My Life Changing Moment on GEE

By: Analise
Analise was a youth traveler on Allowance for Good's 2015 Global Engagement Expedition to Bucerias, Mexico to visit Human Connections, a social enterprise designed to foster cross-cultural understanding and empower local entrepreneurs. 

Coming back from GEE, my view on my own daily life and the lives of the people I surround myself with has significantly changed. I now have a greater understanding of how much I have and how I can use all the blessings I received for better. There were several moments on the trip that caused this change, but there is one moment that stands out from the rest. On Friday, the fourth day of our trip, we visited Lomas del Valle and worked with Fundación ATD helping build the new school and playing with the little kids. After we finished playing with the kids I got to get a better look at the old school. It was astonishing to see this "school" with walls made out of wire and a roof made out of tin and then to think about my own school, Saint Ignatius.

As I walked next to one of the four outer walls of the school there was a list, as there are on many schools in Mexico. In the Mexican school system, the government sets up a school, but that is it. The children must pay for supplies, books, and repairs of their classrooms. As it is not uncommon for families to be unable to pay for all that is needed for school, each list schools' lists have the names of children who owe money to the school and how much they owe. I read the list outside of the school in Lomas del Valle and I added up the money that was owed by the ten names on the list. All together it was $435 and I thought for a low income community 435 U.S. dollars was a lot so it made sense to me. Then, it hit me. It wasn't U.S. dollars, it was in pesos. which meant it was only about $35 U.S. dollars. I knew right there that I had 3 times that amount of money sitting in my wallet on the bus.

I will forever remember that moment. It put my life in a whole new perspective I had never thought of before. I realized just how incredibly blessed I am to be born where I was, to have the family I have, to be the person I am, and to have so many opportunities in front of me that I must not waste.

Analise dancing with the kids at Entreamigos in San Pancho, Mexico.

List outside of the school in Lomas del Valle outlining how much each family owes.

Integrating Philanthropic Lessons Into Everyday Life

By: Bella
Bella is a participant in Allowance for Good's Winter 2015 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Explorers class.

This week in the ELP class we reflected on our seven weeks worth of work and discussions plus activities and fun. This experience was only seven weeks long and even though it was short I absorbed the wonderful and inspiring lessons each week.

My favorite parts of ELP was talking about global human rights and access to basic needs, such as clean water, education, shelter and food. I found this interesting, because I had know idea about the millennium goals that were suppose to be completed by 2015, but they were not fulfilled. While talking about this topic we also discussed the 5 point Plan, which was put in place of the millennium goals.

I will continue being a philanthropist and young catalyst, by thinking of others and making my goal for each day to help some in need, whether it be picking up a notebook for someone or buying a lunch for someone. To continue my work as a philanthropist I will advocate and give back to throughs who are fighting for equal rights, such as Malala, who advocates for equal education rights for women. I also feel obligated to be doing any philanthropic activity I can participate in, to fulfil my passion of being a philanthropist.

I want to learn more about how to give and what it means to give in a philanthropic way. I am very intrested in different and empowering ways to be involved in philanthropic events or activities. I also want to learn more about the five point plan and why they made them much more broader. Throughout this ELP class I have learned more about philanthropy and how to be a leader. These skills and ideas I will now take and apply them to my everyday life.

Bella writes, "I am a Catalyst for Good because I think that everyone should have access to clean and safe water."

Spreading Awareness for Education, Animal Rights

By: Rashmi

Rashmi is a participant in Allowance for Good's Winter 2015 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Explorers class. 

I recently watched a video of 17 year old Malala Yousafzai at the UN Youth Assembly. Her steady voice delivered words of wisdom and advice, trying to inspire the youth in front of her. I found her speech interesting and inspiring in several different ways. She made a point to not offend anyone, and spoke about how obstacles should not stop people from doing what is right. I thought it was brave of her to stand in front of so many people and talk about such a controversial topic. All of the statements she made were positive, or ended on a positive note. She had something nice to say about everyone and everything. She spoke of the positive impact people could have on the world by using kindness instead of violence, and how no one should be denied their right to education. She was very passionate about it, and talked about how opposition from others did not stop her from going to school. 

The amount of time she talked about spending advocating the right to education and the dangers she had faced opened my eyes to how many problems there are in the world and how much work it will take to fix them. I am very passionate about animals, and spend time volunteering at shelters over the weekend. Some people believe that animals are not important, and that they don’t matter. However, I think that they are just as important as people, and believe that it is important to protest animal cruelty. 

