program manager for the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. “With the great emphasis on summer youth programs in the Valley, combined with the generosity of the local community, creating a collaborative funding venture to support the array of summer programs was an idea that from day one was welcomed with great enthusiasm from the donor community,” Berger explained. "In the past year, the Fund has been founded and the real homerun was realized at the Award Reception with the distribution of $365,000 in grants to 26 organizations," Berger added.
"Creating the SYPF also streamlined the grantmaking process, lessening the workload of reviewing and processing grant requests. We have also heard from nonprofit organizations that this single-application process opened the door to a diverse group of funders who were united in their desire to maximize their outreach to young people in need of sports and recreation programming," said Shawna Bradlich, executive director at Maricopa Council on Youth Sports and Physical Activity, an original founding partner.
"Participating funders view the collaboration as a great way to enhance existing programs, increase healthy activities for youth and leverage available dollars and resources, and, 100 percent of funds go to program support" Bradlich explained.
"This collaboration provided an avenue for funders to work together, many for the first time, and fund expanded areas of service to Valley youth," Berger added.
The Summer Youth Program Fund is a pooled fund representing support from 11 funders. SYPF’s inaugural supporters include: Arizona Community Foundation, BHHS Legacy Foundation, J.W. Kieckhefer Foundation, Lodestar Foundation, Margaret T. Morris Foundation, Maricopa Council on Youth Sports and Physical Activity, Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, Peoria Diamond Club, Phoenix Suns Charities, Thunderbird Charities, and Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.
"SYPF recognizes that summer programs, particularly those serving economically disadvantaged youth, require financial assistance to provide creative and recreational outlets while fostering personal development and lifelong learning," said Bradlich.
"During school vacation times, young people tend to engage in the highest levels of health-harming behaviors. Targeted programs provide a continuum of care during the summer months and offer opportunities for youth to develop and sustain enriching and healthy lifestyle activities that will divert them from negative behaviors," she added.
For more information about the Summer Youth Program Fund please call Robert Berger, 602-955-3000 or Shawna Bradlich, 480-947-0369.
2007 Summer Youth Program Fund Allocation
| Organization Name | Amount | Program/Project |
| Arizona Recreation Center For the Handicapped (ARCH) | $20,000 | Summer Day Camps For Handicapped |
| ASU Hunkapi Horse Program | $20,050 | Horses Helping at Risk Children |
| Body Positive, Inc. | $7,500 | Camp Incredible |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the East Valley, Queen Creek Branch | $8,000 | Hunkapi Equine Assistance Life Skills Camp |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, I.G. Home Branch | $10,000 | Home Branch Summer Program |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, Warner A. Gabel Branch | $10,000 | Gabel Branch Summer Program |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, Henry & Sandy Rosenzweig Branch | $10,000 | Rosenzweig Branch Summer Camp |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, Spencer D. & Mary Jane Stewart Branch | $10,000 | Stewart Branch Summer Program |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, Tolleson Branch | $10,000 | Tolleson Branch Summer Program |
| Camp Fire USA, Greater Arizona Council | $16,000 | Camp Wamatochick |
| Florence Crittenton | $10,000 | Summer Athletic Program |
| Free Arts of Arizona | $25,000 | Mulicultural Arts Camp |
| Friendly House, Inc. | $10,000 | Summer Prevention Program |
| Friends of Mesa Arts Center | $11,000 | SASSY: Summer Arts Sessions |
| Grand Canyon State Games | $25,000 | Summer Games |
| Hope & A Future | $25,000 | Summer Camp for Foster Children |
| Junior Achievement of Arizona, Inc. | $10,000 | Learn to Earn |
| Lions Camp Tatiyee, Inc. | $17,000 | Deaf Campers Session |
| The Mitzvah Corp Foundation | $25,000 | Camp Swift |
| The Phoenix Zoo | $13,000 | Camp Zoo |
| Save the Family Foundation of Arizona | $10,000 | Save the Family Summer Youth |
| South Mountain YMCA | $10,000 | South Mountain YMCA Summer Camp |
| Tempe Community Council | $10,000 | Safe & Smart |
| Wesley Community Center, Inc. | $10,000 | Solamente Jovenes |
| West Valley Child Crisis Center, Inc. | $7,450 | Fund and Fitness for Abused Children |
| Whispering Hope Ranch | $25,000 | Whisper of Hope Camp |