Young Philanthropist Giving Circles – Team #DanceDigDine Raise $2,074 for the ISH
Three Young Philanthropists Fund “Healthy Living Bootcamp” for 25 DC Youth in Ward 5
by Zebedee Williams
(June 4, 2013) In Washington, DC, 23% of all children are obese, which is twice the amount it was 10 years ago. With childhood obesity rates skyrocketing, there is clearly a need to take action. A group of young professionals, participating in Capital Cause Young Philanthropists (YP) Giving Circles Projects, recently worked together for nearly 45 days to raise $2,074 to send 25 children to a healthy-living bootcamp.
Capital Cause YP Giving Circles Projects involve young philanthropists in crowd-funding grants to support capacity-building projects that show demonstrable results for local nonprofits. Capital Cause members, between the ages 21 – 35, who participate are trained to involve their networks in giving back their time, talent and financial resources to positively impact lives.
The “Dance, Dig, Dine” YP Giving Circle – whose team’s moniker was derived from the bootcamp’s name – participated in Cycle 3 of YP Giving Circles. Three Capital Cause members – Daphne Charles, Memie Ezike, Elda Auxiliaire – all of whom are under the age of 35 – solicited small donations ranging from $20 to $100 in order to crowd-fund a $2,000 grant for the Institute for Student Health (ISH). The entire grant amount will be used to benefit 25 youth living in DC’s Ward 5.
Jalisa Whitley, Capital Cause liaison to the group said, “The team reached its goal successfully on May 16, 2013, by breaking down their large goal (of $2,000) into manageable, smaller weekly increments over the 60-day fundraising period. By doing this, the team was able to assess how obtaining small gifts daily could make a really big difference in the long term.”
The ISH will involve students in identifying a place in their home or community where they can immediately grow their own gardens. They will learn ecocrafts that will encourage them to upcycle and consume less. The camp will also teach participants and their families to prepare healthy meals on a budget, minimizing food costs through financial literacy and hands-on experience. As a result, 25 children will gain tools that will not only be life changing for themselves, but will also impact their families and friends.
About her team’s efforts to improve nutrition in the DC area, Daphne Charles – the YP Giving Circles Team Lead said, “[our team] participated in this project to influence the youth of our community by providing them with the tools they need to be successful now and in the future.”
Young professionals seeking to participate in YP Giving Circles or donate to support a circle, can visit the following site for more information: www.capitalcause.org.