One way I can raise awareness about this issue is by talking to friends and my community and letting them know that there are problems that need to be solved and more than one person is needed to do it. I can also raise money to help larger organizations who are already combatting this problem. This is related to our Global Awareness project because we are trying to open people’s eyes to the things that happen around us that could be improved if everyone donated their time and efforts to the cause. I can use the project to help others understand what needs to be fixed.

Rashmi, front left, with some of her ELP classmates.

Using Philanthropy for Gender Equality

By: Hannah
Hannah is a participant in Allowance for Good's Autumn 2014 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Explorers class. 

Recently, I have become quite a feminist. Not the stereotypical, angry, hairy-legged feminist, but the person who genuinely believes that the world needs to see men and women as equals. Nothing makes me more disappointed than hearing about the injustices women suffer of a daily basis just by being female. Don’t get me wrong, I have always been in support of gender equality, but only in the past few months have I become so attuned to extent of the problem both local and worldwide.

If I were to be fortunate enough to have a family foundation, I would dedicate it to making the woman’s voice heard through education. I choose education because the only way to make lasting change is by inspiring the next generation. School teaches young girls more than just academics—it teaches them they have a future. It teaches them they have power to do anything they set their mind to and will create the spark needed to for us to obtain true gender equality.

Most of my family foundation’s money would go to help international organizations dedicated to ending the gender gap in places like the Middle East where sexism is most prominent. This is because the money would make the most dramatic difference there, and I would want each penny to be used as efficiently as possible. I would also give to organizations that support women’s health because it is equally important for women to be educated in body and mind. After all, happiness and success are only possible in good health.

The rest of the money would go to organizations that focus on women’s rights in the US because American women experience sexism on a daily basis. We have come a long way, but the end of gender-based discrimination is still far off. One staggering statistic is the fact that females make up fifty percent of college graduates, but only five percent of CEOs. That resonates with me because it points out exactly what we have accomplished and what still needs to be done. It shows we have given girls dreams, but we have not turned them into reality just yet. I think that if women’s rights organizations get the support they need, we have a real chance of creating a tomorrow where no woman is disadvantaged just because of her sex.

Hannah works with her ELP classmates to create their theoretical family foundation.

Teen Explores Individual Philanthropy, Passions

By: Sadie
Sadie is a participant in Allowance for Good's Autumn 2014 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Explorers class. 

Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others. Helping others is a key component of human nature and can benefit the giver and the receiver. Thus far, ELP has taught me what it means to be a catalyst for good and how you can bring the concept of philanthropy into your everyday life as well as the future. Being a young catalyst for good means that you will do everything in your power to help those near and far and to raise awareness for issues you are passionate about. Personally, I am a catalyst for good because everyone around the globe deserves to be safe, happy, and healthy and deserves to have the basic needs of life that I and many others are so lucky to have.

I have realized that I, as part of my family and various communities, have been a philanthropist most of my life. My family has given holiday gifts to families in need for years, donated to various organizations, and I have volunteered at soup kitchens and other community events and have been involved in community service club at school. I have always envisioned being a philanthropist in the future. I am not yet sure if this entails setting aside parts of my income or something bigger, like something that has to do with my career.

This past week in Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Explorers, we learned about human rights. We began by reading and analyzing the Universal Declaration of Rights (created by the United Nations). These rights included some as simple as “don’t discriminate” and others such as “the right to education.” After reading these thirty items, we decided that they all should be basic human rights but the majority of them are not followed globally. We also looked at the UN Millenium Development Goals, the goal is for these to be completed by 2015. After studying different opinions of human rights, I have decided that one cause I am particularly passionate about is education.

I believe that education is a necessity for all because it is the starting block for every other human right. Unfortunately, education is not universally available. If a community is educated, those in that community could use their skills to create a solution to poverty in their own community, for example. This would spread like wildfire because once one group of children are educated, others will be inspired and/or the educated are able to help their community in ways that they otherwise wouldn’t have. The fact that so many children around the world are not getting an education is one of the main reasons I am a catalyst for good. In the future, I would love to be involved in this cause whether it is doing something hands-on abroad or from the United States. For now, the best I can do is to raise awareness of this global issue and encourage myself and others to be grateful for the education that we do have. I believe that one day this can change, and I would love to help in some way towards this cause because all deserve to be educated.

Sadie writes, "I am a Catalyst for Good because everyone deserves to be safe, happy, and healthy.

