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The El Pomar Youth in Community Service (EPYCS) program is a unique opportunity for
young people to improve the quality of life in their communities. EPYCS was created in
1991 to teach high school students the importance of service, philanthropy and the
nonprofit sector, while empowering them to directly impact their community through grant
making. The program gives students a leadership development experience while introducing
them to the philanthropic sector and emphasizing the importance of giving back to the
community.
Through a collaborative effort between El Pomar Foundation and 91 Colorado high
schools, "mini-foundations" are created representing approximately 50,000
students. Each school is awarded a matching grant of $7,500 after successfully reaching a
$500 fund-raising goal. Students make grants to nonprofit organizations following an
evaluative process to ensure the organizations address the issues of greatest concern to
their respective student bodies.
 | The EPYCS group surveys the student body to determine issues that it
feels are most critical and develops fundraising activities.
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| The goal is to raise $500 by February. El Pomar will make a
matching grant of $7,500, a ratio of 15:1. If the students raise less than $500, El Pomar
will match that amount on a 10:1 basis.
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| The students evaluate and identify local nonprofit organizations that
best address the students’ critical concerns and make grants to them. In recognition
of the important needs within our educational system, if a school reaches the $500
fundraising goal, $2,500 of the $7,500 matching grant from El Pomar can be reserved for
educational purposes, determined by the students, within their school, or school district.
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| The program is run throughout the school year during which representatives from El Pomar
meet with the student groups to provide information and technical assistance. The
representatives also arrange enrichment activities to further expose students to the
philanthropic sector. Service through grant making is the primary focus of the program,
but certainly not the only one. Students sometimes choose to serve the community further
by volunteering with non-profit organizations they have identified through EPYCS. |
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