Reflections on Reciprocity

By: Karin Scott

Karin Scott is the Program Manager at Allowance for Good. She recently returned from traveling with Spark Ventures and Allowance for Good youth to Nicaragua. Karin wrote these reflections on day 3 of the trip, and agreed to share them here on our blog.

Together we can connect on a common human level by sharing simple words, smiles, high fives, and laughter.

As our Spark Ventures and Allowance for Good travelers reflected on their second day at Las Tías we were asked to finish the phrase “Together we…” My chosen phrase stems from my connection with my partner, Muriel. Muriel is a bright, big-hearted, eight-year-old girl who I have spent my mornings with at Las Tías.

My two mornings with Muriel have involved simple words, smiles, hugs, and lots of high fives. Through the exchange of “hola”, “que linda”, and “muy bien” we learned our ages, favorite school subject, preferred colors, and future aspirations. We drew pictures, played math flashcards, and tossed a frisbee countless times. In our few hours of interaction we have probably exchanged the same short phrases dozens of times. I point and say a word in English, and ask “en español?” She responds with the Spanish equivalent, and so it goes. But with each repeated phrase comes another smile, another high five, increased trust, and reciprocity.

Our interactions have been short and simple. But on the second day when Muriel greeted me with a hug, a smile, and a loud “Hola!” I felt like in some small way, we had reached reciprocity. We have exchanged languages, games, and laughs for our mutual benefit. My hope is that we have benefitted in equal ways, that Muriel week was brighter because I was a part of it, as I know my short time with her has opened my eyes and shifted my perspectives in new, challenging, and hopeful ways.

My connection with Muriel opened my eyes to the ways in which we can connect on a common human level, beyond the use of language. I was amazed by the way we were able to communicate with each other by only sharing a few words. During my second day with Muriel, I was pleasantly surprised by how much she wanted to spend time to me. The shyness of yesterday melted away into a budding friendship. As a fellow trip participant so accurately stated, “You are only a stranger once.” Muriel, and the other children of Las Tías, will forever remain in my heart.

Karin and Muriel at Las Tías.

Inspiration and Fresh Perspective at Google Chicago

By: Riley
Riley participated in Allowance for Good's summer 2014 Global Philanthropy Summit program. 

I was lucky enough to take part in the Global Philanthropy Summit last week.  It was a riveting and insightful experience, and I now feel like a more engaged citizen!

Thursday was definitely the most exciting day of our week, with several important activities in downtown Chicago.  After taking the train in from Evanston, we trekked downtown and settled in our destination.  Soon after we arrived, so did our presenters: representatives from A Better Chicago, a venture philanthropy group, and one of its funded programs.  They told us all about the great projects they were involved in currently, and where they hope their programs will be in the future.  The impact that these programs had made on the community of Chicago and its young people was obvious.  It was inspiring for us to be presented with some of the greatest philanthropic work going on in Chicago!

After the presentation, we walked to Google's Chicago headquarters, probably the highlight of our week at the GPS.  This was definitely my personal favorite place we visited in our two days downtown.  Besides taking a tour of Google's progressively-designed workplace and its fascinating employees, we participated in a Google+ Hangout with an AFG affiliate at Liger Learning Centre.  We also learned about all of Google's philanthropic work, which was simply amazing.  Google already has a reputation as a very socially responsible business, and its philanthropy was no exception to this principle.  The company has helped get thousands of people out of slavery, donated technology, and otherwise helped people in ways big and small.

I cannot describe how personally inspiring the visit to Google was for me.  The trip taught me that philanthropy can truly be on any scale and that even helping a few people is great philanthropic work.  Google's work with spreading technology and knowledge about it showed great promise for the future of the world and technological progress in it.  Google has encouraged me to be more aware of the world around me and to use my skills to help the people that I can.

I'd like to thank everyone who worked to make the GPS happen and my classmates for making the entire week a great experience for us all!

ELP: Explorers Highlights

By: Mary

Mary participated in Allowance for Good's winter 2014 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: Explorers program.

My favorite part about ELP was the speakers and learning from them. We got to see what exactly these philanthropists are doing to make the World a better place. Speakers like Sharmila, Bruce, and Charles showed us how their foundation(s) are making the world a better place. Before ELP, I was confused on how foundations obtained their funds. I thought that small foundations only ran on individual donors, and that puzzled me. I was informed that foundations get funds from large family and corporate foundations. I had many questions for Sharmila on how a family corporation is run and what the difficulties are while being on the board of a family foundation. With Bruce, I learned about how the smallest things can affect a developing community. I liked to see his personal pictures of The Adonai Child Development Centre. I was delighted to see how he was making a difference in that community and making an effort to do the most good. Finally, I was fascinated by Charles' foundation. I would never have thought that having a bicycle would make such a big difference to children in developing countries. It made me think more about how to help people in non-conventional ways. 

I will continue to be a young catalyst and philanthropist through travel. It's one of my passions. My ultimate goal as a philanthropist is to see others getting better. I want to go where I've already sent help through money or goods. I want to see an improvement and settle difficulties in an area. I want to talk to the people that I helped. In the future, I want to learn more about micro-loans and organizations like Kiva. I think its very conventional and a gift that can be re-used and sent to many people who need the money. I want to become a donor in the future and watch my money go to people who will profit the most from it. 

Mary, right, listens intently as Charles Coustan presents about his organization, World Bicycle Relief.

Celebrating Our Growing Cohort of Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy

By: Clarkie

Clarkie has volunteered with Allowance for Good for over two years and serves as an advisor to our educational programming.

It has been an honor to co-lead the Autumn 2013 session of Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy. Throughout the past ten weeks, we have explored all things philanthropy -- from the philanthropic landscape to international development and non-profit accountability. We discussed individual giving, corporate philanthropy, and the different types of foundations. Our students listened -- and asked thoughtful questions -- to speakers from the field: Stephanie Denzer, from our partner Spark Ventures; Sharmila Rao Thakker of The Siragusa Foundation; Sejal Shah-Myers of The Springboard Foundation; Jenny Daugherty of AbbVie; and Maya Cohen of GlobeMed. On October 30, we attended a talk by Princeton professor of Bioethics, Peter Singer; as leaders, we were especially impressed by the critical way our ELP students responded to his opinions on effective altruism.

Moving forward, our students are going to work together on their own philanthropic project to increase awareness of Allowance for Good, share their newly developed knowledge with their peers, and raise funds to send to our partner Spark Ventures in Twapia, Zambia. The ELPers will use the skills they have learned and the ideas sparked from our weeks together in the classroom to develop ideas and execute what we have faith will be an informative and successful project. I cannot wait to follow their progress, and we look forward to sharing their project with our AfG family. 

Our group is filled with engaged learners and future philanthropic leaders. They understand what it means to be a global citizen and are true AfG Catalysts. We hope they will continue exploring and asking questions as emerging leaders and are excited to announce that they will have the opportunity to keep learning with Allowance for Good in our Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy second level course. In ELP Level 2, we will delve deeper into non-profit organizational structure, grant making, the relationships between grantee and grantor, and assessing the good governance of non-profits. ELP level 2 will be offered in the Spring.

Members of our second cohort of Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy with their certificates in Global Philanthropic Leadership. 

Assessing Worldwide Human Rights

By: Jackson

Jackson is participating in Allowance for Good's autumn 2013 Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy program.

This week at EPL session eight, we learned about the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. These eight goals were set in the year 2000, to be completed by 2015. These goals include: eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and women’s rights, reducing child morality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability and creating a global partnership for development. A great deal of progress has been made towards achieving these goals, but there is still much work to be done in order to accomplish them by 2015. Whether or not they are entirely accomplished by 2015, these goals have set us on the right path towards bettering the quality of life for all, all around the globe.

This week Maya Cohen, the executive director of Globemed, visited us in class. Globemed is an organization that partners groups of university students with local organizations in less developed countries looking to better their own communities. These partnerships last through multiple generations of students, and focus on creating a tight bond between the students and the organization. The students typically raise funds for the organization, but also contribute physical service in an annual trip to visit the partner organization. Ms. Cohen explained this to us, as well as how Globemed’s focus is not only on the health of a community, but the quality of the community as a whole. Different organizations working within the same community can often achieve a greater affect than one organization alone.

It has been said that true philanthropy is done through the donation of one’s time, talent and treasure. This made me skeptical of Globemed’s credibility as a truly philanthropic organization, considering it is difficult to donate anything but treasure from thousands of miles away. What sets Globemed apart from other organizations though is the unique one on one partnering of students and organizations that lasts well past any one student’s time at their university. Unlike other charitable organizations, Globemed follows the money they raise and help the local organizations find the most efficient way to spend it. This truly makes it a philanthropic organization.

At the end of class, we partook in an activity titled “What is a Human Right?” In this activity, we brainstormed ideas of what are basic rights all humans are entitled to. Responses varied from basic necessities such as food, water and shelter, to more idealistic answers such as a right to representation, a right to fair compensation for services and a right to freedom from persecution. It struck me how many of these human rights we take for granted in the U.S., and how even if the U.N.’s millennium goals are accomplished there is still a long way to go to moral and social equality. Many people worldwide do not have access to what we consider basic necessities, and it is our job to advocate for equal rights for all.

This was one more excellent week at EPL, where we all learned a lot and engaged in meaningful discussion. There is no doubt in my mind that next week will be even more productive than this week was.

Jackson presents to his fellow ELP students.

Hope: GPS 2013

On Monday, June 24th, 2013, Allowance for Good launched its second annual Global Philanthropy Summit, which brings together a catalytic group of youth for intensive gatherings to advance personal understanding in and encourage collective action toward global education equity.

Anisa reflects on the entire GPS experience.

My experience with AfG this week was absolutely amazing. I learned so much about different organizations, what a philanthropist is, and overall I learned how to make a difference in the world. It was really fun to go meet different organizations and hear their stories about what they are trying to accomplish. The best part was giving back to the HOPE School Children in Zambia, raising money and collecting dental hygiene supplies etc. This program does really make you look differently at what you have and what others don't have, and how you have the power to change that. After being at this program, it really makes me want to get more involved and I would totally recommend everyone to do the same because it's life changing, not just for those you're helping, but for yourself as well.

Every Action Counts: GPS 2013

On Monday, June 24th, 2013, Allowance for Good launched its second annual Global Philanthropy Summit, which brings together a catalytic group of youth for intensive gatherings to advance personal understanding in and encourage collective action toward global education equity.

Denzel reflects on Day 4 of GPS, during which we conducted our Global Service Project, Giving Circle, and Closing Ceremony.

Saying "goodbye" can be super hard and many of us had to say our best wishes and farewells to the strong, fun relationships we've built as the Global Philanthropy Summit comes to an end. Fortunately, we can all rest assured that whenever we meet again, we'll be even much more beautiful people and great philanthropists.

Today, we raised awareness about Allowance for Good's Global Affiliates. Promoting these organizations was a very humbling experience since people would often choose to just pass us by on the streets. However, a lot of people gave time to listen and donate. We genuinely felt great about ourselves in standing up to make a change in someone's life. Every action counts. In total, we'd raised enough funds to help support our Global Affiliates, Adonai and SparkVentures. At our Giving Circle, we decided that the $160 we raised should go towards SparkVentures to help with the prevention of cavities, along with dental supplies we had collected. Additionally, we decided to distribute $1,000 towards helping fund a Water Tower project with Adonai, since water is very essential to life.

Later, our closing ceremony was quite inspirational and motivational. We all had a voice to speak about how we felt and how it feels to be global citizens. 

To conclude, I thank Elizabeth and all the staff, who helped in the creation of the Summit. I would highly recommend kids to participate in programs that help raise awareness for change and being a philanthropist. I'd never forget that we, as global citizens, can always give of our Time, Talent, and Treasure.

Girl Rising Reflection

On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, Allowance for Good began its newest program, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: A Student Seminar Series. Chicago-area youth are invited to participate in a weekly seminar to learn more about the global philanthropic sector and how they have the power to be philanthropists and agents for change.

Sari reflects on our seventh session. On this day, we invited friends, family, and neighbors to join us for a screening of the film Girl Rising at the Village Crossing Theatre in Skokie, IL.

I normally listen to music whenever I drive in the car, but last Wednesday was different. On my drive home from AfG’s screening of Girl Rising I found myself silencing my radio so I could better tune into my own thoughts. I first became involved with Allowance for Good during the first annual Global Philanthropy Summit in June 2012, and for the last seven weeks I have participated in the new program Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy. With these experiences, I have gained a comprehensive understanding of how important it is to invest in a girl’s education. I know the facts, so what was it about the movie Girl Rising that moved me to drive home with only the sound of my thoughts?

For starters, seeing and hearing the girls' stories put real, raw emotion into the statistics I had been educated with. I try hard to sympathize, but learning that 14 million girls under the age of 18 will be married this year, is a fact that is very difficult for me to comprehend. One of the reasons why Girl Rising made such an impression on me was because it educated us about the issues of girls' rights in the developing world by focusing on one girl at a time. It is a lot easier to understand the severity of one girl’s forced marriage rather than 14 million.

(c) www.thecultureist.com

Another reason why Girl Rising moved me was because it showed how education can bring girls out of a plethora of different hardships. We heard stories from girls who were victims of environmental disaster, slavery, sexual abuse, forced marriage, poverty, and more. Allowance for Good taught me about the ripple effect, and in Girl Rising I saw it come to life.

One of the most inspiring things about AfG’s event was the presence of the audience. The theater was packed with people of all ages. Knowing that we were all becoming educated on this topic gave me confidence that we can help girls like these truly rise.

For more information on this amazing film, and to learn how you can host your own screening or find one scheduled near you, visit www.girlrising.com.

Global Education and International Development Reflection

On Wednesday, April 3, 2013, Allowance for Good began its newest program, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy: A Student Seminar Series. Chicago-area youth are invited to participate in a weekly seminar to learn more about the global philanthropic sector and how they have the power to be philanthropists and agents for change.

Fiona reflects on our fifth session, focused on Global Education and International Development.

“Don’t be afraid to fail, because you will.” This quote was introduced last week and really stood out to me because it explains that if you really LOVE what you do and have a burning passion for it, you shouldn’t be afraid to try new things to bring your passion to life. That is one huge lesion that I learned last week and during this whole week, I have been trying new things in my life because I told myself that I would never know until I tried. I’m really passionate about making change and peace and when I get older, I would love to incorporate philanthropy in helping to make the change I wish to see.

During our lesson, my cousin Karin Scott came in and talked to us about the Global Engagement Summit. The Global Engagement Summit is a three-day program ran by 60 undergrad Northwestern students who meet during the year together and plan the capacity of the next generation of global change makers. It was extremely interesting for me.  Not only is Karin one of my role models in my life, but she inspired me to travel out of the country and help kids in poverty-stricken communities in need. We learned about goals last week. There were three parts to it, learn, connect and act. Learn: engaging in critical discussions in thinking how to do well. Connect: networking with other passionate individuals from around the world and innovate through leaders, and lastly, Act: building capacity and skills on how to carry these things out. Karin left us with some questions that really stuck with my throughout the week. What are you passionate about? In what ways have you volunteered around your community and outside the country? What kind of problems have you seen in these communities? Last summer, I traveled to Haiti on a ten-day service trip. I saw so many things that still stay in my mind to this very day, but one thing I will never forget is that even though Haiti is extremely poor, they are rich in spirit. I’m going back in two years and I hope that the service work we did there last summer really made an impact on their lives and showed them that you don’t know until you try. I know that I was scared that we were going to fail and we didn’t, and I’m blessed that we finished our work there because now kids have a place to learn. So this week, I encourage you all to try something new and don’t be afraid of failure. Trust me, you will feel empowered.

The Roots of a Changemaker

Whether I was aware of it from the beginning or not, a philanthropic sense has been a pillar of my family over generations. Significant international and service-oriented experiences throughout my life led me to launch Allowance for Good. A medical mission trip with my father to Mexico and a high-school choir tour to Puerto Rico provided my first glimpse into a world

beyond national borders. But it was the children in the remote Guatemalan coffee villages who captured my spirit, allowing me to consider how I would go about affecting change both here in the US and abroad. I'm able to give of my time, talent, and treasure today as Allowance for Good takes root. I want youth to know that they have the power, capacity, and ability to invest in the lives of others, giving them a hand to lift themselves out of poverty.

You see, philanthropy is using what you have been allowed in life for positive social impact - be it locally, nationally, or globally. I envision a world where youth are open to balancing personal realities with those outside their own culture and are educated to be active global citizens in the worldwide marketplace. And I believe that becoming a “changemaker” starts at a young age. Through Allowance for Good, I seek to empower youth to start down their path of affecting social change today. In so doing, their commitment will be deepened in their own lives and their impact felt among others around the world.

I want for youth everywhere to know that they don't have to be wealthy or older or wiser to be a philanthropist. A philanthropist can be anyone, and it can be you. All you have to do is be willing to give of your philanthropic portfolio - your time, your talent, or your treasure - to help make our increasingly interconnected world a more sustainable, just, and peaceful place. We have created an opportunity for youth to connect with the reality that they can be a part of the solution.
Rather than dwelling on images of fear, we focus on hope. Rather than emphasizing the insurmountable tasks of providing proper education, clean water, and medicine for all youth everywhere, we offer the chance to be a part of the solution where we are not bound by barriers and borders but open to balancing the realities of others with our own. It is our collective task to reimagine our world - won’t you join me?